Most prior research on stress and hemodialysis has focused on physical, psychological and staff-patient dimensions. Little research has been conducted on the correlates of stress experienced by dialysis patients in th~ context of the family. The purposes of this investigation were to operationalize 12 propositions from a model synthesizing 50 years of family stress research and to determine the applicability of the propositions for a population of in-center dialysis patients. The two dependent variables were family vulnerability to stress and family regenerative power. The independent variables were selected on the basis of the relative absence in the dialysis literature, and the applicability to dialysis patients and their families. A 41-item closed-ended interview schedule was designed by the investigator, analyzed for validity and reliability by a panel of experts, and pretested on a small group of dialysis patients. Six dialysis centers in Western Virginia participated in the investigation and 207 of a possible 215 patient interviews were completed. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated for each of the relationships within the hypotheses. Four hypotheses received strong support: the greater the amount of crisis, the greater the vulnerability; the greater the family positional influence, the less the vulnerability; the greater the personal influence, the greater the vulnerability; and, the greater the marital adjustment, the greater the regenerative power. Four hypotheses received moderate support: the greater the positional influence, the lower the family regenerative power; the greater the anticipation socialization, the less the vulnerability; the greater the extended familism, the greater the regenerative power; and, the greater the regenerative power, the greater the family level of reorganization. Several additional correlations were reported which helped explain the findings related to the hypothesis testing. Methodological, theoretical and practical implications were discussed and recommendations for future research were made. / Ph. D.