Social competence as a predictor of chronic interpersonal stress

This 1-year prospective study tested Segrin and Abramson's (1994) social skills-stress hypothesis in a community sample of 137 late-adolescent females. The study found that self-reported interpersonal competence at initial evaluation predicted a significant proportion of the variance in chronic interpersonal stress 1 year later, even when prior chronic interpersonal stress and concurrent psychopathology were controlled. Exploratory analyses suggested that deficiencies in the ability to provide emotional support to others may function as a risk factor for the generation of interpersonal stress. These results provide support for theories (e.g., Hammen, 1991b) that emphasize a bidirectional causal relationship between stress and psychological adjustment.