The Frequency of Physical Illness as a Function of Prior Psychological Vulnerability and Contemporary Stress

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Abstract
Psychologically vulnerable and nonvulnerable adults, as defined by scores on the MMPI [Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory] and CMI [Cornell Medical Index], were compared on their subsequent histories of accident-stress experiences and numbers of visits to a medical dispensary for complaints of physical illness during an 18-month period. Both groups had equivalent proportions of subjects with accident-stress experiences. Psychological vulnerability and accident-stress were significantly associated with higher illness rates when considered independently, and in combination were associated with even higher illness rates. The types of illnesses were similar in the two psychological groups. Among subjects making the most frequent dispensary visits, however, the psychologically vulnerable ones had proportionately more of their complaints in the GI [gastrointestinal] and less in the URI [Upper respiratory infections] illnesses than the nonvulnerable ones.

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