Background and Objectives: Patients with psychosis are more sensitive and more susceptible to the effects of even minor life stressors. The stressful life events and coping strategies among patients with psychosis are examined, with an objective to determine it as a risk factor for relapse in psychosis. Materials and Methods: Patients who are diagnosed with psychosis as per ICD­10 criteria have been included. A case control study design has been adopted to investigate the stressful life events and coping strategies among patients with relapse and without relapse. Convenience sampling technique is used to select 30 patients with psychosis, among which 15 subjects were in the relapse group and 15 subjects were in the non­relapse group. Results: The study results shown that in relapse group, 60% of subjects had more stressful life events and 40% had less stressful life events. In nonrelapse group, 73.3% of subjects had less stressful life events and only 26.7% had more stressful life events. Besides, it was also found that presumptive stressful life events is co­related with the coping strategies in the relapse group (p<0.05) and there was no co­relation between these two in the non­relapse group. Conclusion: tressful life events in patients with psychosis remained as one of a major risk factor for relapse. Adequate coping strategies among patients with relapse are essential in order to achieve a speedy recovery from the illness. 

Keywords: Stressful Life Events; Coping Strategies; Psychosis; Relapse.