Family Stress and the Use of Health Services

Abstract
Roghmann, K. J. (Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y. 14620, U.S.A.), and Haggerty, R. J. Family stress and the use of health services. Int. J. Epid. 1972, 1: 279–286. A technique was developed to analyze according to a ‘flow model’ patient behavior of relevance for the use of health services. Anecdotal evidence for increased use of health services under stress was taken as a starting point. Over-utilization could be confirmed for children, but contrary to expectations, not for mothers. Normative data on daily upsetting events and minor stress, the frequency of everyday health complaints and the use of medical services were presented.