Hardiness, History of Abuse and Women's Health

This study examined hardiness and health in women with and without histories of physical and/or sexual abuse. Patients (N= 201) from a major Midwestern hospital gynecology clinic completed measures of hardiness, physical health, psychological health and neuroticism. The following findings were obtained: (a) the proposed three-factor structure of hardiness was not confirmed, and a different model was suggested; (b) evidence for convergent (adjustment and neuroticism) validity was found; (c) hardiness was significantly associated with physical and psychological health; (d) hardiness was not found to moderate the effects of an abusive past; and (e) the constructs of neuroticism and hardiness appear to overlap to a certain extent. Implications of these findings for theory, research and practice are discussed.