Life Change and Rape Impact

The effects of environmental change on individuals and groups: Some neglected issues in stress research

“…At first glance, such a model appears to be a powerful tool for organizing the environmental change and stress literature. For example, it is congruent with the findings of Ruch et al (1980), which showed increased symptoms with both low and high exposure to stressful life change, but decreased symptoms with moderate levels. Further, it appears that Selye's three-stage General Adaptation Syndrome follows an inverted-U curve: marked deterioration in physiological functioning in stages one and three, but improved functioning in the intermediate stage, the stage of resistance.…”

“…First, the analogy with Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome is not exact: Selye's model refers to the chronicity rather than intensity of stress, and clearly does not posit that a low level of stress is associated with impaired physiological functioning, as the U-shaped model would suggest. Further, with the exception of the Ruch et al (1980) study, there is little evidence in the stress literature that low levels of stress in an individual's life lead to impaired physiological or psychological functioning. Indeed, Ruch et al suggest that low reported levels of life stress may be more a reflection of neurotic security needs and avoidance of change rather than an accurate reflection of actual levels of psychological stress in a person's life.…”

Post-Traumatic Stress Reactions Amongst Rescue Workers After a Major Rail Accident

“…According to the DSM-classification other possible post-traumatic disorders are adjustment disorder and brief reactive psychosis. Post-traumatic psychiatric disorders have been described following combat experience (Solomon, Weisenberg, Schwarzwald, & Mikulincer, 1987), imprisonment in concentration camps (Eitinger & Askevold, 1968), assault or rape (Ruch, Chandler, & Harter, 1980), torture and other deliberate violence (Somnier & Genefke, 1986), natural disasters (Green et al, 1990) and industrial disasters (Weisaeth, 1984). The amount of research concerning post-traumatic reactions and disorders has increased considerably the last 10 years.…”

Life scripts help to maintain autobiographical memories of highly positive, but not highly negative, events

“…In a modified version of this framework, the absence of a bump for negative events might be due to a reduced rehearsal of negative events in conversations, owing to social censure (Harber & Pennebaker, 1992) or to the fact that negative events are followed by more instability than are positive events (Berntsen & Rubin, 2002;Ruch, Chandler, & Harder, 1980;Ruch & Holmes, 1971).…”