This study predicted that individuals diagnosed as having higher levels of stress, based upon DSM-III-R, Axis IV ratings, would also be diagnosed as having more severe forms of mental illness. Conversely, it predicted that individuals with higher premorbid health ratings, according to DSM-III-R, Axis V, would be diagnosed as having less severe forms of mental illness. Highly significant correlations were found between stress ratings and severity of disorder. Significant inverse relationships were also found between Axis V ratings and disorder severity. Additionally, several other demographic variables were significantly correlated with severity of disorder.

The present study tested the hypothesis that contiguity, regarding time of administration of the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), differentially influences hypnotic susceptibility. Forty-eight subjects were administered the TAS immediately prior to assessment of hypnotic susceptibility versus 43 subjects who received the TAS one to three days before assessment of hypnotic susceptibility. Absorption, when measured in the temporally versus nontemporally contiguous context did not appear to affect hypnotic susceptibility. Absorption did, however, correlate significantly with hypnotic susceptibility in the temporally contiguous group as compared to a non-significant correlation in the nontemporally contiguous group. This finding suggests is a relationship between differential administration of the TAS with regard to time of administration and hypnotic susceptibility.