Stress and Health最新文献

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.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that restoring feelings of safety helps alleviate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on cross-sectional designs. However, feelings of safety may be affected by PTSD over time. As a result, how safety and PTSD interact in victims and their coexisting patterns remain unclear, particularly in children who have suffered from natural disasters. 1593, 1072, and 483 children were recruited at 3 months (T1), 15 months (T2), and 27 months (T3) following a super typhoon, respectively. Children who completed all three waves of self-report questionnaires were included (N = 351; 46.15% girls; M_age = 9.55 years, SD = 0.66). The data were mainly analysed using the latent growth mixture model. The results revealed four distinct conjoint trajectories: resilience PTSD-high and sharply increasing safety (Class 1; 76.07%), resilience PTSD-slowly increasing safety (Class 2; 13.68%), chronic PTSD-moderate and increasing safety (Class 3; 6.27%), and resilience-decreasing safety (Class 4; 3.99%). Trauma exposure and perceived social support at baseline were significantly more strongly related to Class 3 than Class 1. The results indicated that feelings of safety and PTSD showed heterogeneous patterns of coexistence in children. Further, trauma exposure and perceived social support could differentiate children with distinct patterns of safety and PTSD.

We investigated how psychological and walking behaviours would respond to environmental stressor between older adults with different psychomotor tendencies. We recruited 102 community-dwelling older adults and split them into those with higher conscious movement processing tendencies (HCMP) and lower conscious movement processing tendencies (LCMP). Participants walked straight for 7.4 m in a normal environment (level-ground surface) and in a challenging environment (elevated, foam surface). Real-time conscious movement processing (indicated by T3-Fz electroencephalography coherence), walking stability (indicated by the variabilities in gait parameters and medial-lateral excursion of upper body sway), and neuromuscular efficiency (indicated by co-contraction index of lower limb muscles) were assessed. When older individuals were walking under a challenging environment, LCMP significantly increased their real-time conscious movement processing, while HCMP maintained at a consistent level compared to walking on a normal environment. Both groups significantly reduced walking stability and efficiency to the same extent under the challenging environment. LCMP appear to be susceptible to exhibiting environmentally induced conscious movement processing accompanied by less stable and efficient walking behaviour; indicating the need to investigate this cohort who are often assumed to have lower fall risk. HCMP responses seem independent of environmental stressor as a further increase in conscious involvement might be limited by overloaded working memory, leaving less capacity for adapting to additional stressors. Future research should target older adults at a higher risk of falling, as the negative impact of elevated conscious movement processing could be more pronounced in the absence of compensatory adaptations from higher physical function. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was pre-registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT05411536) prior to data collection.

Limited research has examined the relationship between maternal perinatal depression and infant behaviours, as well as the potential cumulative effects. A sample of 686 mother-child pairs from the Wuhu Birth Cohort Study was used. Maternal depression levels were repeatedly assessed during the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, and 3-months postpartum using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Children's behavioural development at 12 months of age was evaluated using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. A group-based trajectory model was employed to fit the trajectories of maternal perinatal depression scores. Generalised linear regression models with robust estimation were used to analyse the association between maternal depression scores, depressive symptoms, depression trajectories, and child behavioural development. The postnatal depression score was negatively associated with infant behavioural scores in all 5 domains (β_{communication} (95% CI): -0.23 (-0.38, -0.08), β_gross-motor (95% CI): -0.29 (-0.52, -0.06), β_fine-motor (95% CI): -0.19 (-0.35, -0.02), β_{problem-solving} (95% CI): -0.28 (-0.48, -0.09), β_{personal-social} (95% CI): -0.39 (-0.59, -0.18)), while postpartum depressive symptom was associated with reduced score in the personal-social domain (β (95% CI):-4.01 (-7.15, -0.88)). The high depression score trajectory was associated with decreased scores in communication (β (95% CI): -1.76 (-3.35, -0.18)), problem-solving (β (95% CI): -2.10 (-4.17, -0.03)) and personal-social domain (β (95% CI): -2.50 (-4.68, -0.33)). Additionally, depression in the third trimester was inversely associated with communication (β (95% CI):-2.20 (-4.23, -0.18)). Maternal perinatal depression was negatively correlated with infant behavioural development, and a potential cumulative effect was observed, suggesting that we should pay attention to the entire perinatal period rather than a specific period.

Emotions significantly impact decision-making, teamwork, stress management, and resilience in high-pressure occupations such as the military, emergency services and competitive sports, making effective emotion regulation (ER) essential to performance and mental health. However, there are considerable knowledge gaps about ER in active-service military populations, particularly regarding the measures used to quantify ER, the variables studied, and identified relationships. Synthesising this literature is critical to progressing the ER research toward realistic solutions to enhancing performance and mental health in this population. This systematic review aimed to explore measurement tools, the variables examined alongside ER, and the relationship between ER and performance and military variables in active-service military personnel. Preregistered (PROSPERO; CRD42023358657) and adhering to PRISMA guidelines, this review focused on English peer-reviewed publications on ER or coping strategies in active-service military populations without date restrictions. Scopus, Web of Science, Military database, Medline and PsycINFO were last searched on 12/10/2022. Two reviewers screened studies, conducted data extraction and risk of bias assessment. A tabular synthesis method was used to systematically organise study details, ER measures, strategies, performance and military variables, outcomes, and quality. The literature search yielded 5780 studies, 46 of which were deemed relevant. The review identified 17 measurement tools, with the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire being the most used. Psychological factors such as personality, resilience, and stress were most frequently examined (54%), while performance variables were studied in 3 (6.5%) and military variables in 6 (13%) of the source studies. Of the 10 performance and military variables examined, 50% were identified as being at high risk of bias, 30% moderate risk and 20% low risk. This review highlights a scarcity of published research on ER and performance and military variables in active-service military members. Overall, studies suggest that ER may be associated with performance and military variables in varying contexts and capacity. The review examines the implications of these relationships in detail. However, these studies vary in quality, the measurement tools used, and the variables assessed alongside ER, making synthesis challenging. The high risk of bias identified suggests that the relationships with ER should be interpreted with caution. This review suggests a link between ER and performance and military outcomes, however further research is needed to understand this nuanced relationship in the military context.