A confiding spousal relationship and/or a confidant outside the marital relationship may affect an individual's ability to cope with various stressful events occurring during the adult years. Initial interviews of adults (N=2299) were conducted in 1972; a follow-up study was conducted in 1976 with 1106 adults. The findings confirmed the conclusions of previous studies, i.e., that the absence of intimate ties was a disadvantage in coping with stressful life events. There was a lower frequency of confiding relationships among the elderly, although the oldest individuals with intimate relationships reported less distress and higher self-esteem than the oldest individuals without intimate relationships. Confiding in a spouse appeared to be slightly more effective for handling stress than confiding in friends or relatives. (RC)