Comparability of self-report checklist and interview data in the assessment of stressful life events in young adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incremental value of conducting an interview to assess stressful life events over the self-report questionnaire approach, first by examining the degree to which life events reported on a questionnaire met inclusion criteria in a detailed stress interview, and second, by comparing the magnitude of prospective associations with depression symptoms for the two different assessment procedures. Data from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project were examined, in which 191 community-residing young adults (55% female; M age = 23.6, SD = 0.6) completed a mailed questionnaire assessing the frequency with which 33 life events had occurred to them or to other important people in their lives prior to the diagnostic and stress interviews. An average of 67.5% of events occurring to self met criteria for classification as a life event on the stress interview, as did 19.7% of the events occurring to others. Events having a large effect on the participant had a greater likelihood of meeting inclusion criteria on the stress interview. Contrary to expectation, stress scores from the interview assessment did not result in stronger associations with depression. Recommendations for assessment of stressful life events are offered.