Life‐events, coping strategies, social resources, and somatic complaints among combat stress reaction casualties

This study examined the relationships of life‐events, coping strategies, and social resources on the one hand and self‐report of somatic problems following the stress of combat on the other. The sample consisted of 255 Israeli soldiers who suffered a combat stress reaction episode during the 1982 Lebanon War and were followed up one and two years after their participation in combat. Correlational analyses revealed significant relationships between life‐events, coping, and social resources and somatic complaints. However, regression analyses found that after prior somatization and current psychiatric status were controlled for, the level of perceived social resources was the only variable that significantly contributed to somatization. Theoretical and methodological implications of the findings are discussed. 1990 The British Psychological Society