TABLE 3.

Content of Distressing Events Reported by Respondents.

Category	Examples (quotes from respondents)	N	%
Death	Father died; co-worker’s suicide; lost child in pregnancy; best friend was killed in a murder	140	35.0
Medical crisis or significant medical problem	Finding out sister had breast cancer; son was paralyzed; finding out I had lung cancer	59	15.0
Conflict/argument	Had a falling out with mother-in-law; marital problems	44	11.2
Major problem at work/ firing	Job loss; overbearing supervisor; forced resignation as a teacher	37	9.4
Relationship end	Domestic partner left after 10 years; going through divorce	21	5.3
Violence/crime victim/ threat	Domestic violence with husband; witnessed shooting of a young person; physically abused	17	4.3
Accident	Victim of a hit-and-run accident; hit by a car	15	3.8
Interpersonal stress	Son’s medical questions; sister moved away	13	3.3
Financial stress	Insurance going up 25%; home foreclosure	9	2.3
Legal problems	Arrested in 2007; blamed for possession of a firearm	7	1.8
Other frustrations	Three friends smashed up brand-new car; forced to evacuate home by the police	7	1.8
Personal stressors, other	Coming out to people about being gay; telling my Mom I was pregnant	5	1.3
Problems with living situation/eviction	Apartment building burned; bad living situation; eviction	5	1.3
Natural disaster	Earthquake in Haiti; hurricane in Cancun	2	0.5
Racism	Victim of racial profiling; dealt with a racist professor	2	0.5
Unable to categorize	Went through a bomb scare; daughter had trouble in high school; parking at the garage	16	4.1
Total		399*

^*Note that 394 items were coded; 5 items were coded in 2 categories.