Negative Life Events, Coping Responses, and Combat-Related Psychopathology: A Prospective Study

This study examined the relations of life events and coping responses to combat-related psychopathology among 255 Israeli soldiers who suffered a combat stress reaction episode during the 1982 Lebanon War. Follow-ups 1 and 2 years after their participation in combat found (a) significant effects of psychopathology at 1 year after the war on the occurrence of negative life events and the choice of coping responses during the following year; (b) unique and significant effects of negative life events and coping responses on psychopathology at 2 years after the war; (c) a significant interaction between life events and coping responses on psychopathology; and (d) a significant indirect effect of negative life events on psychopathology via the choice of coping responses. Theoretical implications of the findings were discussed.