3.2.3. Experience of Stressful Events
depression, deaths, death, diabetes
EVENTS, DIABETES
As noted in the Likert-scale questionnaires, many of the young adults experienced one or more stressful life events in the six months prior to the interview. Several of the reported stressors may reflect the self-perpetuating effects of depression in the family, including a parent abusing alcohol, unemployed parents, and geographical moves due, in part, to marital strife or financial constraints. Many of the stressors are particularly characteristic of a family with one or more children transitioning to young adulthood. Many participants living on their own, for instance, and even a few starting their own families, reported that tight finances were stressful. A few found their substantial college loans to be overwhelming, and some struggled with bad credit. Many participants found the process of applying to colleges and making decisions difficult.Some of the stressors reported did not seem necessarily unique to a family with depression, nor did they seem unique to a family in which a child was transitioning to young adulthood. Even so, these stressors may have precipitated or aggravated depression within the family. A few participants reported parents with medical problems, including a father having a hip replacement, another father with heart problems, and a mother with diabetes. A few participants reported stressful life events tied to the historical context in which these interviews took place—one was in the military and about to be deployed, two had brothers fighting in the war in Iraq, and another was very upset by the events of September 11th.Particularly striking was the number of participants who reported one or more significant deaths. A large number of participants reported grandparents dying, and a few reported an aunt, an uncle, or close friend of their parent’s dying. Some reported having a close friend who lost a parent or sibling. One reported losing friends in an auto accident. Thankfully, none of these was an immediate family member, but the participants nonetheless had close connections to the deceased. Coping with death may not be unique to families with a young adult or families battling depression, but the nature of a young adult’s connection to the deceased raises an interesting issue regarding the dual effect of such a death, serving as a source of loss that also may impel young adults to fill supportive or caregiving roles.