Stress and Health最新文献

Individuals with chronic conditions are at increased risk of developing depressive symptomatology. While the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of mental health problems in the general population, there remains a gap in understanding the association between chronic conditions and depressive symptoms throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from MAP-19: A representative study of the Norwegian population during the COVID-19 pandemic, longitudinal design with nine measurements was implemented to follow 2564 individuals over the 2-year period using Generalised Estimating Equations (M age = 39 years, SD = 13.8; 77% females, 23% males). Individuals with chronic conditions exhibited a differing trajectory of depressive symptomatology compared to those without throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when controlling for shared socioeconomic status and psychosocial risk factors. We found a significant main effect of time β = -0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.235-0.0832] indicating a decrease in depressive symptomatology for controls and a significant interaction effect between group and time β = 0.22, CI [ 0.115-0.331], indicating an increase in depressive symptoms for individuals with chronic conditions (β = -0.16 + β = 0.22 = 0.04). Moreover, individuals with chronic conditions were more likely to seek mental health treatment from a professional (doctor, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist) compared to those without a chronic condition (OR = 1.45, 95% CI [1.20, 1.75]). Individuals with chronic conditions exhibited increasing levels of depressive symptomatology across 2 years of the pandemic, highlighting the need for routine screening for depressive symptomatology in individuals with chronic conditions in primary care.

Emotional integration involves ways of responding to one's emotions: receptive attention (i.e., open and nonjudgmental attention to emotions) and intentional exploration (i.e., active and motivated pursuit of one's own emotions. Across two studies (Study 1: two waves longitudinal, N = 239; Study 2: daily diary, N = 132), we compared these two dimensions of integrative emotion regulation (i.e. receptive attention and intentional exploration) in adaptive and maladaptive coping styles (i.e., specific strategies to shape one's response to stress) and daily well-being. In Study 1, both forms of integrative emotion regulation were positively associated with adaptive coping (e.g., the use of active coping, acceptance, planning, and positive reframing) 1 month later, but only intentional exploration (and not receptive attention) showed benefits for well-being in a 7-day daily diary context (Study 2). Intentional exploration was negatively associated with perceived daily stress and positively associated with constructive self-reflection, a marker of productive processing of emotions, and daily day satisfaction. In all, both forms of emotion regulation promote adaptive coping, but intentional exploration showed more consistent benefits across our studies. This research highlights the independent importance of motivated pursuit of emotional information in the coping process.

Daily life is full of stressful events, but previous studies have inconsistent findings on how stress predicts daily activities. This study explored the relationship between perceived stress, activity choice, and happiness and meaning through an experience sampling method. Over 10 days, 205 participants reported their perceptions of momentary demands, resources, happiness, meaning, and activities four times a day, totaling 7362 observations. Stress was operationalised using both perceived demands and the ratio of demands to resources. Multilevel modelling showed that both concurrent demands and the demands-to-resources ratio were positively associated with meaning-increasing activities (e.g., working and studying) and negatively associated with activities that promote both happiness and meaning (e.g., eating and shopping). The ratio also predicted greater engagement in meditation, which also increases both happiness and meaning. Additionally, higher prior demands predicted reduced physical activity-an activity linked to increased happiness and meaning. These findings revealed behavioural tendencies and motivations under stress and offered implications for stress management in daily life.

Stress-related chronic exhaustion can be predicted longitudinally by reduced basic vagal tone (i.e., vagally-mediated heart rate variability [vmHRV]). However, little is known about the relationship between phasic vmHRV and momentary exhaustion in daily life. To examine this relationship, this preregistered study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in a sample of N = 151 healthy participants (age = 22.17 years [SD = 4.98 years]; 14.57% male) for three consecutive weekdays. Exploratorily, we examined if individuals with higher chronic exhaustion would show different patterns of phasic vmHRV when perceiving acute stress. We analysed data on momentary (emotional, cognitive, physical) exhaustion, perceived acute stress, ambulatory ECG data and adjusted for relevant covariates (e.g., age, gender, and momentary movement acceleration) using multi-level analyses. After adjusting for preregistered covariates, phasic vmHRV showed a positive association with momentary emotional and cognitive exhaustion, but not with momentary physical exhaustion. Our exploratory analyses revealed that individuals with higher levels of chronic exhaustion did not show the expected negative association between situationally perceived acute stress and phasic vmHRV, whereas those with lover levels did. These findings indicate that momentary exhaustion is associated with increased phasic vmHRV in daily life. Combined with our exploratory results that chronic exhaustion modulates vagal withdrawal under perceived acute stress, this study offers important directions for future research into the link between stress-related exhaustion and autonomic changes. Study Registration: The study and analysis plan were preregistered at OSF (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/T2C4X).

Research has shown that individuals' stress mindset-the belief that stress is enhancing or debilitating-can be altered through interventions. However, there is still a lack of findings regarding the dynamic fluctuations of stress mindset and its interplays with psychological outcomes in natural settings. Moreover, few studies have examined the distinct roles of positive and negative stress mindset. The present study aimed to investigate the dynamic characteristics of positive and negative stress mindset in daily life, as well as its reciprocal effects with affective well-being and psychological distress. A total of 365 college students completed the assessment of positive and negative stress mindset, affective well-being (i.e., positive affect and negative affect), and psychological distress for seven consecutive days (five assessments per day). We examined the dynamic characteristics of the internal system of positive and negative stress mindset, as well as their external interactions with affective well-being (i.e., positive affect and negative affect), and psychological distress. Results showed that stress mindset exhibited substantial dynamic fluctuations and individual differences. Both positive and negative stress mindset had significant inertia within a day, and negative stress mindset negatively predicted subsequent positive stress mindset. In addition, there was a self-perpetuating cycle between negative stress mindset and negative affective experiences, whereas positive stress mindset was unidirectionally impaired by psychological distress. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of stress mindset, pinpointing the susceptibility of positive stress mindset to daily negative influences, as such call for targeted interventions on protecting and cultivating a positive view of stress.

There are limited opportunities to study physiological and psychological factors that predict success in real world high stress environments where individuals must engage in controlled aggressive behaviour. All cadets attending the United States Military Academy must take a combatives course where they are taught to compete in hand-to-hand combat with peers and graded on performance. This study assessed, in this highly competitive environment, the physiological, psychological, and academic predictors of success in the course's final exam, a final hand-to-hand combat match. Male (n = 109) and female (n = 23) cadets completed self-report assessments of resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale; CD-RISC), mental toughness (Mental Toughness Questionnaire; MTQ-10), and aggression (Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire; BPAQ) upon enrolment in Combatives. Immediately preceding the final match, cadets provided saliva samples and completed mood state (Profile of Mood States; POMS), self-confidence and competitive state anxiety (Competitive State Anxiety Inventory; CSAI-2) questionnaires. Cortisol, testosterone, and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in saliva were assessed. Instructors provided match outcome, win versus loss, and each cadet's grade point averages (GPA; academic, military, and physical). Logistic regression analyses determined if physiological, psychological, or academic variables predicted match outcome. Sex, time of day, prior combatives experience, and midterm combatives performance were included as covariates. Greater self-confidence (OR [95% CI]; 1.13 [1.03, 1.25]) and a better physical GPA (4.51 [1.52, 13.42]) were associated with increased odds of winning the final match, with an overall classification accuracy of 68.9% and explained 31% of the variance in match outcome. Greater cognitive anxiety independently decreased the odds of winning (0.93 [0.87, 0.99]), but not when combined with self-confidence and physical GPA. No other factors significantly impacted odds of winning. Self-confidence and physical performance are key contributors to success in hand-to-hand combat and may mediate the influence of anxiety on performance.

The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the following conflict has impacted Israeli society, causing widespread distress. While research has examined the direct impacts of such events, less attention has been given to how sociopolitical and demographic factors impact resilience outcomes during prolonged conflict. This study examines the mediating role of individual resilience in the relationships between key factors (including demographic variables, political stance, and religiosity) and psychological outcomes (community resilience and psychological distress) across five time points following the October 7 attack. A representative sample of 957 Israeli adults completed surveys at five time points following October 7, 2023. Linear Mixed Models with random intercepts evaluated relationships between demographic and sociopolitical factors and individual resilience, community resilience, and psychological distress. Mediation analyses examined individual resilience as a mechanism connecting these factors to psychological outcomes. Community resilience significantly declined across five time points, whereas individual resilience was consistently positively associated with community and lower psychological distress. Mediation analyses showed that individual resilience explained the effect of gender, age, income, and government support on resilience and psychological distress. The study found that religiosity's impact on individual resilience strengthened over time, yet its protective effect against psychological distress was direct rather than mediated. This study's results show the importance of enhancing individual resilience to mitigate long-term psychological distress and declining community resilience. This study found that individual resilience is a mechanism through which demographic and sociopolitical factors impact community resilience and psychological distress during a prolonged conflict. The findings show the importance of targeting individual resilience in interventions while acknowledging the direct protective association between religiosity and psychological distress. These results offer important insights for developing tailored support strategies for diverse populations experiencing an ongoing conflict.

Breathwork - deliberately altering the way one breathes - has gained growing attention as an emerging non-pharmacological intervention for mental health and stress regulation. A novel yet ancient method that remains largely underexplored in the literature, breathwork requires structured, evidence-based investigation to optimize its application. This review analyses the existing literature on slow, diaphragmatic, nasal breathing and breath-holding techniques, to propose the A52 Breath Method-a theoretically grounded approach for enhancing stress resilience. A narrative review of breathwork literature was conducted that focused on the physiological and psychological mechanisms underpinning stress reduction. Medical databases were searched: 465 articles were screened and 30 studies underwent full-text review. Studies examining slow breathing (≤ 6 breaths per minute), diaphragmatic activation, nasal breathing, and breath holds were analyzed for their effects on autonomic nervous system regulation, heart rate variability (HRV), and psychological resilience. The findings indicate that slow, nasal, diaphragmatic breathing significantly improves vagal tone, HRV, parasympathetic activity, and emotional control, while reducing cortisol, anxiety, stress, and PTSD. The integration of these elements in the 5-s inhale, 5-s exhale, 2-s hold pattern (A52 Breath Method) provides a structured approach to breathwork with potential applications in high-stress professions, including emergency responders, military personnel, healthcare workers, and everyday life. The A52 Breath Method represents a novel, evidence-informed breathwork framework designed to optimize stress regulation. Future research should validate its efficacy through randomised controlled trials, particularly in populations exposed to chronic and acute stress. This conceptual model has the potential to inform clinical and occupational interventions for mental health and stress resilience.

Public safety personnel (PSP) and healthcare providers (HCP) are routinely exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events and are at increased risk of developing mental disorder symptoms and posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI). The Before Operational Stress program (BOS) is an evidence-informed mental health and resiliency training programme designed to mitigate the effects of PTSI. We conducted 41 in-depth semi-structured interviews with PSP and HCP who had completed the BOS program to investigate whether and how the programme benefits mental health, and how the content can integrate with their personal and professional lives. Data were analysed using team-based template analysis. The four overarching themes that emerged were: (1) health journeys; (2) the ripple effect of helping; (3) the destabilising effect of organizational pressures; and (4) context matters to how the programme was received. Each main theme was developed and supported by multiple subthemes explored herein. The results indicated BOS was well-received and helpful to participants at various career stages while furthering the discourse on mental health in PSP and HCP workplaces; however, difficulties were reported related to persistent stigma around mental health injuries. Organizational policies and systemic strains appear to be key contextual determinants and barriers.

The ability to distinguish between self- and other-related mental representations is crucial for navigating complex social environments. This capacity, known as self-other distinction (SOD), plays a fundamental role in social cognition, allowing individuals to understand others' thoughts and emotions without confusing them with their own. Despite growing interest in understanding the role of SOD in clinical populations, little is known about the factors that influence the capacity for SOD in non-clinical samples. Here, we investigated the relative contribution of self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and emotion dysregulation to the capacity for SOD in a sample of adults (N = 164, age range: 18-39 years, M_age = 24.91 years, SD = 5.19) who reported no history of psychiatric or neurological disorders. We assessed the capacity for SOD using the imitation-inhibition task. Participants also provided self-reports of emotional states of depression, anxiety, stress, and emotion dysregulation. Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher depressive symptoms were associated with enhanced SOD performance, whereas elevated anxiety and emotion dysregulation were linked to impaired SOD. We also found that stress did not predict SOD. Importantly, the association between SOD and depression deviates from prior literature, as previous studies typically link depression to deficits in social cognition. Our results contribute to the broader literature on SOD by providing evidence that emotional states can facilitate or hinder SOD in a general population sample. These findings may have important practical implications for early identification and therapeutic interventions for individuals who experience self-other processing differences, including some autistic individuals, as well as those with personality disorders.