The clouds of life's most trying and traumatic times may have more of a silver lining than previously thought by psychologists, according to three studies published last month by a UC Davis researcher and her colleagues. For years, stressful life events generally have been considered damaging, both physically and emotionally. Yet the majority of the 2,000 people involved in the new studies said they learned from their lowest moments, and could point to advantages gained through their pain, says Carolyn Aldwin, a professor in the UC Davis human and community development department. Along with a graduate student and a Brandeis University professor, she conducted the research published in the Journal of Personality. The three studies are the first to show quantitatively, and in an "ordinary" population, the positive effects of stress, and how people draw upon past experiences to deal with current problems, Aldwin says. Most previous studies have shown anecdotally that in three "coping" research areas -- illness, bereavement and trauma -- people perceived positive benefits from undergoing extremely stressful events.