The Pave Project Report - Queen's University Belfast

The PAVE Project Report 135
The experience of additional stressful life events was a significant factor with regard
to poor outcomes for participants. Thirteen participants had experienced one or more
stressful life events over the past 3-4 months prior to A3. The type of stressful events
experienced included major change in health or behaviour of a family member (n=7),
Christmas (n=7), family issues (e.g. son or daughter leaving home, more arguments
with the partner, etc.) (n=5), gaining a new family member (n=4), moving home
(n=3), taking on a significant mortgage (n=3), death of a close family member (n=2)
or a close friend (n=2), personal injury or illness (n=2), marriage (n=2), change in
employment situation (n=2) and pregnancy (n=1).
Participants who had experienced these kinds of life events scored significantly higher
in A3 than they had scored prior to experiencing these events (GHQ-30 mean scores
3.67 v. 12.67 and BDI-II mean scores 10.22 v. 19). They also suffered significantly
higher levels of psychological health problems, depression, and PTSD severity than
those (n=7) who had not experienced stressful life events during this period
(independent-samples t-test) (GHQ-30 mean scores 11.62 v. 0; BDI-II mean scores
17.69 v. 2.14; PDS mean scores 24.38 v. 2.29). For those who had not experienced
stressful life events between A1 and A3 scores reduced significantly (GHQ-30 mean
scores 14.14 v. 0, BDI-II mean scores 22.71 v. 2.14 and PDS mean scores 26.86 v.
2.29) (paired-samples t-tests).
Eight participants had experienced one or more stressful life events in the past 3-4
month prior to A4. The type of stressful events were family issues (n=4), major
change in health or behaviour of a family member (n=4), gaining a new family