Long-term Effects of Negative Life Events

Overview

The study contains results of the first part of an empirical research, having been executedwith samples of educational advisers and clients of psychiatric consulting. They filled outan anonymous questionnaire concerning the most sad and painful events in their lives, theirshort-term and long-term effects, the way they managed to cope with them, available sources ofsocial support and possible influence of these events on the meaning of their lives. Moreover, therespondents evaluated perceived long-term effect of the events on the scale from 1 (univocalynegative to 9) univocally positive. The results of the investigation supported the presumptionthat transcendence of the worst life events is not so exceptional phenomenon as previouslyclaimed in literature.

Key words:
negative life event, coping with, transcendence.