Stress and Health via MedWorm.com

Authors' response to barber et al. commentaries: exploring the self-regulatory strength model using sleep practices: potentials and pitfalls for future research

Stress and Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

Academic burnout profiles in Korean adolescents

Stress and Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study is to identify specific burnout patterns among Korean students. Using a cluster analysis procedure and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, four clusters were identified: (1) distressed group; (2) laissez-faire group; (3) persevering group; and (4) well-functioning group. In addition, the results of categorical regression analysis indicated that self-esteem and Grade Point Average (GPA) were good discriminators between the four clusters. Specifically, students who self-identified as not experiencing burnout (well-functioning group) were found to have the highest scores on GPA and positive self-esteem. Practical implications for educators are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Exploring self-compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

Stress and Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study examined the impact of MBSR on self-compassion and empathy, as well as on mindfulness, symptoms of stress, mood disturbance and spirituality in a community sample. Significant reductions in symptoms of stress and mood disturbance, as well as increases in mindfulness, spirituality and self-compassion were observed after programme participation. With regards to empathy, a significant increase was seen in perspective taking and a significant decrease in personal distress; no significant change was observed for empathic concern. Changes in self-compassion were predicted by changes in mindfulness. Self-compassion and aspects of empathy revealed strong associations with psychological functioning. Implications of MBSR as an intervention for enhancing self-compassion and empathy are dis...

Cognition and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume in corticosteroid-treated patients given lamotrigine

Stress and Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

In addition to changes in declarative memory and the hippocampus, corticosteroid excess is associated with prefrontal cortex changes. We previously reported that patients receiving exogenous corticosteroid therapy had impaired performance on prefrontal cortex-related tasks, including working memory and executive functioning tasks. Glutamate release inhibitors attenuate corticosteroid-effects on the hippocampus in both animal and human models. Twenty-eight outpatients receiving chronic prednisone therapy for transplant rejection or other medical conditions were randomized to lamotrigine (a glutamate release inhibitor) or placebo for 24 weeks. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) volume was manually traced from MRI scans by trained staff members. Cognition was examined using the Stroop Col...

Effect of minamata disease status and the perception of unfairness on ill health and inequalities in health amongst residents of Shiranui sea communities

Stress and Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Minamata disease (MD) is a neurological disorder caused by eating seafood contaminated with methylmercury, first identified in 1956 in Japan. However, reports of ill health related to MD increased sharply following a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2004. We performed logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between MD specific socioeconomic status (MD status) and health inequalities amongst residents of Shiranui sea communities. Data were collected by two-stratified sampling of residents 40-79 years old in 172 postal code areas on the Shiranui sea coast. A questionnaire was distributed to eligible subjects (n = 2100) and collected at a later visit or by mail. Two self-reported health outcomes were examined: MD-related physical symptoms (MDRS) and the 12-item General Health Q...

Burnout as an important factor in the psychophysiological responses to a work day in Teachers

Stress and Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study analyses the role of burnout in the psychophysiological responses to a work day in teachers. High burnout was related to worse mood, and higher perceived stress throughout the work day. Moreover, burnout is positively related to systolic blood pressure and negatively related to salivary cortisol levels at the beginning of the work day. Higher scores of burnout in teachers are also related to lower heart rate in the middle of the work day. The psychophysiological responses to a work day are specifically associated with the different burnout subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment). Men presented higher diastolic blood pressure than women at the beginning and the middle of the work day. Burnout could induce an alteration in mood together with...

Sleep: an important factor in stress-health models

Stress and Health — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A growing body of literature supports the notion that psychological stress negatively impacts physical health. In parallel to this programme of stress/health investigations, researchers are demonstrating the deleterious health effects of poor sleep. The current study simultaneously examines the association of both stress and sleep with health. Two hundred and eighteen subjects completed an anonymous survey packet that included stress, sleep and health measures. Psychological stress (as assessed by both life-events and by self-perceived stress), daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality, but not sleep quantity, were all negatively associated with health. A regression model that integrated both stress measures was a statistically significant predictor of health. Adding the sleep measures to ...

Negative workplace behaviour: temporal associations with cardiovascular outcomes and psychological health problems in Australian police

Stress and Health — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We examined the risk of two major health issues (poor mental and cardiovascular health) associated with current and past exposure to negative behaviour in the workplace. Data from 251 police officers, who completed an anonymous mail survey at two time-points spaced 12 months apart, support the potential role of exposure to negative workplace behaviour in the development of physical disease and psychological illness. Specifically, we saw significant effects associated with past exposure to such behaviour on indicators of poor cardiovascular health, and a significant effect of current exposure on the indicator of mental health problems. Our findings reinforce the need to continue to study links between employee health and both negative workplace behaviour and more severe cases of bullying, p...

The impact of sleep on dealing with daily stressors - a need for controlled laboratory evidenceCommentary on Barber, Munz, Bagsby & Powell (2009) 'Sleep Consistency and Sufficiency: Are Both Necessary for Less Psychological Strain?'

Stress and Health — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

Peer ratings of chronic stress: can spouses and friends provide reliable and valid assessments of a target person's level of chronic stress?

Stress and Health — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to determine whether spouses and friends could provide reliable ratings and discriminate between different sources of chronic stress as experienced by a target person. Further, this study assessed the convergence of self- and observer ratings of chronic stress. The target persons were 384 executives from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Observer ratings were obtained from 275 spouses and 127 friends of the executives. The results imply that both spouses and friends can provide reliable ratings of different sources of chronic stress, which are equivalent to the reliabilities observed in the executives' self-reports. Two independent factor analyses suggested that the spouses and friends were able to discriminate between the eight distinct sources of chronic stress ...

Well-being Under chronic stress: is morningness an advantage?

Stress and Health — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study investigated whether morningness was associated with better quality of life in individuals experiencing chronic stress. Thirty-one informal primary carers and 35 non-carers completed self-report measures of time-of-day preference, stress and well-being. The data were collected as part of a broader study of circadian rhythmicity under conditions of prolonged stress. There was a significant interaction between diurnal preference and caregiving, with morningness associated with better well-being outcomes in those providing long-term home care. It appears that chronic arousal, but not perceived stress, plays a role in this morningness-carer interaction, with lower arousal levels also evident in carers with a greater preference for morningness. These results point to a possible role ...

Sleep consistency as a mechanism for improving inhibitory system strength

Stress and Health — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

Psychological and symptomatic stress-related disorders with radio-electric treatment: psychometric evaluation

Stress and Health — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study was conducted on 124 subjects with psychological distress symptoms that were assessed by the Symptomatic Check List-90 (SCL-90) pre- and post-intervention. After randomization, two groups were created: a group treated with effective REAC and a group that underwent the same treatment with disarmed REAC (the placebo group). There was a significant reduction in SCL-90 scores in the treated group compared with the placebo group. The results of the psychometric tests showed that the subjects who underwent effective therapy showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduction in their level of stress and psychological disorders compared with the control group. The reduction of the levels of perceived stress and the reduction of the psychic and symptomatic stress-related disorders a...

Physical self-concept and social physique anxiety: invariance across culture, gender and age

Stress and Health — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study examined the effects of culture, gender and age on the structure and mean levels of physical self-concept (PSC) and social physique anxiety (SPA) in adolescents from Portugal and Spain. An additional aim was to examine the effects of these variables on the PSC-SPA correlation. Adolescents (N = 3528, age range 12-18 years) completed the social physique anxiety scale and physical self-worth scale from the physical self-perception profile. Single- and multi-sample confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor model of PSC and SPA in the overall sample and within and across the culture, gender and age subsamples. Latent means analyses indicated that females tended to have significantly higher average SPA levels and lower PSC levels relative to males. There was a general downwa...

Stress and quality of sleep among individuals diagnosed with diabetes

Stress and Health — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Several studies have suggested that stress and sleep may be related to diabetic disease progression. Cortisol is one physiological indicator of stress that has been well validated in previous research. The primary objectives of the present study were (1) to examine the experiences of stress among patients diagnosed with diabetes and (2) to evaluate the quality of sleep among these participants. Participants (mean age = 34.99 years) were 20 adolescents and adults with Diabetes Mellitus; 13 had Type 1 and 17 were female. Primary measures included actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), salivary cortisol and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Participants reported a moderate amount of stress (mean PSS scores = 20.2), slept an average of 6.51 h and exhibited at least one clinical...

The role of coping responses in the relationship between perceived stress and disordered eating in a cross-cultural sample of female university students

Stress and Health — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of the study was to determine whether a relationship exists between perceived stress and disordered eating among 349 female, residential, first year students (143 Black and 206 White). The possible influence of coping responses and cultural differences on this relationship was also investigated. The participants completed measures of disordered eating, coping responses and perceived stress. Body mass index scores were also calculated. Product-term regression analyses were conducted to investigate whether coping responses mediated or moderated the relationship between perceived stress and disordered eating. The results indicated a significant correlation between perceived stress and disordered eating among the White female students. Furthermore, with the exception of drive for thinn...

A community mental health survey and relief program in Taiwan after the great earthquake - implementation, clinical observation and evaluation

Stress and Health — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

No evidence-based consensus has been reached regarding effective interventions in the immediate and midterm post mass trauma phases. Through a community survey, the mental health of 14,013 evacuees was assessed to assist in the delivery of mental health programmes 2 months after a major earthquake. Three months later, 241 high-risk patients recruited in the second survey were actively served at mobile clinics, having been either identified through the first community survey or referred by mental health aides. The estimated psychiatric morbidity rate at the second month was 13.8 per cent. The sensitivity of the screening survey and the aide-referral method were 76.6 and 61.0 per cent, respectively. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode and dysthymia were the three ...

Assessing coping strategies by analysing expressive writing samples

Stress and Health — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study examined whether coping style can be assessed using a text analysis of expressive writing samples. Participants (n = 153) wrote about a stressful college experience and then completed a depression scale and three coping measures, including the COPE. Writing samples were analysed using Pennebaker's Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count computer programme. Depression scores were related to the use of words denoting negative emotions but were unrelated to the use of the pronoun 'I'. Respondents who used more words denoting negative emotions in their essays obtained lower problem-focused coping scores on the COPE. The use of insight-related words was associated with lower scores on measures of emotion-focused coping. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Stress-related growth: pre-intervention correlates and change following a resilience intervention

Stress and Health — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Correlates of stress-related growth and the effectiveness of a resilience intervention to enhance stress-related growth were examined. College students were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 31) and waiting list control (n = 33) groups. The intervention group received the psychoeducational intervention, Transforming Lives Through Resilience Education, in four weekly 2-hour sessions. Measures of personal, environmental and stressor characteristics, coping strategies, adjustment and stress-related growth were assessed. Multiple regressions revealed that pre-intervention self-esteem, self-leadership, hopeful coping and depressive symptoms significantly related to pre-intervention growth. A repeated measures analysis of variance yielded a significant group by time interaction for total gr...

Sleep consistency and sufficiency: are both necessary for less psychological strain?

Stress and Health — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study provided preliminary evidence that sleep as a technique for resource replenishment alone may not be enough to reduce psychological strain. Continued exploration of the potential resource-enhancement aspect of consistent sleep may be a fruitful avenue of stress management research. Much like other routine activities that have shown to increase self-regulatory strength, consistent sleep may serve as an effective strain intervention, thereby preventing negative acute and chronic health effects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Acute stress disorder in the paediatric surgical children and adolescents injured during the Wenchuan earthquake in China

Stress and Health — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) in the paediatric surgical children and adolescents injured during the Wenchuan earthquake in China. One hundred eighteen children and adolescent inpatients were surveyed by the ASD scale (ASDS) within 1 month of the earthquake. Using the validated ASDS score above cut-off threshold levels, the incidence of ASD in this sample was 54.3 per cent. The morbidity of ASD were 56.1, 24.6 and 19.3 per cent in the child, in the early adolescent and in the middle adolescent, respectively. There was no significant difference among the three age groups about the severity of ASD symptom. The proportions of ASD positive were 44.0 per cent in boys and 63.6 per cent in girls that showed significant d...

The responses to stress questionnaire: construct validity and prediction of depressive and social anxiety symptoms in a sample of Chinese adolescents

Stress and Health — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The objective of the current study was to develop a Chinese version of the Responses to Stress Questionnaire (RSQ-C) and to evaluate its reliability and validity. The original version of the RSQ was back-translated into Chinese and administered to a sample of students recruited from two middle schools in Hunan, China. The final sample consisted of 1068 adolescents (49.9% males and 50.1% females). Participants' ages ranged from 14 to 20 (M = 16.47 years, standard deviation = 1.02). The RSQ-C exhibited moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha was 0.87), and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients was 0.82 over a 1-month interval). Results of confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the fit of a three-factor model of voluntary coping and a separate two-factor mo...

Impact of integrative restoration (iRest) meditation on perceived stress levels in multiple sclerosis and cancer outpatients

Stress and Health — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Stress is a common occurrence in many chronically ill patients, and researchers are calling for cost-effective stress-reduction interventions. Meditation techniques have demonstrated a host of benefits for chronically ill patients. The present study examined the effects of a 6-week Yoga Nidra meditation programme on perceived stress in multiple sclerosis and cancer patients. Overall stress was significantly reduced over the course of the programme. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

The benefits of meditation vis-à-vis emotional intelligence, perceived stress and negative mental health

Stress and Health — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This paper evaluates the benefits of meditation in regard to emotional intelligence (EI), perceived stress and negative mental health with cross-sectional and experimental studies. It first studied 351 full-time working adults with different amounts of experience in meditation for these factors in order to test the hypothesis that their differences in them were based on differences in meditation experience, and found that those participants with greater meditation experience exhibited higher EI, and less perceived stress and negative mental health than those who had less or none. It then randomly divided 20 graduate students with no previous experience of meditation into a mindfulness meditation group (n = 10) and a control group (n = 10), and measured them for the same variable pre-treatm...

Women's perceived frequency of disturbing interruptions and its relationship to self-rated health and satisfaction with life as a whole

Stress and Health — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Daily occupations form a pattern dominated by a few main occupations intertwined with hidden occupations. A third category is denoted unexpected occupations or minor events that interrupt the rhythm of main and hidden occupations. The phenomenon of unexpected occupations can be interpreted as an illustration of interruptions in daily life or daily minor stressors. The study aimed to investigate women's perceived frequency of such disturbing interruptions, and possible relationships with their self-rated health and satisfaction with life as a whole. The study included 202 women aged 38 years, and 286 women aged 50 years who replied to a mailed questionnaire. The results showed that perceived high frequency of interruptions was related to poor subjective health among the younger women, and t...

Does loyalty protect Chinese workers from stress? The role of affective organizational commitment in the Greater China Region

Stress and Health — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The aim of this research was to test the direct and moderating effects of affective organizational commitment (AOC) on the work stressors - job satisfaction relationship among employees in the Greater China Region. A self-administered survey was conducted to collect data from three major cities in the region, namely Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei (n = 380). Three most important work stressors were assessed: heavy workload, lack of work autonomy and interpersonal conflict. We found that both work stressors and AOC were related to job satisfaction. Specifically, heavy workload, lack of autonomy and interpersonal conflict were negatively related to job satisfaction; whereas, AOC had a positive relation with job satisfaction. Furthermore, AOC moderated the interpersonal conflict - job satisfact...

Maternal psychological well-being and salivary cortisol in late pregnancy and early post-partum

Stress and Health — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Maternal cortisol plays an important role in foetal development and is often used to measure stress. In addition to stress, prenatal and post-partum women experience a mix of positive and negative emotions. However, few studies have examined the relationship between cortisol and maternal psychological health or how these relationships change from the prenatal to the post-partum periods. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between maternal cortisol and stress, happiness, and depression components of psychological well-being, in late pregnancy and early post-partum. The study used a repeated measure design with 41 women; 21 women completed all data collections. As expected, maternal salivary cortisol increased from awakening to 30 minutes after awakening during pregnan...

Burnout, coping and job satisfaction in service staff treating opioid addicts - from Athens to Zurich

Stress and Health — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The Treatment-systems Research on European Addiction Treatment study (TREAT-project) is a longitudinal multicenter study on predominantly opioid-dependent patients and their health-care system in six European cities. As part of the examination of the drug services, this study evaluates level of burnout, coping strategies, perceived self-efficacy and job satisfaction among health-care workers treating opioid addicts. Employees were recruited from organizations in Athens, London, Padua, Stockholm, Zurich and Essen. The Maslach burnout inventory, Brief COPE, general self-efficacy questionnaire and a job satisfaction scale were filled in by about 383 drug service workers. One-third of the staff suffer from severe burnout. London and Stockholm colleagues are significantly more burdened than Zur...

Psychophysiological characteristics of women suffering from stress-related fatigue

Stress and Health — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Stress-related fatigue has been attributed to excessive sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, but findings have been equivocal as to whether the HPA axis or the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are affected in this condition and how. Whether task performance deficits are associated with this condition is also uncertain. The present study investigated possible differences between women with stress-related fatigue and healthy women in heart rate variability (HRV) and other autonomic and respiratory measures, task performance and in salivary cortisol response to awakening. Thirty-six women with stress-related fatigue were compared with 19 female healthy controls matched in age. Four indices of HRV and other autonomic and respiratory measures were r...

Moderating effects of DRD2 on depression

Stress and Health — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The current study examined whether a dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) TaqIA polymorphism and a serotonin transporter polymorphism (5HTTLPR) moderate the effects of stressful life events on depression, and whether these interaction effects vary by type of stressor. In addition, individuals' responses to stressful life circumstances might vary by genotype, gender, and/or race. A sample of 2,023 participants from waves II and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) submitted buccal cells for genotyping and completed self-report surveys that inquired about their victimization and depressive symptoms. Results showed that the DRD2 TaqI polymorphism interacts with specific types of stressful life circumstances, and these results vary across gender and race subgroups....

Psychological distress and collision involvement among adult drivers

Stress and Health — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The current study examines the impact of psychological distress on the likelihood of reporting collision involvement in the preceding year. Two measures of psychological distress were obtained from the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): depression-anxiety and social functioning.Data are based on the 2002-2004 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor (36 months), a repeated cross-sectional telephone survey of Ontario adults aged 18 and older (n = 4935). Logistic regression analyses were performed on collision involvement within the past 12 months with the measures of depression-anxiety, social functioning and demographic factors as independent variables.The analyses revealed that the odds of involvement in a collision in the last 12 months were significantly related to the...

Chewing gum, stress and health

Stress and Health — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Hollingworth described chewing gum as 'a technique of relaxation'. Recent research has examined this issue and there is evidence that chewing gum can prevent the adverse effects of acute stress. There are also plausible biological mechanisms that could explain such effects. It is now important to examine chewing gum and chronic stress and the present study involved a survey of this topic. The survey covered the 'stress process', collecting data on exposure to stressful events, levels of perceived stress and health outcomes. Frequency of chewing gum was also recorded. Potential confounding factors (demographics, personality and health-related behaviours) were also recorded. The web-based survey was completed by a community sample of 2,248 full-time workers (68% female. Mean age: 35 years, r...

Stress and well-being

Stress and Health — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Given the world economic crisis over the last year, the fields of stress and well-being have taken off as significant focal points of research attention in the psychological and medical sciences. For example, the UK government's Foresight project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing, which was launched in October 2008, explored how one's mental capital is enhanced or depleted throughout the life course through numerous international science reviews (Cooper, Field, Goswami, Jenkins, & Sahakian, 2009), and ultimately by evidence-based policies and interventions. The European Union has similar projects on work and well-being, as do many other developed and developing countries. We can see that the concerns about the health and well-being of citizens throughout the world have led to increased and s...

Traumatic events, perceived stress and health in women with fibromyalgia and healthy controls

Stress and Health — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study examined the relationship between trauma, stress and health in 41 women with fibromyalgia (FM) and 44 women who were healthy controls (HC). The participants were assessed for traumatic events, perceived stress and mental and physical health. Perceived stress was related to worse mental and physical health in both groups. Traumatic events were related to worse mental and physical health in the FM group but were unrelated to health in the HC group. Perceived stress partially mediated the effect of traumatic events on mental and physical health in the FM group. Finally, adult abuse partially mediated the effects of child abuse on adult stress and health. Trauma may have lasting effects on stress and health in women with FM. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress ...

Role overload and underload in relation to occupational stress and health

Stress and Health — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Most research on work stress has focused on the concept of role overload, or too many job demands, as opposed to role underload, or too few job demands. Therefore, the present study was carried out to determine if different levels of job demands may be differentially associated with job-related stress as well as with various health outcomes. Specifically, in the present study, we used data from the Eurobarometer Survey on Working Conditions (n = 16,000) to investigate whether role overload and underload resulted in different negative health outcomes. We also examined to see whether different job characteristics, such as having control of your work schedule, differentially buffered the effects of role demands on work stress for workers experiencing role overload, role underload, or neither ...

The acute stress disorder in the paediatric surgical children and adolescents injured in the Wenchuan earthquake of China

Stress and Health — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and the symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) in the paediatric surgical children and adolescents injured in the Wenchuan earthquake of China. One hundred and eighteen children and adolescent inpatients were surveyed by the Acute Stress Disorder Scale (ASDS) within 1 month of the earthquake. Using the validated ASDS score above cut-off threshold levels, the incidence of ASD in this sample was 54.3 per cent. The morbidity of ASD were 56.1, 24.6 and 19.3 per cent in the child group, in the early adolescent group and in the middle adolescent group, respectively. There was no significant difference among the three age groups about the severity of ASD symptom. The proportions of ASD-positive were 44.0 per cent in males and 63.6 pe...

Work stress and depression: the direct and moderating effects of informal social support and coping

Stress and Health — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This article investigated the relationship between job stressors and employee mental health (depression). It also examined the direct and moderating effects of informal social support (objective and subjective) and coping (active coping, overeating and drinking, passivity, and distancing) on the relationships. Survey data were collected from 843 employees in eight types of domestic- and foreign-invested enterprises in China. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that increased exposure to job stressors was directly associated with higher levels of depression. Subjective informal social support and passivity were found to have direct effect on employees' depression. Further, objective informal social support and distancing buffered the negative effect of job stressors on depression. The...

Mental health and quality of life among doctors, nurses and other hospital staff

Stress and Health — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

In conclusion, the management teams of hospitals should pay more attention to the mental condition of all hospital staff, especially nurses and pharmacists. Adequate staffing, support, counselling or psychological intervention are required for further management, and may logically result in better mental health on the part of the staff and a better quality of care. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Treatment of bipolar illness. Robert M. Post, M.D. and Gabriele S. Leverich, L.C.S.W., B.C.D., 2008. Published by W.W Norton & Company, Inc., New York. ISBN 13: 978-0-393-70537-9. Hardcover: 666 pages

Stress and Health — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

A person-focused analysis of resilience resources and coping in patients with diabetes

Stress and Health — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the resilience resources and coping profiles of patients with diabetes. A total of 145 patients with diabetes completed a questionnaire packet including two measurements of coping (COPE and Coping Styles Questionnaires) and personal resources. Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was also assessed. Resilience was defined by a factor score derived from measures of self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-mastery and optimism. All of the maladaptive coping subscales were negatively associated with resilience (r's range from -0.34 to -0.56, all p values are (Source: Stress and Health)

Stress and the global recession

Stress and Health — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

No Abstract (Source: Stress and Health)

Persons with AIDS and their support persons: stress and life satisfaction

Stress and Health — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of historical family functioning, family stress, coping, perceived impact of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and health stress upon the life satisfaction of persons with AIDS (PWAs) and their support persons. Utilizing Family Stress Theory, a survey research design was employed involving 114 PWAs and 114 support persons. Historical family functioning was indirectly related to life satisfaction as mediated by family coping. Current family stress was indirectly related to life satisfaction as mediated by perception of stress. Female support persons experienced greater perceptions of caregiver stress. Family and health-care professionals need to be aware of the importance of family stress and coping as they influence the health...

Employee perceptions of fairness as predictors of workers' compensation claims for psychological injury: an Australian case-control study

Stress and Health — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Compensation claims for psychological injury are often expensive and slow to resolve; thus, employers, as well as health professionals, need to understand the predisposing circumstances. Australian workers suffering from work-related stress may apply for compensable leave and treatment costs under the category of 'psychological injury'. Little is known about the predictors of such claims, but one might expect psychological vulnerability in terms of negative affectivity to distinguish workers who lodge psychological injury claims. In a large longitudinal study of white-collar workers, after comparing claimants with non-claimants cross-sectionally, case-control methodology was used to compare those who subsequently made a workers' compensation claim for psychological injury with matched cont...

Peer and inmate aggression, type D-personality and post-traumatic stress among Dutch prison workers

Stress and Health — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:18:05 +0100

This study investigated the adverse effects of exposure to inmate or peer aggression, type D-personality and their interactions on post-traumatic stress reactions among a sample of prison workers. The basic tenet of type D-personality is that not so much the experience of negative emotions per se is responsible for negative health consequences, but rather the way individuals cope with such emotions. Many studies have revealed diverse adverse health outcomes of type D-personality, particularly among cardiac patients. However, the moderating effect of social inhibition has never been statistically examined in other populations. Participants (111 men, 40 women) were recruited in 10 Dutch correctional institutions. The results showed that victims of aggression are more prone to develop Post-tr...

Life context and the experience of chronic illness: is the stress of life associated with illness perceptions and coping?

Stress and Health — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Stress resulting from the broader life context (life stress) is involved in the development and progress of many diseases, as well as in the adjustment to chronic illness. It may also be associated with the specific ways patients perceive and respond to illness. In this respect, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible relationships between life stress, and illness-related perceptions and coping. A cross-sectional design was employed. Participants completed measures regarding life stress, illness perceptions, illness-related coping and restrictions imposed by the illness. One hundred and one chronically ill outpatients participated in the study. Their mean age was 51.10 years (SD = 12.88), and the mean time elapsed since initial diagnosis was 12.74 years (SD = 9.32). According...

Psychotraumatology in antiquity

Stress and Health — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

From antiquity onwards, chroniclers have reported cases of agitation or stupor sometimes associated with terrifying nightmares. Responses during the impact of a traumatic experience have attracted attention: terror, confusion and disorganized behaviour during the fire of Rome; the numbness of Patroclus, and loss of bowel and bladder control among warriors. The same applies to the most obvious post-traumatic responses: the recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of Gilgamesh, the dreams of battle in De Natura Rerum and the dissociative episodes concerning Marius. Although symptoms of re-experience are perfectly described, the long-term dissociative symptoms and their somatic components are also the object of unequivocal anecdotes. The scientific reading of the historical studies o...

Participant experiences of a written emotional disclosure intervention in asthma

Stress and Health — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:45:22 +0100

Stress has been associated with the exacerbation of asthma symptoms. Written emotional disclosure (WED) is a potentially cheap, low-risk intervention that may reduce stress and improve lung function in patients with asthma. The aims of this study were to explore asthma patients' subjective experiences of completing a WED exercise and the feasibility of conducting the intervention unsupervised in participants' homes. The data were collected during the pilot for a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of WED in adults with asthma. Thirty-six participants completed the writing exercises, and 28 participants (13 experimental subjects and 15 controls) provided free-text feedback on their experiences of completing the writing exercises. Framework analysis identified four themes in the...

Burnout and light treatment

Stress and Health — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions can only be preliminary due to the small sample size, but they are encouraging nevertheless. Replication in a study with a larger sample size is desirable. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Life stress and coping styles related to cognition in systemic lupus erythematosus

Stress and Health — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

We compared the frequency of life stress and coping styles using self-report measures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls. We also explored the relationship between cognition, life stress and coping. Thirty-one SLE patients with overt neuropsychiatric (NPSLE) symptoms, 22 SLE patients without overt neuropsychiatric (non-NPSLE) symptoms and 25 healthy controls completed measures of cognition, life events and coping skills. SLE patients (NP and non-NP) showed greater use of negative, disengaging coping scales (p = 0.002) and more negative life stress events over the past 6 months (p = 0.018) and past 6-12 months (p = 0.004) compared with controls. NPSLE and non-NPSLE subjects were higher on a cognitive impairment index (CII) than controls (p < 0.001). Onl...

Editorial

Stress and Health — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

Effects of a cognitive stress challenge on myocardial perfusion and plasma cortisol in coronary heart disease patients with depression

Stress and Health — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Although it is well established that coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with depression exhibit increased mortality compared with equally ill cardiac patients without depression, the mechanisms mediating this effect remain obscure. Depression is characterized by vulnerability to stress and heightened stress responsiveness, and stress can theoretically act through several biological pathways to contribute to excess mortality from CHD. Mechanisms connecting stress, depression and cardiovascular mortality have not been previously explored in detail. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of stress and depression on myocardial perfusion and plasma cortisol concentrations in CHD patients. Patients with CHD with and without depression (n = 28) underwent single photon emission com...

Role conflicts, emotional exhaustion and health problems: a study of police officers in Taiwan

Stress and Health — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

This study focused on the role conflicts faced by police officers in Taiwan and investigated the relationship between role conflicts, emotional exhaustion and health problems based on the job demands and resources model (JD-R model). Firstly, in addition to work-family conflict, an inter-role conflict, this study identified an intrasender role conflict for police officers called uncompromising-friendly conflict. Secondly, according to the JD-R model, it was hypothesized that emotional exhaustion has a complete mediation effect on the relationships between role conflicts and health problems. The survey data in Huang's study were analysed. A total of 672 police officers at Kaohsiung, Taiwan provided completed data for analysis. Correlation analysis showed that role conflicts, emotional exhau...

Gender differences in experiencing occupational stress: the role of age, education and marital status

Stress and Health — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:55:31 +0100

In this study, we examine gender differences in occupational stress, taking into consideration the role of marital status, age and education. Results from a sample of 2775 professionals suggest that women experience higher levels of occupational stress than men. Nevertheless, when marital status, age and education were introduced in the equation, no significant gender differences were identified. Implications and future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Perceived stress, coping and night-eating in college students

Stress and Health — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:55:49 +0100

The present study investigated the role of coping in the relationship between perceived stress and night-eating syndrome (NES) in college students. Participants were 95 undergraduates 18 to 29 years of age, and predominantly female and white or Caucasian. Anonymous paper-and-pencil surveys were completed on campus to measure NES, coping styles and level of perceived stress. Significant associations were found between perceived stress and NES ([beta] = 0.259, p < 0.05), perceived stress and maladaptive coping ([beta] = 0.575, p < 0.001) and maladaptive coping and NES ([beta] = 0.252, p < 0.05). Mediation analyses indicate that experiencing higher levels of stress may lead to night-eating behaviours because of use of maladaptive coping strategies. Furthermore, tests of moderation suggest tha...

The association between stress, self-esteem and childhood acceptance in nursing and pharmacy students: a comparative cross-cultural analysis

Stress and Health — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100

The proposition that stress level is affected by self-esteem development, for which acceptance from others in childhood is a key issue, was tested in two health care professions. The sample was 131 from nursing studies and 91 from pharmacy studies at a university in London, and 344 from nursing and 976 from pharmacy in Tokyo. Levels of stress were measured with the Perceived Stress Scale, self-esteem with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and childhood acceptance with the Parental Nurturance Scale. The data were analysed in terms of levels of and causal path between stress, self-esteem and childhood acceptance. The proposed mechanism was supported among the nursing and pharmacy students in both British and Japanese cultures. The sample was also found to be substantially high on stress and lo...

Dealing with a 'hidden stressor': emotional disclosure as a coping strategy to overcome the negative effects of motive incongruence on health

Stress and Health — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Taking the affiliation motive as an example, present research examines whether the negative effects of implicit-explicit motive incongruence on health is moderated by emotional disclosure. Starting from the point of view that motive incongruence works as a chronic stressor and therefore causes impairment of health, we predicted that participants who use the stress-reducing coping strategy of emotional disclosure should be less affected by the negative effects of motive incongruence on health than participants who do not use this stress-coping strategy. Two studies confirmed this hypothesis. Participants with affiliation motive incongruence who practiced emotional disclosure used less medication (Study 1, n = 85) and reported lower somatization symptoms (Study 2, n = 102) than motive incong...

Dynamic changes in salivary cortisol and secretory immunoglobulin A response to acute stress

Stress and Health — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Psychological stress leads to the secretion of cortisol. While this psychoneuroendocrine response helps to maintain physiological as well as psychological homeostasis under stress, exaggerated release of cortisol can suppress aspects of immune function and have negative effects on health. The present study set out to investigate the dynamic changes in salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and cortisol before and after acute stress, and to analyse the relationship between sIgA and cortisol trend. Thirty-five healthy subjects took part in this study. All subjects underwent an acute stress test (mental arithmetic task). Salivary cortisol and sIgA responses were assessed repeatedly before the stress test, immediately after the stress test and 20 min after the stress test. The levels of sa...

Job stress, job satisfaction and stress-related illnesses among South African educators

Stress and Health — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:54:43 +0100

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between self-reported job stress and job satisfaction, and the prevalence of stress-related illnesses and risk factors among educators. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample of 21,307 educators from public schools in South Africa. Results indicate that the prevalence of stress-related illnesses were 15.6 per cent for hypertension, 9.1 per cent stomach ulcer, 4.5 per cent diabetes, 3.3 per cent minor mental distress, 3.1 per cent major mental distress and 3.5 per cent asthma. The study found considerably high stress levels among educators. Job stress and lack of job satisfaction were associated with most stress-related illnesses (hypertension, heart disease, stomach ulcer, asthma, mental distress, tobacco and ...

Obesity-associated stigma and physiological markers of stress: evidence from the Dominican Republic

Stress and Health — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Social stigma is increasingly recognized as a cause of stress-induced pathophysiology. We tested the hypothesis that stigma is associated with obesity-related morbidity, using a cohort of subjects from the Dominican Republic who value fat bodies over thin ones. We surveyed 87 subjects from Batey Algodón - a small region in the Dominican Republic where obesity is not stigmatized. We obtained information on ideal body norms, perceptions of one's own body and self-rated health. We also measured height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure. We then performed linear regression analyses to ascertain the extent to which body mass index (BMI) and body norm perceptions were related to self-rated health and blood pressure. Self-rated health was strongly associated with one's satisfaction ...

Impulse Control Disorders, Jon E. Grant, 2008, Published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, London, ISBN: 978-0-393-70521-8, Hardcover: 209 pages

Stress and Health — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

No abstract (Source: Stress and Health)

A prospective diary study of the role of psychological stress and negative mood in the recurrence of herpes simplex virus (HSV1)

Stress and Health — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological stress and negative mood and the recurrence of herpes simplex (HSV1). A range of standard, baseline measures of health and psychological well-being were collected from 20 participants who suffered from HSV1 recurrences (with a history of recent recurrence) and 18 matched controls. Longitudinal data was collected over a 16-week period using weekly diaries. Participants recorded weekly levels of psychological stress, negative mood, negative events and hassles and kept a weekly health record documenting the recurrence of HSV1 and the incidence of other infectious illness. The longitudinal relationship between stress, negative mood and recurrence of HSV was assessed.Participants who suffered from frequent HSV1 recu...

Integrated assessment of emotional distress after work-related accidents

Stress and Health — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Work accidents can be traumatic events that might give rise to a variety of dysfunctional stress responses. An integrated assessment of stress responses after work-related trauma is considered as a valuable approach in clinical practice. The purpose of the present study was to assess affective adjustment after work-related accidents using a multidimensional assessment. Fourteen males who had experienced work-related accidents and 13 male controls were assessed using self-report instruments and the recording of skin conductance response and the startle reflex during the viewing of standardized trauma-related and trauma-unrelated pictures. Participants who underwent a work accident reported more severe maladjustment symptoms than controls, as indicated by higher Post-traumatic stress disorde...

Editorial

Stress and Health — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

Social problem solving in chronic fatigue syndrome: preliminary findings

Stress and Health — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This paper investigates social problem solving in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a condition characterized by reduced activity levels and excessive mental fatigue. Although intra- and inter-personal problems are prevalent, no studies have explored social problem-solving skills in this group. Patients were split into two groups: either high or low alexithymia, a condition associated with affect dysregulation. The high alexithymic group viewed problems as threatening, responding either impulsively or avoiding responding altogether; they were poor also in the use of compensatory strategies, which, taken together, increases the likelihood of a negative outcome from attempts at conflict resolution. These findings go some way in successfully identifying potential subgroupings in CFS sufferers a...

Sources of stress and coping strategies of US soccer officials

Stress and Health — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Stress from officiating has been found to have a profound impact on official's mental health, attentional focus, performance, satisfaction with their profession and dropout intentions. Although some studies have been conducted regarding the frequency and intensity of the major sources of stress experienced by sport officials, no research has attempted to determine how sport officials cope or attempt to cope with these stressors. Through a national soccer official organization, questionnaire packets were administered to over 200 officials. Questionnaire packets included sources of stress and ways of coping questionnaires. The top sources of stress experienced by the officials included 'conflict between officiating and family demands,' 'making a controversial call' and 'conflict between offi...

Stress and dietary quality in black adolescents in a metropolitan area

Stress and Health — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study investigated whether change in dietary quality among urban, black adolescents related to changes in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Daily Hassles Microsystem Scale (DHMS) while controlling for household income. At two times 1 month apart, 25 adolescents completed a modified Adolescent Food Habits Checklist (AFHC), the PSS and the DHMS. Change scores from time 1 to time 2 for each measure were computed. AFHC change and PSS change had a significant, negative correlation (r = -0.458, p < 0.05), even when controlling for income (r = -0.585, p < 0.05). For girls, AFHC change and PSS change had a significant, negative correlation (r = -0.599, p < 0.05), even when controlling for income (r = -0.697, p < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed for boys (r = 0.003, p = 0....

Stressors in the intensive care unit: comparing the perceptions of Chinese patients and their family

Stress and Health — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study aims to identify stressors in the ICU as perceived by the Chinese patients and their relatives. A convenience sample of 60 patients and 60 relatives was selected for this study. The Intensive Care Unit Stressor Questionnaire [Chinese] was tapped to collect the patients' perceptions of stressors. Their respective relatives were likewise asked to rate the stressors according to how they perceive the patients would rate them. A comparison between the two sets of questionnaires would reveal that the relatives evaluated the items to be more stressful than the actual perception of patients. The overall perceived stress level of ICU patients was significantly lower than their respective relatives' (z = -6.51, p < 0.001), with a mean difference of 44.71 (mean: 61.57 versus 106.28) betwe...

Interventions for critical incident stress in emergency medical services: a qualitative study

Stress and Health — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Controversy over the use of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing leaves Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations with little direction in preventing sequelae of Critical Incident Stress (CIS) in their employees. Objectives of the study were to explore and describe Emergency Medical Technicians' (EMTs) experiences of critical incidents and views about potential interventions, in order to facilitate development of interventions that take into account EMS culture. We interviewed 60 EMT practitioners and supervisors, and examined interview transcripts using ethnographic content analysis. EMT practitioners want emotional support in their workplace soon after a critical incident, and welcome interventions that would enhance this. They also experience a brief timeout as important in preventi...

The kids coping scale

Stress and Health — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study reports the conceptual development and psychometric properties of the Kids Coping Scale (KCS), a brief self-report measure of problem, emotion and social support coping dimensions. Participants were 834 children aged 7-13 years of whom 390 were male (48.6 per cent) with a mean age of 9.88 years and 415 were female (49.6 per cent) with a mean age of 9.87 years. Principal components analysis did not support a hypothesized three-factor structure; however a clear two-factor structure (cross-validated) distinguishing problem and emotion-focused coping actions did emerge. The KCS returned low to moderate levels of internal consistency and low to moderate correlations with other relevant constructs (e.g. self esteem, parent responded strengths and difficulties). The findings highlight ...

Childhood traumatic experiences, dissociation and thought suppression in patients with 'Psychosomatic' skin diseases

Stress and Health — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

In this study, patients with what were considered 'psychosomatic' skin diseases were compared with patients with skin conditions that are thought to be 'non-psychosomatic' diseases in terms of their reported history of childhood traumatic experiences, dissociative experiences and thought suppression. Ninety-six patients with 'psychosomatic' skin disease were included in the study. The comparison subjects (n = 54) were patients with skin conditions believed to have a negligible psychosomatic component and the subjects without skin disease (n = 77). Subjects were administered with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI). While the 'emotional neglect' scores of the psychosomatic' group were significantl...

A scale to measure non-traumatic military operational stress

Stress and Health — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Military operations involve both traumatic and non-traumatic stressors. The authors developed a scale to measure non-traumatic operational stressors. In Study 1, a list of stressors identified by military personnel was compared across responses from two operations in East Timor. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three similar factors for each dataset. A confirmatory factor analysis on the combined data determined item placement. Item analysis then reduced the questionnaire to 22 items. In Study 2, the questionnaire was administered to personnel from operations in the Middle East. Correlations with similar scales measured the content validity of the three subscales (work concerns, operational concerns and separation concerns). The authors conclude the questionnaire is a robust measure of ...

Job stress in the law enforcement sector: comparing the linear, non-linear and interaction effects of working conditions

Stress and Health — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study addresses a gap in much of the research involving stress among high-risk occupations by investigating the effects of linear, non-linear and interaction models in a law enforcement organization that has undertaken a series of efficiency-driven organizational reforms. The results of a survey involving 2085 police officers indicated that the demand-control-support model provided good utility in predicting an officer's satisfaction, commitment and well-being. In particular, social support and job control were closely associated with all three outcome variables. Although the demand × control/support interactions were not identified in the data, there was some support for the curvilinear effects of job demands. The results have implications for the organizational conditions that need...

Sweating the small stuff: how different types of hassles result in the experience of stress

Stress and Health — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study extends the literature on hassles by describing the conditions under which different types of everyday events become stressful. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Relationships between self-efficacy, social support and stress coping strategies in Chinese primary and secondary school teachers

Stress and Health — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study explored whether stress coping strategies could be predicted by general self-efficacy and social support. Primary and secondary teachers (n = 530) completed measures of coping strategies, general self-efficacy and social support. The results showed that teachers' general self-efficacy and social support had direct and indirect predictive effects on different coping strategies, and they have more significant predictive effects on certain types of coping strategies. Teachers with higher general self-efficacy and social support tended to adopt adaptive coping strategies or emotion-oriented coping strategies. The study suggested that social support and self-efficacy should be important factors to be considered when designing a prevention or intervention programme in the guidance of ...

When work strain transcends psychological boundaries: an inquiry into the relationship between time pressure, irritation, work-family conflict and psychosomatic complaints

Stress and Health — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Against the theoretical background of the effort-recovery model and the action regulation theory, the author presents a cross-sectional questionnaire study testing hypotheses about the relationship between work-related time pressure, cognitive and emotional irritation, work-family conflict and psychosomatic complaints. Subjects were 576 female home care nurses. Results of a path analysis show that the relation of time pressure and psychosomatic complaints is partially mediated by experiencing a work-family conflict; also the relation of time pressure and work-family conflict is partially mediated by cognitive and emotional irritation. It is argued that cognitive and emotional irritation are fruitful concepts for a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between work stressors ...

A comparison of changes in secretory immunoglobulin A following a stress-inducing and stress-reducing task

Stress and Health — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Research suggests that the immune system may be adversely affected by chronic stress. There is some evidence that relaxation-based practices may effect an increase in immune functioning, but recent findings suggest that acute stress may lead to similar increases. Given this, we used a counterbalanced within-subjects design to directly compare the effects of a stressful mental arithmetic task and a relaxation-based task on secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA). Thirty participants were seen in small groups of two or three where they were administered both a mental arithmetic (stress) task and a relaxing hypnosis task. Four-minute timed saliva samples were obtained immediately following the two experimental tasks and following two baseline periods. Results demonstrated that, compared with basel...

Very low CD19+ B-lymphocyte percentage is associated with high levels of academic stress among healthy graduate students

Stress and Health — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Elevated chronic psychological stress is associated with weakened immune response to vaccines. B-lymphocyte development may provide a pathway by which psychological stress can weaken immune response to vaccines. The current study examined the effect of chronic psychological stress on B- and T-lymphocytes among doctoral students, after their qualifying exams, and matched community controls. Blood was drawn from 10 doctoral students immediately after their 3-day qualifying exams and from 10 age- and gender-matched community controls. B- (CD19+) and T- (CD3+) lymphocyte percentages were enumerated with flow cytometry. Psychological stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The mean PSS score was higher for the graduate students compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Mean...

Mental health and its relationship to life events and family socio-economic status among Chinese medical students in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Stress and Health — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

In conclusion, our data underscore the importance of considering family history in addition to academic stressors, interpersonal relationships and gender differences, in attempts to secure the psychological well-being of Chinese medical students. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Negative cognitions in emotional problems following romantic relationship break-ups

Stress and Health — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study examined the role of negative cognitions in emotional problems following relationship dissolution. Seventy-nine undergraduate students who experienced a relationship break-up completed measures of break-up related complicated grief, depression and anxiety, together with an adjusted version of the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire (GCQ) that assesses four types of global negative beliefs, negative cognitions about self-blame and the responses of others, and three types of negative interpretations of one's own grief reactions. Results showed that all cognitive variables tapped by the GCQ were significantly associated with complicated grief, and - except for global beliefs about life - with depression and anxiety. Most of these associations remained significant when controlling for th...

A survey of nurses who experienced trauma in the workplace: influence of coping strategies on traumatic stress

Stress and Health — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This study was designed to characterize trauma of nurses in the workplace in detail, and to make comparison of coping strategies employed by nurses who recovered from traumatic stress and those of nurses with persistent traumatic stress. A study of trauma was conducted by asking 782 nurses to complete a questionnaire. Valid responses were provided from 592 nurses. Free descriptions of trauma were analysed using the KJ method to characterize the trauma of nurses. A comparison of scores on coping subscales in the persistent trauma group and recovery group was made by the unpaired t-test. Of the 592 nurses, 301 female nurses had experienced trauma in the workplace. The analysis revealed that 50 nurses (17 per cent) recovered from traumatic stress, while 251 (83 per cent) had persistent trauma...

A methodological note on modeling the effects of race: the case of psychological distress

Stress and Health — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Psychological distress is an important indicator of the mental well-being of the population. Findings regarding racial differences in distress are inconclusive but may represent an important pathway through which disparities exist across a number of physical health outcomes. We used data from the 1994 Minority Health Survey, a nationally representative multiracial/ethnic sample of adults in US households, to examine racial/ethnic differences in psychological distress (n = 3623). Our primary study aim was to examine differences between additive and multiplicative models in assessing the influence of income and gender on the race/distress relationship. We hypothesized that additive models do not sufficiently account for potential interactions of race with income and gender, and may therefore...

The role of cardiac rehabilitation in influencing psychological outcomes

Stress and Health — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Anxiety and depression are common after acute cardiac events. They can have a major adverse impact upon outcomes, although past studies report conflicting results regarding the relationships between anxiety, depression and outcomes such as mortality. Depression has been shown to be associated with non-adherence of patients. Cardiac rehabilitation programmes conducted during early convalescence provide a valuable opportunity to identify and support patients who experience anxiety and depression, and encourage adherence to advice. Clinical data support the positive effects upon patients' psychological outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation programmes offering group exercise, education and behavioural interventions. However, more rigorous research is required to confirm such benefits. Systematic ...

Editorial

Stress and Health — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

No abstract. (Source: Stress and Health)

Social identification, stress and citizenship in teams: a five-phase longitudinal study

Stress and Health — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Previous theorizing and research in the social identity tradition suggests that identification with a group is a major determinant both of individuals' citizenship behaviour and their experience of, and responses to, social and organizational stressors. To provide a longitudinal exploration of these processes, the present study examines the patterns of group identification, work-related attitudes and burnout within two theatre production teams on five occasions, from audition to post-performance. As predicted, identification with the production team at the outset predicted positive perceptions and attitudes at the productions' conclusion. Specifically, high identifiers were more willing to display organizational citizenship, had greater work satisfaction and had more pride in their work th...

Coronary heart disease and depression: getting evidence into clinical practice

Stress and Health — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Clinical guidelines based on systematic reviews of the evidence recommend identification and treatment of patients with coronary heart disease and depression. The evidence shows that depression is an independent risk factor for heart disease, and when present after an acute coronary event, is a predictor of poor prognosis. This paper will describe our experience of getting that evidence into practice using change management based on mapping the processes of the patient's journey through the healthcare system. This allowed identification of the points in the journey where screening and intervention could take place. Cardiac rehabilitation is the intervention point for acute presentation, and primary care has the role in long term follow up of risk factors including depression. Overall, como...

Psychometric evaluation of perceived stress scale for Turkish university students

Stress and Health — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The purpose of the study was to investigate the applicability of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to a Turkish sample. PSS (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983) is a general appraisal instrument that measures the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. Five hundred and eight freshman students at the Middle East Technical University at the age of 16-29 filled in the Turkish translation of the PSS. The alpha coefficient for the Turkish version of PSS was found as 0.84, and PSS correlated 0.61 with the General Health Questionnaire. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the PSS showed that the scale consisted of two factors: Perceived Helplessness factor and Perceived Self-efficacy. In general, the data indicated that the PSS provides a reliable and valid...

The impact of cardiac surgery on cognition

Stress and Health — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This brief review focuses on coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve surgery and their post-operative effects on cognitive domains. Despite the substantial technical advances in cardiac surgery over the past few decades, the incidence of permanent cognitive impairment remains alarmingly high: 20-70 per cent of patients exhibit cognitive impairment during the first week after surgery, with the incidence declining to 10-40 per cent after 6 weeks and remaining at this level thereafter. We find that language, concentration and motor control are most consistently reported to be affected, while memory, attention and executive function are more variably affected. Valve surgery is generally associated with a worse outcome than CABG surgery. It remains unclear whether the use of the cardio...

Occupational stress and cardiovascular disease

Stress and Health — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Links between occupational stress and cardiovascular risk have long been asserted. This paper reviews the evidence from the simple notion of occupational level and type as a risk through to the more theoretically sophisticated models of occupational stress as a determinant of cardiovascular risk and disease. It maps measures of occupational stress against the three related end points of coronary risk profiles, hypertension and clinical cardiovascular disease. Taken broadly, the evidence is supportive of postulated links. The persuasiveness of the evidence now points to intervention studies in the workplace as the next major focus of research. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

An examination of socio-culturally specific stress and coping factors on smoking status among African American women

Stress and Health — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Smoking cessation is critical to reduce the health disparate status of African American (AA) women, however studies reveal that AA women are less likely to quit. Socio-culturally congruent research is needed that provides explanations as to why AA women choose to smoke in order to develop appropriate cessation interventions for this population. The purpose of the study was to determine whether socio-cultural stress and coping factors influence smoking among AA women. One hundred ninety-eight AA females completed the John Henry Scale for Active Coping, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Index of Race-Related Stress, and an investigator-developed demographic and smoking survey. Significant associations between frequency of race-related stress events and perceived general stress (p < 0.001) and ...

Gender differences in psychological risk factors for development of heart disease

Stress and Health — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

While coronary heart disease (CHD) for decades was understood as mainly a male disease group, it has through the last years become increasingly evident that it is now an important disease causing premature death also in the female populations throughout the Westernized world. The present paper scrutinizes via literature searches and discussions of relevant data the sex and gender differences in psychological risk factors for CHD with an emphasis on female risk. It is concluded that the risk factor picture in females is, due to limited research, still far from clear, even if there are indications of sex differences in both the risk factors picture and the trajectories of the disease development. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

The interplay of job demands, job resources and cognitive outcomes in informatics

Stress and Health — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

In this study, we specifically hypothesize that cognitive job resources are most likely to moderate the relationship between cognitive job demands and cognitive outcomes. Two measures of cognitive well-being are included: learning motivation and professional efficacy. Using a web-based questionnaire, data were collected in a sample of 207 informatics. Results partially confirm our hypotheses both in terms of main and in terms of interaction effects. Informatics with high cognitive job demands have a higher feeling of competence than informatics with low cognitive job demands. This effect is stronger when matching high cognitive job resources are available. These findings are in line with earlier research on the interaction effects in the prediction of employees' cognitive well-being at wor...

Psychological consequences of life-saving cardiac surgery in patients and partners: measurement of emotional stress by the Impact of Event Scale

Stress and Health — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The objective of this study is to investigate the long-term psychological aftermaths of the implantation of a ventricular assist device as bridge to successful heart transplantation. Cross-sectional, retrospective assessment of 30 patients (aged 48.1 ± 11.5 years, m/f = 28/2, 64.8 ± 32.2 months, range 12-134 months after transplantation) and 21 partners (m/f = 1/20) by standardized instruments [Impact of Event Scale (IES-R), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale] and a questionnaire about specific problems regarding the time on the device (Artificial Heart Questionnaire) at Vienna Transplant Center (Austria) were used. Twenty patients suffered from dilatative cardiomyopathy and 10 of ischemic cardiomyopathy. The assist remained implanted for 158 ± 130 days (range 28-711). After transpla...

Acute mental stress responses: neural mechanisms of adverse cardiac consequences

Stress and Health — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

It has always seemed plausible that short-term mental stress can act as a trigger for cardiac catastrophes, but the scientific evidence until recently was unconvincing. Panic disorder provides a special case, illustrating that mental stress responses can be a cause of triggered adverse heart events such as myocardial infarction and sudden death. In recent years systematic evidence has been gathered at times of disasters including war, missile attacks on civilians and earthquakes, which also strongly supports the proposition of an acute mental stress-heart attack link. Do these observations have a generality, applicable to the population at large? The answer is that no doubt they do, a finding reached by several national health bodies deliberating on this previously contested question. In i...

Biological bases of clinical anxiety, Barry N. Burijon, 2007, Published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, ISBN: 0393704696

Stress and Health — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

No abstract (Source: Stress and Health)

Psychogenic heart disease - stress and the heart: a historical perspective