An exploration of the relationship between interpersonal problems and psychological health

Abstract

The relationship between interpersonal distress and psychological health was investigated using a sample of 185 college undergraduates. Subjects completed the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (a measure of interpersonal distress), the Personal Orientation Inventory (a measure of self-actualization), and the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (a measure of interpersonal closeness). The mean of scores on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems was compared with the mean of the clinical sample reported in 1988 by Horowitz, et al. The measures of psychological health were correlated with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems total and with the octant scales of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex version. The measures were also projected onto the circumplex to summarize their interpersonal connotations.