It has been argued elsewhere that the stress hypothesis has never been effectively tested because we have not yet adequately measured variations in stress exposure. In this circumstance, the relative contributions of exposure versus vulnerability to differences in risk remain uncertain because unmeasured differences in exposure across groups tend to masquerade as differences in vulnerability. In this paper, we examine variations by social status in the adequacy with which conventional operationalizations of exposure to stress capture total exposure as estimated by a more comprehensive measurement procedure. This more comprehensive approach utilizes extensive data on the lifetime occurrence of major, potentially traumatic, events, on enduring or chronic stressors, and on recent life events to estimate exposure to stressors. The extent to which such variations account for observed gender and ethnic variations in mental health is also considered. These analyses are based on a representative sample of young persons in the transition to adulthood. The 1,800 participants were drawn so that approximately one quarter are white non-Hispanic, one quarter are of Cuban origin, one quarter are "other Hispanic" and one quarter are African American. The study obtained data on lifetime and recent occurrence of psychiatric and substance disorders and on an unusually wide array of sources of social stress.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will learn about the measurement of social stress, the significance of stress and other risk factors for mental health and about cultural/ethnic variations in such risk factors.
Keywords: Mental Health, Stress
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