Stability and change in psychological distress and their relationship with self-esteem and locus of control: a dynamic equilibrium model

The proposed model assumes (a) that each person has a stable and characteristic symptom level, (b) that external events act to deflect symptom levels from this stable level, and (c) that adaptive mechanisms tend to normalize these deviations. The model is used to examine (a) the dynamics of psychological distress (PD), (b) the role of personality traits (i.e., self-esteem and locus of control), and (c) the contamination of these traits by the current level of PD. The analyses show that the structural model adequately fits data of 2 longitudinal community studies. Two thirds of the variance in distress could be attributed to differences in stable symptom levels, leaving 1/3 for environmental change agents. Both personality traits were substantially contaminated by PD levels. Finally, high symptom levels were strongly related to low self-esteem and external control. The applications of the model and the origins of stability and change in PD are discussed.