STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS, COPING, SOCIAL SUPPORT, SOCIAL NETWORK, AND LOCUS-OF-CONTROL IN RELATION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF CHINESE ELDERLY IN THE UNITED STATES

Chinese elderly are often perceived as having strong family support and social ties that they can take care of their own. The stereotypic impression is reinforced by their underutilization of social services. However, the tendency of increased psychiatric commitment rates has been observed by many researchers (Berk & Hirata, 1973; Jew & Brody, 1967).;Ninety Chinese elderly volunteered to participate this study and completed questionnaires of Social Readjustment Rating Scale, Social Support Questionnaire, Berkman's Social Network Index, Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised, Internal-External Scale, and Symptom Distress Checklist. A stepwise multiple regression was performed to analyze the data.;The results indicated that stress, social support, and social network do not have any effect on the manifestations of psychological symptoms for Chinese elderly, only locus of control and coping affect the manifestations of psychological symptoms. Both variables contribute to approximately 27% of the explained variance in psychological symptoms.;Most of the Chinese elderly in this sample experienced moderate amount of stress and reported more psychological symptoms than did normal American elderly. Perhaps the reason why daily life stress do not affect their manifestations of psychological symptoms for these elderly is they have experienced traumatic and intensified events, such as famine, wars, and natural disasters, when they were young. Thus, the magnitude of current life stress is far less than that of their childhood experience.;The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between stress and psychological symptoms of the Chinese elderly and to identify variables which can predict the manifestations of psychological symptoms. Based on the theoretical framework of stress-illness model and literature review, social support, social network, coping and locus of control are chosen to examine their impact on stress-illness relationship.;Subjects tended to utilize a variety of coping strategies when confronted by stressful life events and generally displayed a rather internally controlled belief. Their internality orientation may help them to perceive life events as less stressful and affect their reaction to stress.