Experiences and effects of life events: Evidence from two Australian longitudinal studies

Overall, a higher percentage of respondents in LSAC than HILDA referred to the experience of one or more life events in the previous 12 months (70% vs 50%). This trend may be partly explained by the fact that the experience of many of the events listed in each survey would be age-related (an issue examined below) and more generally feasible for LSAC than HILDA sample members given their common stage in family life. There are also differences in the life events listed. In addition, the LSAC results refer to experiences of two people if the respondent has a partner, whereas those pertaining to HILDA focus on the experiences of the respondent alone. Despite these differences, some consistency in the findings from the two studies emerge. In each study, the life events that were relatively common included having an illness or injury occur to a close relative, having a close friend or other relative die, suffering a serious personal injury or illness, and changing residence. In the next section, we outline some of the ways in which the experience of life events varied according to a selection of personal and family characteristics, including age and financial circumstances.