Stress and Health最新文献

The nature of the mental health profession inherently puts its workers at risk of heightened psychological stress. This raises the importance of understanding why some mental health professionals show greater resilience when faced with common work stressors than others. One work stressor that has been consistently linked with stress is workload. Research has found that higher workload generally leads to greater work-life conflict, which, in turn, leads to greater stress. The current study aimed to test this mediation model amongst mental health professionals and examined how individuals' preference for segmentation versus integration of work and private life moderates the strength of the pathways in this mediation model. Research participants, consisting of 152 Australian mental health professionals aged 18-69 years (M = 37.58, SD = 12.12), voluntarily completed a 30-min survey capturing workload, work-life conflict, segmentation preference, and stress. In line with expectations, higher workload predicted greater stress via higher levels of work-life conflict. Furthermore, segmentation preference moderated the path between workload and work-life conflict as well as the path between work-life conflict and stress. Simple slopes analyses showed that a stronger (vs. weaker) preference for segmentation was associated with a stronger positive relationship between workload and work-life conflict as well as a stronger positive relationship between work-life conflict and stress. Segmentation preference may thus influence the workload-work-life conflict-stress relationship through two distinct mechanisms. Improving our understanding of such mechanisms facilitates creation of targeted strategies to reduce work-induced stress amongst mental health professionals.

Self-compassion has emerged as a protective factor for psychological health and well-being. Interest has grown in understanding the mechanisms that explain how self-compassion contributes to improved psychological outcomes. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesise the results of studies that investigated the mediators underlying the relationship between self-compassion and psychological outcomes. Potential eligible studies were searched on Embase, APA PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science (search up till January 2025). Included were peer-reviewed, English-language studies investigating mediators between self-compassion and psychological outcomes. Study quality was assessed using the Mediation Quality Checklist. A total of 113 studies were included, and most were cross-sectional and focused on psychological symptoms rather than well-being. Repetitive negative thinking, such as worry and rumination, was the most studied process and found to be significantly mediating self-compassion and reduced psychological symptoms across studies. There is also growing evidence for experiential avoidance and mindfulness as significant mediators. Limited studies precluded drawing conclusions about other coping strategies, self-concept, and social factors. This systematic review points toward a significant mediational role of maladaptive (e.g. repetitive negative thinking, experiential avoidance) and adaptive (e.g. mindfulness) emotion regulation and coping strategies, that explain the association of self-compassion with psychological outcomes. Future studies with more rigorous designs including intensive longitudinal and experimental designs are needed to clarify causality.

In this scoping review, we explore the concept of human thriving in work populations that are repeatedly exposed to high stress, elevated threat, and potential trauma-professions such as first responders and front-line military personnel. The concept of thriving, defined as the joint experience of development and success, shares some similarities with other psychological concepts (e.g., resilience, posttraumatic growth, flourishing), but is distinct due to the consideration of physical wellbeing, and success (e.g., performance). It is posited that thriving offers a more holistic approach to understanding human functioning and is flexible enough to be applied to a variety of populations. We aimed to synthesis the existing literature on human thriving in high stress and recurring trauma occupations, and report factors that enable individuals to thrive. Database searches were conducted in CINAHL, Embase, Medline, and PsycINFO. The review adhered to recommended guidelines including the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Eight hundred and thirty-two original sources were identified and underwent title and abstract review, with 149 retained for full text review and 28 retained for data extraction. Whilst no articles were found that utilised 'thriving' as the central concept of investigation in relevant occupational settings (i.e., high stress, recurring trauma), the final sample retained 28 articles that focused on one or more components of thriving (26 quantitative, one mixed method and one qualitative study). Occupations included police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and military personnel. Personal factors identified that align with the thriving framework included resilience, posttraumatic growth and subjective wellbeing. Coping styles also appeared to be related to an individual's ability to thrive with findings suggesting that an active coping style is linked to greater wellbeing, and that an avoidant coping may be helpful during a stressful event. Contextual factors identified included social support from colleagues and supervisors, shared humour, and positive human connection. For individuals in occupations where they are regularly exposed to recurring trauma and stress, and the corresponding negative impacts, finding ways to facilitate thriving may have significant social, psychological, and organisational benefits. Understanding how individuals thrive and positively adapt to disruptions may inform workplace education and interventions and assist in supporting these vital workforces.

The post-pandemic era, coupled with the rising adoption of AI chatbots and robotics, introduces significant new challenges for employee work well-being. Thus, it is important to investigate underlying mechanisms about how employees can develop mindsets to promote well-being at work. This study examines how a dual-focused growth mindset-comprising a growth mindset about the self (the belief in the ability to develop personal abilities) and a growth mindset about work (the belief in the capacity to optimise work conditions)-can enhance employee work well-being through resilience. In a two-wave survey involving 606 full-time employees in China (Study 1), we found that both mindsets were associated with lower levels of mental ill-health symptoms (one dimension of work well-being) by increasing personal resilience. Notably, the effect of a growth mindset about the self (but not about work) on personal resilience was stronger when individuals perceived a high (vs. low) level of work stress. In Study 2, a quasi-experimental design with 85 participants in an intervention group and 66 in a control group demonstrated that a growth mindset intervention effectively enhanced dual growth mindsets, leading to improved well-being, including job satisfaction and individual flourishing. A serial mediation analysis confirmed that resilience mediated the relationship between the self-growth mindset (not work-growth mindset) and employee flourishing. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Midday napping (Qailulah) is one of the most recent concepts whose effects on stress have been examined in the literature, and it holds a significant place in Islamic culture as a practice (Sunnah) recommended by Prophet Muhammad. The present study was conducted to examine midday napping habits and religious beliefs related to midday napping of Muslim adults from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia, as well as the association between midday napping and perceived stress. A multi-national descriptive online survey-based study involving Muslim adults (N = 1157) was administered using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). It was seen that 16.8% of the participants took everyday midday naps, with 63.5% of them preferring midday naps for stress management. In addition, 77.2% of the participants had knowledge of Islamic knowledge regarding midday napping, and 86.1% of them thought that this religious knowledge contributes to midday napping. In multiple linear regression analysis, living in Türkiye, being in the 18-30 age group, having a sleep disorder diagnosis, going to sleep after 2 AM, taking midday naps for more than 60 min, and taking midday naps for stress management were associated with higher perceived stress levels in the Muslim population (p < 0.05). On the other hand, being male, waking up before 7 AM, and thinking that midday napping positively affected stress management were associated with lower perceived stress levels (p < 0.05). In order to strengthen the evidence base for these findings, it is recommended that the impact of midday naps on stress management be evaluated through randomized controlled trials that consider factors such as religious adherence and cultural influences.

This study aimed to determine whether online-guided mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in daily life improve autonomic nervous system function as measured by the pupillary light reflex (PLR) in healthy subjects. A total of 94 university students were randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. Participants practiced single-session meditation in a laboratory. During the intervention period, the participants practiced brief online mindfulness meditation for 12 weeks. PLR and psychological indices were measured before and after single and multiple mindfulness sessions. Using a multiple-regression analysis controlling for the baseline values, participants in the intervention group showed significantly decreased emotional fluctuations and significantly increased relaxation compared to those in the control group in a single session, whereas no significant differences in physiological indices were detected. In 12-week multiple sessions, participants in the intervention group showed significantly decreased state anxiety (p = 0.05), and marginally significantly decreased sympathetic nervous system activation (VD, p = 0.08) and perceived stress (p = 0.07) compared to those in the control group. These results suggest that the effects of mindfulness meditation on autonomic nerve function may be cumulative. These findings highlight the preventive effects of continuing online-guided MBIs in a healthy population and the potential usefulness of pupilometers in monitoring intervention effects. The applicability of pupillometry is further supported by the finding that MBIs improved psychological indices. Trial Registration: This study was not pre-registered.

Previous studies have established robust associations between sleep quality in shift workers and factors such as cognition, stressors, mental states, and positive traits. However, the hierarchical relationships among these factors, such as proximal versus distal influences, and their mechanistic interactions in shaping sleep outcomes, remain unclear. In this study, we assessed 769 train drivers at baseline (T1), with 694 participants completing a follow-up sleep assessment 6 months later (T2). Using cross-sectional (T1) and longitudinal (T1-T2) network analyses, we mapped the interrelationships among these variables. Our findings indicate that mental states (e.g., anxiety, somatisation) serve as the most proximal predictors of sleep disturbances, while positive traits (e.g., mindfulness) function as intermediate factors. Cognition and external stressors emerged as the most distal influences. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal networks highlighted anxiety, somatisation, and sleep-related symptoms as key bridge nodes with high centrality. Notably, mindfulness exhibited strong bridging properties in the longitudinal analysis. These results suggest that mental states, particularly anxiety and somatisation, play a critical and immediate role in sleep dysfunction among train drivers. Interventions targeting mindfulness may offer a promising therapeutic avenue for improving sleep in this population.

Experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic may be traumatic to healthcare workers (HCWs). This study investigated the associations of resilience and mindfulness with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG), and the mediation role of adaptive coping and stigmatisation related to HCWs' role in these associations from the perspective of trauma and positive psychology research. An anonymous online survey was conducted among 1449 doctors and nurses (85.4% females; mean age 34.1 years) from five hospitals in different regions of China between October and November 2020, which was about six months after the COVID-19 outbreak was almost 'put under control' in China. PTSS and PTG were assessed using the 17-item PTSS Scale-Self-Report and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, respectively. The prevalence of PTSS and PTG was 42% and 65%, respectively. Results of structural equation modelling suggested that the association between resilience and PTSS was partially mediated by adaptive coping, self-stigma, and the serial path via adaptive coping and self-stigma, which accounted for 66% of the total association. The association between mindfulness and PTSS was partially mediated by adaptive coping and serially mediated by adaptive coping and self-stigma. In contrast, only adaptive coping was a significant mediator in the associations between resilience/mindfulness and PTG. The findings first unravelled the mechanisms between resilience, mindfulness, and posttraumatic outcomes of COVID-19 among a large sample of HCWs. Health promotion may consider alleviating PTSS and promoting PTG for HCWs experiencing traumatic stressful events via strengthening resilience and mindfulness, fostering adaptive coping, and reducing stigmatisation.

Drawing on the resource-based view of self-control and Conservation of Resources theory, this study examines how COVID-19-related stress impairs job performance through ego depletion and investigates the joint moderating roles of polychronicity-monochronicity flexibility (P-M flexibility) and work conditions (in-office vs. remote). Using a two-wave design, I collected survey data from 469 full-time employees across diverse industries in Taiwan before and after the implementation of strict pandemic-related measures, including remote work mandates. The results showed that COVID-19 stress significantly increased ego depletion, thereby negatively affecting job performance. Importantly, a significant three-way interaction revealed that the buffering effect of P-M flexibility against stress-induced ego depletion was more pronounced among office-based employees. Specifically, in structured office contexts characterised by high external regulatory demands, employees with high P-M flexibility experienced lower ego depletion and maintained better job performance despite elevated stress. Conversely, remote work autonomy partially substituted the need for internal adaptability yet posed challenges for those with low P-M flexibility. These findings advance COR theory by highlighting the context-sensitive compensatory and substitutive functions of personal and contextual resources in managing prolonged stress. Practically, the results emphasise the necessity of context-specific interventions aimed at enhancing employees' temporal adaptability to sustain resilience and performance under stressful conditions.

Yoga Nidra meditation has been increasingly examined in recent years for its potential to enhance psychological well-being. However, few studies have examined its biological effects-such as diurnal cortisol patterns particularly in larger samples using pre-post designs. The primary objective of this randomised controlled trial was to examine both the psychological (stress, anxiety, depression, rumination, sleep, satisfaction with life) and the biological effects (diurnal salivary cortisol) of Yoga Nidra. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 intervention groups (EG1: 11 min Yoga Nidra, n = 101; EG2: 30 min Yoga Nidra, n = 80), an active control group (AC: 10 min music, n = 74), or a waitlist control group (WC, n = 107). The intervention was delivered online via pre-recorded audio files and practiced ideally daily over 2 months. Significant improvements were observed for the 11-min Yoga Nidra group compared to the WC (effect sizes d = 0.08-0.16). Regular practice was associated with reductions in total cortisol and steeper diurnal slopes. Additionally, the short form significantly reduced depression compared to the AC (d = 0.13). The long form of Yoga Nidra showed an increase in acting with awareness (d = 0.10) compared to the short form. It also exceeded the effects of EG1 when compared to the AC and WC, including a flatter cortisol wake-up reaction. The importance of small effects through economic interventions for health-promoting behaviour is highlighted.