Showing papers on "Stressor published in 2002"

Sex Differences in Coping Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review and an Examination of Relative Coping

Abstract: We used meta-analysis to examine recent studies of sex differences in coping. Women were more likely than men to engage in most coping strategies. The strongest effects showed that women were more likely to use strategies that involved verbal expressions to others or the self—to seek emotional support, ruminate about problems, and use positive self-talk. These sex differences were consistent across studies, supporting a dispositional level hypothesis. Other sex differences were dependent on the nature of the stressor, supporting role constraint theory. We also examined whether stressor appraisal (i.e., women's tendencies to appraise stressors as more severe) accountedfor sex differences in coping. We found some support for this idea. To circumvent this issue, we provide some data on relative coping. These data demonstrate that sex differences in relative coping are more in line with our intuitions about the differences in the ways men and women cope with distress.

The Environment of Poverty: Multiple Stressor Exposure, Psychophysiological Stress, and Socioemotional Adjustment

Abstract: The one in five children growing up in poverty in America have elevated risk for socioemotional difficulties. One contributing factor to their elevated risk may be exposure to multiple physical and psychosocial stressors. This study demonstrated that 8- to 10-year-old, low-income, rural children (N = 287) confront a wider array of multiple physical (substandard housing, noise, crowding) and psychosocial (family turmoil, early childhood separation, community violence) stressors than do their middle-income counterparts. Prior research on self-reported distress among inner-city minority children is replicated and extended among low-income, rural White children with evidence of higher levels of self- and parent-reported psychological distress, greater difficulties in self-regulatory behavior (delayed gratification), and elevated psychophysiological stress (resting blood pressure, overnight neuroendocrine hormones). Preliminary mediational analyses with cross-sectional data suggest that cumulative stressor exposure may partially account for the well-documented, elevated risk of socioemotional difficulties accompanying poverty.

The role of early adverse experience and adulthood stress in the prediction of neuroendocrine stress reactivity in women: A multiple regression analysis

Abstract: Sensitization of stress-responsive neurobiological systems as a possible consequence of early adverse experience has been implicated in the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders. In addition to early adversities, adulthood stressors are also known to precipitate the manifestation of these disorders. The present study sought to evaluate the relative role of early adverse experience vs. stress experiences in adulthood in the prediction of neuroendocrine stress reactivity in women. A total of 49 women (normal volunteers, depressed patients, and women with a history of early abuse) underwent a battery of interviews and completed dimensional rating scales on stress experiences and psychopathology, and were subsequently exposed to a standardized psychosocial laboratory stressor. Outcome measures were plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol responses to the stress test. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify the impact of demographic variables, childhood abuse, adulthood trauma, major life events in the past year, and daily hassles in the past month, as well as psychopathology on hormonal stress responsiveness. Peak ACTH responses to psychosocial stress were predicted by a history of childhood abuse, the number of separate abuse events, the number of adulthood traumas, and the severity of depression. Similar predictors were identified for peak cortisol responses. Although abused women reported more severe negative life events in adulthood than controls, life events did not affect neuroendocrine reactivity. The regression model explained 35% of the variance of ACTH responses. The interaction of childhood abuse and adulthood trauma was the most powerful predictor of ACTH responsiveness. Our findings suggest that a history of childhood abuse per se is related to increased neuroendocrine stress reactivity, which is further enhanced when additional trauma is experienced in adulthood.

Physical evidence of police officer stress

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to identify common stressors and the magnitude of stress reactivity in police officers during the course of general duty police work. Using heart rate as a primary indicator of autonomic nervous system activation, coupled with observed physical activity data collected through 76 full shift ride‐alongs, this study differentiates between physical and psycho‐social stress. The results, confirming previous research based on self‐report data alone, demonstrate that police officers experience both physical and psycho‐social stress on the job, anticipating stress as they go about their work, while suffering anticipatory stress at the start of each shift. The results demonstrated that the highest levels of stress occur just prior to and during critical incidents, and that officers do not fully recover from that stress before leaving their shift. Overall, the results illustrate the need to consider stress reactivity and repressors in the assessment of police officer stress while clearly demonstrating the need for debriefing after critical incidents and increased training in stress management and coping strategies.

Journaling about stressful events: effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression.

Abstract: The effects of two journaling interventions, one focusing on emotional expression and the other on both cognitive processing and emotional expression, were compared during 1 month of journaling about a stressful or traumatic event. One hundred twenty-two students were randomly assigned to one of three writing conditions: (a) focusing on emotions related to a trauma or stressor, (b) focusing on cognitions and emotions related to a trauma or stressor, or (c) writing factually about media events. Writers focusing on cognitions and emotions developed greater awareness of the positive benefits of the stressful event than the other two groups. This effect was apparently mediated by greater cognitive processing during writing. Writers focusing on emotions alone reported more severe illness symptoms during the study than those in other conditions. This effect appeared to be mediated by a greater focus on negative emotional expression during writing.

Circuits and systems in stress. I. Preclinical studies

Abstract: This paper reviews the preclinical literature related to the effects of stress on neurobiological and neuroendocrine systems. Preclinical studies of stress provide a comprehensive model for understanding neurobiological alterations in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The pathophysiology of stress reflects long-standing changes in biological stress response systems and in systems involved in stress responsivity, learning, and memory. The neural circuitry involved includes systems mediating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, norepinephrine (locus coeruleus), and benzodiazepine, serotonergic, dopaminergic, neuropeptide, and central amino acid systems. These systems interact with brain structures involved in memory, including hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Stress responses are of vital importance in living organisms; however excessive and/or repeated stress can lead to long-lasting alterations in these circuits and systems involved in stress responsiveness. Intensity and duration of the stressor, and timing of the stressor in life, have strong impact in this respect.

Effects of pre- and postnatal stimulation on developmental, emotional, and cognitive aspects in rodents: a review.

Abstract: Interactions between the organism and its environment, during pregnancy as well as during the postnatal period, can lead to important neurobehavioral changes. We briefly review the literature, and successively present the main results from our laboratory concerning the behavioral effects of prenatal stress, differential rearing conditions, and postnatal handling. We show that submitting primiparous DA/HAN rats to an acute emotional stress (exposure to a cat) at gestational day10, 14, or 19 leads to greatly increased mortality of pups and to decreased body weight of surviving animals. The effects of such a stressor on emotional reactivity are less obvious. Cognitive processes are impaired depending on the learning task. Enriched environments restore abnormal behaviors (emotional reactivity, motor skills, motor and spatial learning) due to brain trauma or genetic deficiencies. In any case, environmental enrichment does prevent or slow down aging effects. The effects of postnatal handling noted when using classical tests of emotional reactivity also are clear when defensive reaction paradigms are used. Furthermore, pregnant females that are early handled are less anxious than nonhandled females. We hypothesize that, when subjected to a stressor, the offspring of early-handled females would be protected from the deleterious effects of this stress compared to pups of nonhandled females. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 41: 373–387, 2002. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/dev.10066

Sources of stress and psychological disturbance among dental students in the West Indies.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate sources of stress and psychological disturbance in dental students across the five years of undergraduate study at a dental school in Trinidad. Eighty-three percent of students completed a modified version of the Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). On a scale ranging from 0 (not stressful) to 5 (highly stressful), overall mean DES scores for each of the five years of study were 1.58, 1.83, 2.65, 2.39, and 2.61 respectively, suggesting that levels of stress increase over the five years with a noticeable spike at the transition between the preclinical and clinical phases. Significant differences were found between specific stressors across the five years of study. Seven specific stressors and the stressor domains of Academic work and Clinical factors were more stressful for female students (t-test p

A Hassle a Day May Keep the Doctor Away: Stress and the Augmentation of Immune Function

Abstract: Stress may be defined as a sequence of events, that begins with a stimulus (stressor), that is recognized by the brain (stress perception), and which results in the activation of physiologic fight/flight/fright systems within the body (stress response). Many evolutionary selection pressures are stressors, and one of the primary functions of the brain is to perceive stress, warn the body of danger, and enable an organism to respond. We hypothesized that under acute conditions, just as the stress response prepares the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems for fight or flight, it may also prepare the immune system for challenges (e.g., wounding) which may be imposed by a stressor (e.g., an aggressor). Initial studies showed that acute (2h) stress induced a significant trafficking of immune cells to the skin. Since the skin is an organism's major protective barrier, we hypothesized that this leukocyte redistribution may serve to enhance skin immunity during acute stress. We tested this hypothesis using the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, which mediates resistance to various infectious agents, as a model for skin immune function. Acute stress administered immediately before antigen exposure significantly enhanced skin DTH. Adrenalectomy (ADX) eliminated the stress-induced enhancement of DTH while administration of physiological doses of corticosterone and/or epinephrine to ADX animals enhanced skin DTH in the absence of stress. These studies showed that changes in leukocyte distribution and circulating stress hormones are systemic mediators of the immunoenhancing effects of acute stress. We recently identified gamma interferon as a local cytokine mediator of a stress-induced immunoenhancement. Our results suggest that during acute stress the brain sends preparatory warning signals to the immune system just as it does to other fight/flight systems of the body.

Stress Hormones: How Do They Measure Up?

Abstract: Stress as a stimulus is integral to dynamic homeostatic functioning. However, evidence of its potentially deleterious effects on health is mounting. The impetus to understand the mechanisms that underlie stress-related negative health outcomes and prevent the development of stress-related disorders has never been greater. Symptom severity and subjective levels of stress, although frequently assessed in studies of stress in nursing research, may not provide adequate data to fully understand the pervasive effects of chronic or overwhelming stress associated with stress disorders. The measurement of stress hormones such as cortisol can help identify bodily changes that are stressor specific, people at risk for development of stress-related disorders, and the efficacy of interventions aimed at stress reduction. Cortisol, as the peripheral output of one of the major stress response systems, possesses several properties that make its measurement highly useful for investigations of stress. This article discusses some of the biological mechanisms involved in the stress response, why cortisol is commonly measured, and issues and approaches in cortisol measurement.

Work stress in the military: prevalence, causes, and relationship to emotional health.

Abstract: Objective: This study examined the prevalence and sources of occupational stress for military personnel and the relationship between work stress and emotional health in the military population. Methods: Four hundred seventy-two active duty military personnel stationed at F. E. Warren Air Force Base completed a 65-item survey that included items involving reported life events, perceptions about occupational stress, and perceptions about the relationship between work stress and emotional health. Results: These military personnel were significantly more likely to report suffering from job stress than civilian workers (p < 0.001). One-quarter (26%) reported suffering from significant work stress, 15% reported that work stress was causing them significant emotional distress, and 8% reported experiencing work stress that was severe enough to be damaging their emotional health. Generic work stressors were endorsed more frequently than military-specific stressors. Conclusions: More than one-quarter of this sample of military personnel reported suffering from significant work stress and a significant number of these individuals suffered serious emotional distress. These results support previous research suggesting that work stress may be a significant occupational health hazard in the U.S. military.

Neurobiology of early life stress: rodent studies.

Abstract: It is now clear that early experience influences the long-term development of behavioral, neuroendocrine, and cognitive systems in a number of animal species. This article examines the effects of early life stress on the development of the rodent. Postnatal maternal separation is often used as a potent early life stressor, and some of the major findings from these studies are discussed. A majority of these studies have shown that early life stress can lead to a heightened stress response when maternally deprived rodents are tested as adults. The effects of early life stress on the development of brain structures involved in regulating the stress response as adults are also discussed. Finally the influence of both genetics and maternal style are mentioned in relation to their ability to alter the effects of early life stress.

Causes and Consequences of Stress

Abstract: Stress involves real or perceived changes within an organism in the environment that activate an organism's attempts to cope by means of evolutionarily ancient neural and endocrine mechanisms. Responses to acute stressors involve catecholamines released in varying proportion at different sites in the sympathetic and central nervous systems. These responses may interact with and be complemented by intrinsic rythms and responses to chronic or intermittent stressors involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Varying patterns of responses to stressors are also affected by an animal's assessment of their prospects for successful coping. Subsequent central and systemic consequences of the stress response include apparent changes in affect, motivation, and cognition that can result in an altered relationship to environmental and social stimuli. This review will summarize recent developments in our understanding of the causes and consequences of stress. Special problems that need to be explored involve the manner in which ensembles of adaptive responses are assembled, how autonomic and neurohormonal reflexes of the stress response come under the influence of environmental stimuli, and how some specific aspects of the stress response may be integrated into the life history of a species.

The Relationship between Social Support, Stress, and Health among Women on Detroit’s East Side

Abstract: A conceptual model of the stress process has been useful in examining relationships between numerous social determinants (e.g., chronic stress), protective factors (e.g., social support), and health status. In this article, the authors examine multiple sources of chronic stress, instrumental and emotional support, and health outcomes among a random sample (N = 679) of predominantly low-income African American women who reside on Detroit's east side. The findings suggest that a number of chronic stressors have an impact on depressive symptoms and general health and that even though instrumental and emotional support each have a significant effect over and above the effects of the stressors, when both are included in the model, instrumental support, and not emotional support, remains as a significant predictor of health outcomes. These findings suggest the need for health education interventions and policy strategies that strengthen social support and aim at macro-level changes necessary to reduce chronic stressful conditions.

Stress and quality of life in judges who deal with labor relations: differences in gender

Abstract: Occupational stress is a frequent theme at present. Occupational stress in Brazilian judges in charge of labor -related cases, quality of life, work-related stressors and coping strategies were investigated. Seventy-five judges answered five instruments sent to them through the class association. They rated the perceived occupational stress level as 8 on a rating scale of 0 to 10. It was found that 71% of them and that more women had stress symptoms. Quality of life was deficient in social, professional, affective and health related areas. The most stressful aspects of work were backlog of cases and interference with family life. The most common coping strategy reported was to talk with spouse. Results are discussed in terms of possible adverse effects on the individuals in this occupational class and also on the judging process.

Stressors and Stress Reactions Among University Personnel

Abstract: A large, ethnically diverse, and representative sample of university workers in administrative, instructional, and blue-collar/clerical support categories were administered a battery of questionnaires designed to assess job and nonwork stress, biopsychosocial reactions to stress, emotionality, medical symptoms and utilization, and perceived social support, among other variables. A total of 831 participants returned questionnaires. The principal results showed that job and nonwork stress correlated positively with behavioral, cognitive, and physiological reactions to stress as well as with negative emotionality. Job and nonwork stress correlated meaningfully with medical symptoms; nonwork stress also correlated at a useful level with reported medical utilization. Social support did not generally modulate reports of stress or reactions to stress. It was also found that support staff reported higher levels of nonwork stress and lower levels of work stress, but that 2 measures of job stress did not differentiate administrative and instructional personnel. Younger staff reported higher levels of job and nonwork stress, and females reported higher levels of nonwork stress, irrespective of job category. The results were discussed in terms of their importance for understanding the nature of stress among personnel on the university campus and in relation to prior research.

The impact of a large-scale traumatic event on individual and organizational outcomes: exploring employee and company reactions to September 11, 2001

Abstract: Much of the literature on stress and organizational outcomes has focused on organizational factors and has ignored extraorganizational stressors that lead to perceived stress However, research in other fields and recent studies in management suggests that acute-extraorganizational stressors, such as traumatic events, may have potentially negative and costly implications for organizations This study tests a theoretical model of traumatic stress and considers the relationship between strain from an acute-extraorganizational stressor, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and absenteeism Using a sample of 108 MBA and MPA students, this study suggests that strain caused by an acute-extraorganizational stressor can have important consequences for organizations Namely, employees who report more strain from a traumatic life event are more likely to be absent from work in the weeks following the event Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

The uniqueness of the DSM definition of post-traumatic stress disorder: implications for research

Abstract: The official definition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in DSM-III and is subsequent DSM editions is based on a conceptual model that brackets traumatic or catastrophic events from less severe stressors and links them with a specific syndrome. The diagnosis of PTSD requires an identifiable stressor and the content of the defining symptoms refers to the stressor, for example, re-experiencing the stressor and avoidance of stimuli that symbolize the stressor. Temporal ordering is also required: when sleep problems and other symptoms of hyperarousal are part of the clinical picture, they must not have been present before the stressor occurred. The ICD-10 definition of PTSD follows the same model. The defining symptoms alone, without a connection to the stressor, are not regarded as PTSD (Green et al. 1995). Since the introduction of PTSD in DSM-III, the official definition has been adopted in most studies, although discussions about the validity of the definition has continued (Breslau & Davis, 1987; Davidson & Foa, 1993; Green et al. 1995). Although it is widely believed that other disorders (e.g. major depression) can be precipitated by external events, these disorders can occur independent of stressors and do not require a link with a traumatic event in their diagnostic criteria. Previous classifications that separated major depression into stress-related (reactive) or endogenous have been abandoned in newer versions of the DSM, because of lack of evidence of the validity of this distinction.

Cognitive approaches to stress and coping

Abstract: Purpose of reviewThis paper provides an overview of the cognitive approaches that have recently been used to study stress and coping. Our review focuses on empirical research that links an individual's initial cognitive interpretation (e.g. appraisal, attribution) of a stressor to coping methods and

Effects of stress and alcohol on subjective state in humans.

Abstract: Background: There is increasing evidence that stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation interact with drugs of abuse and influence drug-taking behaviors. Both studies with laboratory animals and survey data with alcohol users suggest that acute or chronic stressful events increase alcohol intake. One mechanism for the increase in alcohol intake may be that stress alters the subjective effects produced by the drug in ways that enhance the reinforcing properties of alcohol. Therefore, in this study we determined whether an acute social stressor alters subjective responses to ethanol in humans. The stressor was a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test, an arithmetic task that increases cortisol levels. Methods: Twenty male volunteers participated in two laboratory sessions, in which they performed the Trier Social Stress Test on one session and no task on the other session, immediately before consuming a beverage that contained ethanol (0.8 g/kg in juice) or placebo (juice alone). Eleven subjects received ethanol on both sessions, and nine subjects received placebo on both sessions. Primary dependent measures were self-report questionnaires of mood states. Salivary levels of cortisol were obtained to confirm the effectiveness of the stress procedure. Results: Stress alone produced stimulant-like subjective effects. In the group who received ethanol, stress increased sedative-like effects and decreased stimulant-like effects. Conclusions: At this relatively high dose of ethanol, stress increased sedative effects of alcohol and did not increase desire for more alcohol. It is possible that in some individuals, the increased sedative effects after stress may increase the likelihood of consuming more alcohol. The effects of stress on consumption at this, or lower, doses of alcohol remain to be determined.

Intensity of Emotions, Emotional Regulation, and Goal Framing: How are They Related to Adolescents' Choice of Coping Strategies?

Abstract: This article examined adolescents' reports of how they cope with a specific social stressor: authority conflict with parents. This situation was presented to 626 adolescents as part of a larger study on coping with stress. Students were requested to report on the intensity of the stress experienced, intensity of emotions, emotion regulation, perceived availability of social support, goal framing, and coping strategies used. Coping strategies split up factor-analytically into two coping patterns, namely fighting the stressor and coming to terms with the stressor. The relations between these two coping modes and various aspects of the students' mental representation of the stressor were examined. It was predicted that the way students frame the coping goal would affect their choice of coping strategies. Direct effects of coping strategy, emotion regulation and social support on intensity of stress were tested as well as moderating effects of the type of coping mode used on the relationship between emotion regulation and experienced stress. It is suggested that some youngsters consider an authority conflict with their parents as a normal aspect of daily functioning, whereas other view it as a developmental challenge.

School-age children's self-reported stress symptoms

Abstract: Stressful situations cause both subtle and dramatic responses in the body that manifest as perceptible symptoms. Not all stress-related symptoms are obvious to others; therefore, self-report mechanisms are necessary for assessment of stress responses and evaluation of interventions. The purpose of this study was to identify children's stress-related symptoms and to evaluate the extent to which existing instruments measure these symptoms. The sample consisted of 194 children, ages 7 to 12. Each child named from one to six stress-related symptoms, for a total of 507 symptoms. Inductive sorting of the responses led to 24 different categories of cognitive/emotional and physiological symptoms. Existing instruments capture only 36-55% of the children's self-reported cognitive/emotional symptoms, and 0-33% of physiologic symptoms. Self-report of stress symptoms is essential because it is the child who is experiencing the stressor and the symptoms, and it is the child's appraisal of the stressor that will initiate a psychophysiologic response.

The Impact of Technological Change on Journalism Education: A Survey of Faculty and Administrators:

Abstract: Wasn't the information age supposed to make professional work more productive and less tedious, therefore less stressful? Sometimes it just doesn't seem that way. This study was inspired by a national survey of postsecondary faculty produced by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.1 The UCLA study included a number of personal and attitudinal measures about the faculty life, but professors also provided information about some aspects of their use of technology, including how much stress they perceived it to be causing. Among the most frequently cited causes of stress in faculty life, such as time pressures, teaching load, committee work, lack of a personal life and red tape, also appeared the phrase "keeping up with information technology." More than two-thirds of the sample reported experiencing some or a great deal of stress from keeping up with information technology. In fact, of the 17 "stressor" items in that study, only four emerged as more stressful than "keeping up with information technology." Journalism and mass communication educators arguably encounter technology in their academic lives more frequently than those in many of the disciplines in the UCLA study. How are we coping with the benefits and demands of the ever-changing technology we need for our teaching and research? Specifically, the following research questions emerged: 1) What uses do journalism faculty make of technology in research and teaching? What are their attitudes toward new technology? 2) What levels of stress are journalism faculty experiencing? What types of stress? How prevalent is stress induced by technological change? 3) What are the differences between the way administrators perceive stress in faculty lives and faculty views of stress in their own lives? 4) Are there age or gender differences in the level of "technostress" journalism faculty experience? What other factors or conditions are associated with stress? Faculty Stress and Faculty Adaptation to Technology The concept of faculty stress is familiar to educational sociologists. Thorsen2 and Endres and Wearden3 use a time-honored definition of occupational stress: That which occurs when one perceives that the demands of the environment to clearly exceed one's resources to handle them.4 When a person senses that gap as challenging, it is not stressful. When the gap is thought to be threatening, it is stressful. Gmelch et al.5 would add that stress occurs with "the anticipation of negative consequences for an inadequate response"6 to a perceived demand. Smith et al. point out that many psychologists view stress per se as not necessarily harmful. Performance decreases when stress is low as well as when it is high. An "optimal" level of stress increases performance because of its inherent challenge.7 But too often stress creeps into unacceptably high levels, and this can lead to other problems in the academic life. Lease8 cites studies associating perceived stress with decrease in faculty productivity, increase in tension, decrease in job satisfaction and increase in propensity to leave academe. Austin and Pilat9 would add to that list of results depression, fatigue, poor health, "burnout," family problems and substance abuse. Dillon and Tanner,10 on the other hand, found burnout, the result of prolonged, unabated stress, to exist in only a small portion of journalism and mass communication faculty. According to the HERI study,11 the faculty climate is hardly bleak. That study found that the percentage of postsecondary faculty reporting they were satisfied with their jobs rose from 69% in 1989 to 75% in 1999. The study also noted significant increases (and majorities) in proportions satisfied with the competency of their colleagues, their working conditions and their relations with the administration. Yet some education scholars have found that levels of perceived faculty stress were higher in the 1990s than in previous decades. …