1. Leonard Pearlin’s Theory of Psychological Distress
Kate MacDonald, Josée-Claire Malenfant

2. In this Presentation Who is Leonard Pearlin?
The principles of his theory
The strengths and weaknesses of the theory
The relevance and connections to this theory
Discussion questions

3. Leonard Pearlin December 26th, 1924-July 23rd 2014
He lived to be 89 years old.
His work is know internationally and he has Received various awards for his work in the field of sociology(I Sociology)
Aside from his developmental theories he also conducted work around mental health and mental illness (Leonard I. Pearlins obituary On the Washington Post)

4. Basic Premise of Theory
There are no “life Stages”,he states that development is not divided by age
Instead of stages we respond to varied and continuous stressors throughout our lifetime, our development is cause by how we cope and adapt to these stressors(Robinson)
This makes his theory unique to individuals
There are Four Path Determining elements. These are individual characteristics that affect what kind of stress a person could be exposed to(Leonard Pearlin’s Theory of Psychological Distress)

5. 4 Path determining Elements:
Individual Characteristics
Skills for Coping With Stress
Various characteristics that would affect one’s life choices and opportunities.(Robinson)
These could include:
Race
Gender
Family Background
Personality
Education
Addresses how individuals cope with stressors in their life.
Do they have the ways or skills needed to cope?
Are the ways healthy or unhealthy techniques?(Mohamed and Hatem)

6. 4 Path determining Elements:
Availability of Social Support Networks
Nature & Timing of Stress that Requires Response
What resources does an individual have to help with distress?(Robinson)
Resources can include:
Family
Friends
Counselors
What is the individual's level of stress like?
What affects does it have on a person's life?
What other elements are involved?(Mohamed and Hatem)

7. Strengths and Weaknesses
Highlights the positive skills people have to cope with stress
Development is unique and accommodating to individuals
Weaknesses
Lacks any clear stages
Overly general. Everyone experiences different levels of stress, that makes it difficult to measure change for every individual

8. Connection and Relevance
This theory has more connection to adolescence than the general life span
Adolescence is the time period where the largest, most diverse stress occurs. This could include finances, careers, education, and much more.
Provides explanation for why, when faced with the same stressor, people will chose different options.
As an example: Preparing to leave high school.
Some people feel anxiety, or fear, or even excitement. That is why people make many different choices, such as taking a gap year or going straight into university, ect...

9. 4 Path Determining Elements Availability of Social Support Networks
Secondary Sources
4 Path Determining Elements
Movie:
Individual Characteristics
Skills for Coping with Stress
Availability of Social Support Networks
Nature & Timing of Stress that Requires Response
The Blind Side
Race
Economic Status
Family
Background
Education
The main coping strategy highlighted is the use of Sport- specifically Football
His adoptive family
Coaches
Teachers and counselors within the school
Struggles with Education
Finding a place in society
Extreme Financial Situations
Achieving Goals

10. The Blind Side

11. Discussion Questions
In your opinion, is an individual's response to stress an accurate measure of development?
Can stress be beneficial or is it solely harmful?
What skills do you think an individual must possess to cope with stress?

12. Sources
Leonard Pearlin's Theory of Psychological Distress. (2015). Retrieved November 5, 2015.
Mohamed, J., & Hatem, N. (n.d.). Leonard Pearlin’s Theory of Psychological Distress. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
Robinson, L. (2013). Leonard Pearlin's Theory of Psychological Distress. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
| Sociology. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2015.
Leonard I. Pearlin’s Obituary on the Washington Post (2014, July 27). Retrieved November 15, 2015.