The Association of Interpersonal Stress with Psychological Distress in Romania

Abstract

Data from a community sample in Romania are presented on how social support and stress in interpersonal relationships are related to psychological distress (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and loneliness). Other predictor variables in the study were stress from daily living, self-efficacy, age, and gender. An important feature was the inclusion of measures of positive and negative aspects of interpersonal relationships. Many studies emphasize either social support, or interpersonal stress, but rarely both. A random population-based sample of 1000 was drawn from age groups 25-29, 40-44 and 75-79. A study questionnaire was mailed to the sample. The analysis sample size was 581 (63 percent of the 922 persons located). The hypothesized relationships between the stressors, the resources, and psychological distress were examined using structural equation models. All the fit statistics indicated a good fit of the data to the model. The variance in psychological distress explained by the predictor variables was 0.83. There were no statistically significant age differences in the relationship between the predictors and psychological distress. Results confirm the study's basic premise, that social support influences psychological distress levels in a protective way, as does self-efficacy, while interpersonal stress and worries about daily living are significant predictors for elevated psychological distress. The study confirms the importance of including measures of positive and of negative social ties in studies of psychological distress in community samples.