Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress最新文献

We examined stress as a predictor of behaviours related to Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) through its effects on delay discounting. Adults (N = 3686) completed an online survey with a behavioural measure of delay discounting and questions regarding stress, physical distancing, and stockpiling of food and supplies. Stress was weakly, but positively, correlated with delay discounting (p < 0.01). Delay discounting was positively correlated with stockpiling (p < 0.01); and discounting was negatively correlated with physical distancing (p < 0.01). Mediation models indicated that discounting was a significant mediator of the relationship between stress and physical distancing (-0.003) and stockpiling (0.003); bootstrap 95% CIs (-0.006, -0.001) and (0.001, 0.005), respectively. After accounting for its indirect effects through discounting, stress continued to have a direct effect on these outcomes. This study indicates that delay discounting partially mediates the link between stress and behaviours related to COVID-19. Results suggest that interventions reducing stress and/or delay discounting may be profitable for increasing infection prevention and reducing stockpiling.

Numerous studies have reported that individuals' loneliness, anxiety, and depression levels increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period. However, reciprocal associations among loneliness, anxiety, and depression, as well as gender differences in these associations, have not been investigated. Therefore, temporal associations among loneliness, anxiety, and depression and gender differences in these associations were examined in a longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The loneliness, anxiety, and depression levels of 458 university students were evaluated at three timepoints (T1, T2, and T3) during the COVID-19 pandemic period in China. The timepoints were separated by 1 month. Cross-lagged panel designs were used to examine reciprocal associations among loneliness, anxiety, and depression as well as the stability and gender differences of these associations. Cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that T1 depression positively predicted T2 anxiety and loneliness, T1 loneliness positively predicted T2 depression, T2 anxiety positively predicted T3 depression, T2 depression positively predicted T3 anxiety and loneliness, T2 loneliness positively predicted T3 depression, and T1 loneliness positively predicted T3 anxiety through the mediating role of T2 depression. No gender differences were observed in the cross-lagged associations. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, loneliness and depression predicted each other across time, and loneliness predicted anxiety across time, mediated by depression. No gender differences were observed in the cross-lagged associations among loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

Considering the widespread use of cannabis and opioids, examining the use of cannabis, opioids and their combination with serious psychological distress (SPD) is important. A total of N = 12,358 adults participating in the Monitor surveillance study between 2014 and 2019 were included. Cannabis and opioid use reflected any use of the substances in the past 12 months. SPD was defined as having a score of 13 or more on the Kessler-6 questionnaire, a 6-item scale that includes feeling nervous, hopeless, restless or fidgety, sad or depressed. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated from logistic regression models accounting for complex survey design and sociodemographic factors. Overall, 12.8% of the sample reported cannabis use only, 18% reported opioid use only, and 4.9% reported both cannabis and opioid use. Use of both cannabis and opioids was significantly associated with SPD in both women (OR = 4.24; 95% CI, 2.34 to 7.69), and in men (OR = 2.99; 95% CI, 1.56 to 5.73) compared to use of neither. The joint association of cannabis and opioids with SPD was additive. Addressing those who use both cannabis and opioids may help reduce the burden of SPD among adults in Ontario.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has precipitated international lockdown measures to curb disease transmissions. The closure of public activity spaces as well as changes in pandemic workload may disrupt healthcare workers' physical activity and self-care routines. We sought to examine the association between physical activity levels and mental health burden of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 lockdown in Singapore. This cross-sectional study comprised of an multidomain survey that was administered digitally to 707 healthcare workers between 17 May and 18 June 2020. Exercise frequency, duration and intensity of these healthcare workers had reduced significantly during the lockdown compared to pre-lockdown. 25.3%, 37.2%, and 11.9% had screened positive for moderate-to-extremely-severe depression, anxiety and stress respectively. Reductions in exercise duration was a significant risk factor for mild stress and moderate-to-severe depression while increase in exercise frequency was found to be a protective factor against depressed mood. Our study revealed that a short-term reduction in physical activity levels during lockdown was associated with poorer psychological outcomes. Given the protection that exercise confers on depression, physical activity should be promoted at the workplace and at home to support healthcare workers to cope through this protracted health crisis.

Menstrual symptoms include some rhythmical changes and stress perception but women differ in duration and severity of these symptoms. It is not known whether these differences are associated with cortisol awakening response (CAR). The aim of the current study was to follow young women daily for the CAR and menstrual parameters throughout the whole menstrual cycle. Healthy and regularly cycling young women (n = 16, 17 to 31-year-old) participated in the current study. The daily records of severity of problems (DRSP) was filled in daily by the participants. CAR was also assessed daily form the salivary samples collected at a 0-, 15-, 30- and 60-min post-awakening. In terms of daily awakening cortisol profiles, women had either 2-20 (n = 3), or 20-200 (n = 8) or 200-2000 (n = 5) ng/ml cortisol according to the median levels throughout their cycle. CAR was weakly and negatively correlated with DRSP scores but strongly and positively with oestradiol (R²  = 0.300; p = 0.000) and progesterone (R²  = 0.490; p = 0.000) concentrations. Individuals with higher oestradiol and progesterone concentrations did not have high DRSP scores. In conclusion, CAR had a very high between-subject difference but had a low within-subject difference throughout the days of menstrual cycle, suggesting that CAR is a relatively stable personal trait. Moreover, the interplay between cortisol, progesterone and oestradiol appears to be important for the severity of menstrual symptoms.

There is evidence that stressful events are associated with psychosis. This study aimed to explore sex differences in the association between stressful life events occurring during childhood and adulthood and psychosis. A total of 78 psychotic patients and 156 controls were enrolled. Childhood adversities were evaluated using a validated semi-structured interview and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire. Recent life events were recorded using a semi-structured interview with a normative and contextual approach. The diagnosis of psychosis was made according to Jablensky's criteria. χ² and t-test statistical analyses were run. Odds ratios were calculated in logistic regression. People with psychosis reported more exposure to both childhood adversities and recent events than the general population. An excess of childhood physical abuse was found among male psychotic patients, whereas both childhood sexual abuse and recent life events were overrepresented among female patients in comparison with the general population. There was a cumulative effect of stressful life events on psychosis, although it was stronger among females than in males. It is likely that there are gender differences in the association between stressful life events and psychosis.

Electrodermal activity (EDA)-a measure of electrical skin conductance reflecting (exclusive) sympathetic control of the eccrine sweat gland-holds promise as an indicator of central sympathetic activation. The aim of this study was to determine whether combat and blast exposure modulate the EDA response to acute exercise stress in specialised military men. Fifty-one men (age M = 36.1, SD = 6.5) participated in this study as part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operational Health Surveillance System. The EDA complex (i.e., tonic + phasic conductance) was continuously measured throughout a maximal effort, graded exercise test. As expected, exercise stress resulted in measurable, stepwise increases in EDA before tapering at higher exercise intensities. Individuals with more substantial combat exposure and those with blast exposure demonstrated blunted EDA patterns in comparison to their low/nonexposed counterparts. This blunted pattern might imply sub-optimal sympathetic nervous system function in the exposed cohorts and enhances our knowledge of factors influencing resilience in these men.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused both physical and psychological changes in the general public. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between well-being and coping strategies in response to the pandemic. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate the mediational role of benefit finding. A total of 521 participants aged 18-65 years were recruited from 29 regions of mainland China. Situation-specific coping strategies, including support seeking, personal hygiene practice and social distancing, were measured at Time 1. Benefit finding and well-being were assessed 1 month later. A multilevel mediation model was conducted with region included in level 2 as cluster ID. Support seeking and personal hygiene practice were positive predictors of benefit finding, which further mediated their relationships with well-being, while social distancing negatively predicted well-being. These results highlight the relationships of support seeking, personal hygiene practice and benefit finding with well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings indicate that besides adopting adaptive coping strategies to prevent infection by COVID-19, individuals should be encouraged to recognize benefits associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.