Towards Next-Generation Stress Generation Research: Expert Consensus Methodological Guidelines

The stress generation model posits that depression and other psychopathology elevates risk that individuals create or select into stressful life events. Although decades of research support stress generation theory, life stress is inherently challenging to assess and model as an outcome variable, and prior studies follow inconsistent methodological standards. Towards a vision of elevated “next generation” research, we present expert consensus methodological guidelines for conducting stress generation research. A panel of researchers with diverse expertise delineates best practice, acceptable, and non-recommended methods across six areas: stressor operationalizations, assessment, longitudinal study design (including intensive longitudinal design), statistical analysis, openness/ transparency, and avoiding stigmatizing language. For example, the review covers modeling stressors as formative variables, statistically comparing effect sizes for predicting independent and dependent stress, and using life stress interviews versus questionnaires, among other methodological concerns pertinent to stress generation research. Following these guidelines will allow future investigators to construct a research base with greater rigor, transparency, and reproducibility, providing a firmer foundation to improve understanding of stress generation.