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The Relation between Contextual and Reported Threat due to Life Events: A Controlled Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

David M. Ndetei*
Affiliation:
Bexley Hospital, Old Bexley Lane, Bexley, Kent DA5 2BW
Atul Vadher
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, England
*
Correspondence to Dr Ndetei, Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of Nairobi Medical School, Kenyatta National Hospital, P.O. Box 30588, Nairobi, Kenya.

Summary

Following the method of Brown and Harris 30 Kenyan patients suffering from depression and 40 community non-psychiatrically-disturbed controls were studied for contextual and reported threat due to short-term and long-term life events. It was found that the patients did not over-rate threat due to events (in ‘search for the meaning’) nor did the controls under-rate the threat of life events. Some theoretical issues on the ‘contextual threat’ of life events are raised.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1981 

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