Life Event in Anxiety Neurosis: a Study of the Effect of Intervening Variables

This study was conducted on 84 patients of anxiety neurosis selected according to stringent selection criteria, PSE scale was utilised for eliciting information regarding experience of life events during life time and past 6 months. Life time stress score correlated positively with Hamilton anxiety score, while family jointness, social support and socio-economic status correlated negatively with the Hamilton anxiety score. Life time stress score, socio-economic status correlated positively with economic status and social support and social correlated positively with family jointness. 5 variables, life time stress score, recent stress score, socio-economic and economic status and social support, when considered, accounted for 50 % of the variability in the magnitude of illness. Amongst these variables life time stress score and family jointness turned out to be the most important. These findings highlight the significance of experience of stresses over life time in the production of anxiety of symptoms and also suggest that the joint family is a support system in our country and dilutes the effect of stressful life events on the individual.