A prospective study of life events and psychological symptoms.

Subjects who were initially free of psychological symptoms completed life event and symptom measures on 3 subsequent occasions 4 months apart. As expected, an association was found between symptoms and life events reported as occurring in the previous 4 months. A path analysis model was then constructed. The association between symptoms and events of the previous 4 months remained, but in neither panel did events reported as occurring more than 4 months previously predict symptoms.