On physiological effects of positive and negative life changes--a longitudinal study.

A sample of working men and women were followed longitudinally on four occasions during a year with regard to serum triglycerides, plasma prolactin and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest. Participants were asked about life changes that they had gone through during the examination year. They were also asked to rate the importance and the direction (positive and negative, respectively) of the changes. On the basis of this information participants were divided into a no event group (N = 20), a positive event group (N = 11) and a negative event group (N = 11). Statistical analyses revealed that prolactin levels tended to increase in the negative event group whereas blood pressure as well as serum triglycerides increased in the negative event group and decreased in the positive event group.