An audio-visual dataset of human-human interactions in stressful situations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lefter, I.; Burghouts, G.J.; Rothkrantz, L.J.M.

2014-01-01

Stressful situations are likely to occur at human operated service desks, as well as at human-computer interfaces used in public domain. Automatic surveillance can help notifying when extra assistance is needed. Human communication is inherently multimodal e.g. speech, gestures, facial expressions.

Experimentally studied laser fluorescence method for remote sensing of plant stress situation induced by improper plants watering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. V. Fedotov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Stressful situations of plants can be caused by a lack of nutrients; mechanical damages; diseases; low or high temperatures; lack of illumination; insufficient or excess humidity of the soil; soil salinization; soil pollution by oil products or heavy metals; the increased acidity of the soil; use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, etc.At early stages it is often difficult to detect seemingly that the plants are in stressful situations caused by adverse external factors. However, the fluorescent analysis potentially allows detection of the stressful situations of plants by deformation of laser-induced fluorescence spectra. The paper conducts experimental investigations to learn the capabilities of the laser fluorescent method to monitor plant situations at 532nm wavelength of fluorescence excitation in the stressful situations induced by improper watering (at excess of moisture in the soil and at a lack of moisture.Researches of fluorescence spectra have been conducted using a created laboratory installation. As a source to excite fluorescence radiation the second harmonica of YAG:Nd laser is used. The subsystem to record fluorescence radiation is designed using a polychromator and a highly sensitive matrix detector with the amplifier of brightness.Experimental investigations have been conducted for fast-growing and unpretentious species of plants, namely different sorts of salad.Experimental studies of laser-induced fluorescence spectra of plants for 532nm excitement wavelength show that the impact of stressful factors on a plant due to the improper watering, significantly distorts a fluorescence spectrum of plants. Influence of a stressful factor can be shown as a changing profile of a fluorescence spectrum (an identifying factor, here, is a relationship of fluorescence intensities at two wavelengths, namely 685 nm and 740 nm or (and as a changing level of fluorescence that can be the basis for the laser method for monitoring the plant

Hostile attribution biases for relationally provocative situations and event-related potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Godleski, Stephanie A; Ostrov, Jamie M; Houston, Rebecca J; Schlienz, Nicolas J

2010-04-01

This exploratory study investigates how hostile attribution biases for relationally provocative situations may be related to neurocognitive processing using the P300 event-related potential. Participants were 112 (45 women) emerging adults enrolled in a large, public university in upstate New York. Participants completed self-report measures on relational aggression and hostile attribution biases and performed an auditory perseveration task to elicit the P300. It was found that hostile attribution biases for relational provocation situations was associated with a larger P300 amplitude above and beyond the role of hostile attribution biases for instrumental situations, relational aggression, and gender. Larger P300 amplitude is interpreted to reflect greater allocation of cognitive resources or enhanced "attending" to salient stimuli. Implications for methodological approaches to studying aggression and hostile attribution biases and for theory are discussed, as well as implications for the fields of developmental psychology and psychopathology. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

STRESSFUL SITUATIONS IN THE WORK OF A MULTIPROFILE PEDIATRIC MEDICAL FACILITY'S CALL CENTER

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I. M. Spivak

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Stressful situations in the work of a pediatric medical facility's call center are associated with patients' violation of social communication norms and aggressive behavior, as well as the operator's professional/maternal conflict. The following psychological resources facilitate better stress resistance of operators: self-confidence, mature and rational attitude, personal activity, inner satisfaction, optimism, emotional breadth and emotional colleague support. 

How Do Stress Exposure and Stress Regulation Relate to Borderline Personality Disorder?

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Nadège Bourvis

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Borderline personality disorder (BPD is a severe and frequent disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability affecting impulse control, emotional regulation, cognitive processing, self-image and interpersonal relationships. Patients’ personal histories are often marked by stressful or traumatic experiences, either unique or repeated. Moreover, while clinical signs of the disorder include both chronic and acute features, acute features are mostly triggered by acute stressful situations. Such features include transient cognitive distortion, intense anger, uncontrollable impulsivity, and self-harm behavior – including suicide – and contribute to the burden of the disease. In this paper, we review the various aspects (epidemiological, clinical, and physiological contributing to the relationship between BDP and stress. In particular, we explore the statistical association between stress exposure and the emergence of BPD while taking into account other psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, the different aspects of stress responses (namely, the phenomenological, behavioral, hormonal, neuro-vegetative and neural responses are reviewed in BPD patients. Pathophysiological hypotheses are formulated to explain the differences in responses between BPD patients and healthy subjects and their relation to BPD symptoms. Although the pathogenesis remains uncertain, our conclusions seem to reflect a specific biological and neural pattern of altered stress perception and regulation in BPD.

How Do Stress Exposure and Stress Regulation Relate to Borderline Personality Disorder?

Science.gov (United States)

Bourvis, Nadège; Aouidad, Aveline; Cabelguen, Clémence; Cohen, David; Xavier, Jean

2017-01-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and frequent disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability affecting impulse control, emotional regulation, cognitive processing, self-image and interpersonal relationships. Patients' personal histories are often marked by stressful or traumatic experiences, either unique or repeated. Moreover, while clinical signs of the disorder include both chronic and acute features, acute features are mostly triggered by acute stressful situations. Such features include transient cognitive distortion, intense anger, uncontrollable impulsivity, and self-harm behavior - including suicide - and contribute to the burden of the disease. In this paper, we review the various aspects (epidemiological, clinical, and physiological) contributing to the relationship between BDP and stress. In particular, we explore the statistical association between stress exposure and the emergence of BPD while taking into account other psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, the different aspects of stress responses (namely, the phenomenological, behavioral, hormonal, neuro-vegetative and neural responses) are reviewed in BPD patients. Pathophysiological hypotheses are formulated to explain the differences in responses between BPD patients and healthy subjects and their relation to BPD symptoms. Although the pathogenesis remains uncertain, our conclusions seem to reflect a specific biological and neural pattern of altered stress perception and regulation in BPD.

How Do Stress Exposure and Stress Regulation Relate to Borderline Personality Disorder?

Science.gov (United States)

Bourvis, Nadège; Aouidad, Aveline; Cabelguen, Clémence; Cohen, David; Xavier, Jean

2017-01-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and frequent disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability affecting impulse control, emotional regulation, cognitive processing, self-image and interpersonal relationships. Patients’ personal histories are often marked by stressful or traumatic experiences, either unique or repeated. Moreover, while clinical signs of the disorder include both chronic and acute features, acute features are mostly triggered by acute stressful situations. Such features include transient cognitive distortion, intense anger, uncontrollable impulsivity, and self-harm behavior – including suicide – and contribute to the burden of the disease. In this paper, we review the various aspects (epidemiological, clinical, and physiological) contributing to the relationship between BDP and stress. In particular, we explore the statistical association between stress exposure and the emergence of BPD while taking into account other psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, the different aspects of stress responses (namely, the phenomenological, behavioral, hormonal, neuro-vegetative and neural responses) are reviewed in BPD patients. Pathophysiological hypotheses are formulated to explain the differences in responses between BPD patients and healthy subjects and their relation to BPD symptoms. Although the pathogenesis remains uncertain, our conclusions seem to reflect a specific biological and neural pattern of altered stress perception and regulation in BPD. PMID:29250007

Preference for Social Support by Indian Street Children and Adolescents in Stressful Life Situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Anubha; Verma, Suman

This study had three aims: (1) to identify stressful situations faced by Indian children and adolescents working on the streets; (2) to study their preference for social support when faced with stress; and (3) to identify gender differences in social support preferences. One hundred 8- to 18-year-olds, working as beggars, vendors, or ragpickers,…

Coping strategies related to total stress score among post graduate medical students and residents

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R. Irawati Ismail

2013-05-01

several dominant coping strategies related to total stress score levels.Methods:A cross-sectional purposive sampling method study among postgraduate medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia was done April-July 2011. We used a coping strategies questionnaire and the WHO SRQ-20. Linear regression was used to identify dominant coping strategies related to stress levels.Results:This study had 272 subjects, aged 23-47 years. Four items decreased the total stress score (accepting the reality of the fact, talking to someone who could do something, seeking God’s help, and laughing about the situation. However, three factors increased the total stress score (taking one step at a time has to be done, talking to someone to find out more about the situation, and admitting can’t deal solving the situation. One point of accepting the reality of the situation reduced 0.493 points the total stress score [regression coefficient (β= -0.493; P=0.002]. While one point seeking God’s help reduced 0.307 points the total stress score (β= -0.307; P=0.056. However, one point of doing one step at a time increased 0.54 point the total stress score (β=0.540; P=0.005.Conclusions: Accepting the reality of the situation, talking to someone who could do something, seeking God’s help, and laughing about the situation decreased the stress level. However, taking one step at a time, talking to someone to find out more about the situation and admitting can’t deal solving the situation, increased the total stress score.Key words:stress level, coping strategies, age, seeking God’s help

Use of structured personality survey techniques to indicate operator response to stressful situations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waller, M.A.

1990-01-01

Under given circumstances, a person will tend to operate in one of four dominant orientations: (1) to perform tasks; (2) to achieve consensus; (3) to achieve understanding, or (4) to maintain structure. Historically, personality survey techniques, such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator, have been used to determine these tendencies. While these techniques can accurately reflect a person's orientation under normal social situations, under different sets of conditions, the same person may exhibit other tendencies, displaying a similar or entirely different orientation. While most do not exhibit extreme tendencies or changes of orientation, the shift in personality from normal to stressful conditions can be rather dramatic, depending on the individual. Structured personality survey techniques have been used to indicate operator response to stressful situations. These techniques have been extended to indicate the balance between orientations that the control room team has through the various levels of cognizance

Older drivers' self-assessed driving skills, driving-related stress and self-regulation in traffic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siren, Anu Kristiina; Meng, Annette

2013-01-01

Previous research on older drivers has indicated connections between self-rated driving ability, confidence in their own driving, driving-related stress, and self-regulatory behaviour. However, more systematic associations between older drivers' perceptions on their own driving and self......-regulation or driver stress and self-regulation behaviour, and possible gender differences in these, have not been obtained in previous studies. The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of older drivers' self-regulatory driving and the motivators behind this behaviour, by placing this behaviour...... and avoidance than situations related to infrastructure, and women were more likely to report discomfort and avoidance of driving situations. The results suggest that older drivers generally show good self-judgement of changes in their driving skills and acknowledge the different types of skills comprised...

About Stressful Situations

Science.gov (United States)

... make a new friend — plus catch up in social studies. Get support. Find someone to talk to about your situation. Ask for help or advice. Be with people who believe in you, make you laugh, and help you feel good about yourself. Sometimes just a listening ear helps a lot. It helps you know ...

Increased risk taking in relation to chronic stress in young adults

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Smarandita eCeccato

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Chronic stress is a public health problem that affects a significant part of the population. While the physiological damage it causes is under ongoing scrutiny, its behavioral effects have been overlooked. This is one of the first studies to examine the relation between chronic stress and decision-making, using a standard lottery paradigm. We measured learning-independent risk taking in the gain domain through binary choices between financially incentivized lotteries. We then measured self-reported chronic stress with the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress (TICS. We additionally collected hair samples in a subsample of volunteers, in order to quantify chronic cortisol exposure. We discovered a significant, positive correlation between self-reported chronic stress and risk taking that is stronger for women than for men. This confirms part of the findings in acute stress research that show a connection between higher stress and increased risk taking. However, unlike the biologically-based results from acute stress research, we did not identify a significant relation between hair cortisol and behavior. In line with previous literature, we found a clear gender difference in risk taking and self-reports: women generally take less risk and report slightly higher stress levels than men. We conclude that perceived chronic stress can impact behavior in risky situations.

APPROACHES AND METHODS FOR OVERCOMING OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS IN CONNECTION WITH DISASTER SITUATIONS

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Desislava Todorova

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The disaster situations have become more and more frequent for the last decade, and they have intensified the manifestation of fragmentation of the modern society, bringing about a sense of helplessness. In those conditions, the art therapeutic groups provide a sense of connection with the other people and interpersonal support. The aim of the current study is an examination of the way, by which the brain and body react to events causing an acute stress reaction. Assessment of art therapy applicability and helpfulness is done in connection with disaster situations, and comparative analysis of the main approaches and methods, used in practice of work with people who had suffered traumatic events. The results of the study show that the new type of art therapists may disclose an emotional problem, related to trauma sustained, that the client cannot cope with on his/her own. The focus - in connection with the choice of method - is concentrated on the therapeutic needs of the person. In terms of the particular individual, the different methods of art therapy create a medium for the achievement of alleviation from insurmountable emotions or traumas. In social terms, the latter methods help to be achieved an increase of the sense for social adaptation of people from all ages, and of whole families. In conclusion, it may be stated, that the use of different forms of support after disaster situations, has major significance for recovery and maintenance of the physical, emotional, and mental health of the population.

Work-related stress and reward: an Australian study of multidisciplinary pediatric oncology healthcare providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowden, M J; Mukherjee, S; Williams, L K; DeGraves, S; Jackson, M; McCarthy, M C

2015-11-01

Managing staff stress and preventing long-term burnout in oncology staff are highly important for both staff and patient well-being. Research addressing work-related stress in adult oncology is well documented; however, less is known about this topic in the pediatric context. This study examined sources of work-related stress and reward specific to multidisciplinary staff working in pediatric oncology in Australia. Participants were 107 pediatric oncology clinicians, including medical, nursing, and allied health staff from two Australian pediatric oncology centers. Participants completed an online survey using two newly developed measures: the work stressors scale-pediatric oncology and the work rewards scale-pediatric oncology. The most commonly reported sources of both stress and reward are related to patient care and interactions with children. Results indicated that levels of work-related stress and reward were similar between the professional disciplines and between the two hospitals. Regression analyses revealed no demographic or organizational factors that were associated with either stress or reward. Work-related stress and reward are not mutually exclusive; particular situations and events can be simultaneously stressful and rewarding for healthcare providers. Although patient care and interactions with children was found to be the most stressful aspect of working in this speciality, it was also the greatest source of reward. Results are discussed in relation to workplace approaches to staff well-being and stress reduction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dispositional and situational variables related to evacuation at Three Mile Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, I.S.

1981-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore some of the factors influential in local residents' evacuating or remaining in the Three Mile Island area during the nuclear power plant accident of March, 1979. Investigated variables included individuals' behavioral dispositions to attend or to avoid threatening stimuli as well as situational concerns related to demographic characteristics and subjective experience. Investigation of situational variables also probed respondents' concerns about accident-related fears. Two main relationships were investigated. The first hypothesized that positive relationships existed both between dispositional attention to threat and evacuation and between dispositional avoidance of threat and remaining. The second investigation task of the research explored evacuation-related situational variables in regard to individuals' awareness of potential danger at TMI. No support was found for the hypothesized relationships between evacuation and dispositions relative to threat. Situational variables significantly related to evacuation included: specific directives to evacuate the area; disruption of telephone service during the week of the accident; and household proximity to TMI

Effects of occupational future time perspective on managing stressful work situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Henry C Y; Yeung, Dannii Y

2016-08-01

According to the socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), older adults perceive their future time as increasingly limited, which motivates them to focus more on emotional goals and prefer passive emotion-focused strategies. This study aims to investigate the effect of occupational future time perspective (OFTP) on the use of problem-solving strategies in stressful work situations and to examine the effectiveness of these strategies on psychological well-being. A sample of 199 Chinese clerical workers responded to a structured questionnaire on problem-solving strategy use in relation to hypothetical work scenarios. Results revealed that relative to those with limited OFTP, workers with expansive OFTP preferred problem-focused and proactive strategies in both low- and high-emotionally salient scenarios. Workers with limited OFTP consistently preferred passive strategies irrespective of emotional salience. OFTP moderated the effect of problem-focused strategies on psychological distress. In particular, there was a significant negative relationship between problem-focused strategies and psychological distress among workers with expansive OFTP, but such pattern of relationship was not observed among workers with limited OFTP. Findings of this study inform the training strategies employed by practitioners to fit the developmental goals of workers in order to maximise their strengths at work. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Stress Responses and Decision Making in Child Protection Workers Faced with High Conflict Situations

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Vicki R.; Regehr, Cheryl; Shlonsky, Aron; Bogo, Marion

2012-01-01

Introduction: The assessment of children at risk of abuse and neglect is a critical societal function performed by child protection workers in situations of acute stress and conflict. Despite efforts to improve the reliability of risk assessments through standardized measures, available tools continue to rely on subjective judgment. The goal of…

Work-Related Goal Appraisals and Stress during the Transition from Education to Work

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Julia; Jokisaari, Markku; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2012-01-01

People's personal goals interact with their life situations in many ways. This study examined the appraisals of personal goals during a transition from education to work and their interplay with stress in different domains of life. Finnish young adults (N = 265, 60% female) reported on their goals in the work domain, and related appraisals of…

Work-related stress and posttraumatic stress in emergency medical services.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Recent research efforts in emergency medical services (EMS) has identified variability in the ability of EMS personnel to recognize their level of stress-related impairment. Developing a better understanding of how workplace stress may affect EMS personnel is a key step in the process of increasing awareness of the impact of work-related stress and stress-related impairment. This paper demonstrates that for those in EMS, exposure to several types of workplace stressors is linked to stress reactions. Stress reactions such as posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) have the potential to negatively influence the health of EMS providers. This research demonstrates that two different types of work-related stress and alcohol use influence the development of PTSS. A probability sample of nationally registered emergency medical technician (EMT)-Basics and EMT-Paramedics (n = 1,633) completed an Internet-based survey. Respondents reported their levels of operational and organizational types of chronic stress, critical incident stress, alcohol use, and PTSS. Ordinary least squares regression illustrated that when demographic factors were controlled, organizational and operational forms of chronic stress, critical incident stress, and alcohol use were all significant predictors of PTSS (p stress and critical incident stress (p stress and alcohol use (p stress reaction. Higher levels of chronic stress, critical incident stress, and alcohol use significantly related to an increased level of PTSS. Further, for those reporting high levels of alcohol use or critical incident stress, interactions with high levels of chronic operational stress were associated with higher rates of PTSS. For those interested in the impact of work-related stress in EMS, these findings indicate that attention must be paid to levels of stress associated with both critical incident exposure as well as the chronic stress providers experience on a day-to-day basis.

Dispersion relations of elastic waves in one-dimensional piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystal with initial stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiao; Wei, Peijun

2016-03-01

The dispersion relations of elastic waves in a one-dimensional phononic crystal formed by periodically repeating of a pre-stressed piezoelectric slab and a pre-stressed piezomagnetic slab are studied in this paper. The influences of initial stress on the dispersive relation are considered based on the incremental stress theory. First, the incremental stress theory of elastic solid is extended to the magneto-electro-elasto solid. The governing equations, constitutive equations, and boundary conditions of the incremental stresses in a magneto-electro-elasto solid are derived with consideration of the existence of initial stresses. Then, the transfer matrices of a pre-stressed piezoelectric slab and a pre-stressed piezomagnetic slab are formulated, respectively. The total transfer matrix of a single cell in the phononic crystal is obtained by the multiplication of two transfer matrixes related with two adjacent slabs. Furthermore, the Bloch theorem is used to obtain the dispersive equations of in-plane and anti-plane Bloch waves. The dispersive equations are solved numerically and the numerical results are shown graphically. The oblique propagation and the normal propagation situations are both considered. In the case of normal propagation of elastic waves, the analytical expressions of the dispersion equation are derived and compared with other literatures. The influences of initial stresses, including the normal initial stresses and shear initial stresses, on the dispersive relations are both discussed based on the numerical results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Job stress in locomotive attendants in a locomotive depot and related influencing factors].

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, L; Jia, X C; Lu, F; Zhou, W H; Chen, R

2017-10-20

Objective: To investigate the current status of job stress in locomotive attendants in a locomotive depot and related influencing factors. Methods: From 2012 to 2013, cluster sampling was used to select 1500 locomotive attendants in a locomotive depot in Zhengzhou Railway Bureau as respondents.The contents of the investigation included general data and occupational information.A job satisfaction questionnaire was used to investigate the degree of satisfaction, a depression scale was used to investigate the frequency of symptoms, and a daily stress scale was used to investigate the frequency of fatigue and stress. Results: There was a significant difference in depression score between locomotive attendants with different ages, working years, degrees of education, working situations of spouse, total monthly family incomes, numbers of times of attendanceat night, monthly numbers of times of attendance,ormonthly attendance times( P job satisfaction score between locomotive attendants with different ages,working years, degrees of education, working situations of spouse, total monthly family incomes, numbers of times of attendance at night, monthly attendance times,or ways to work( P job satisfaction( β =1.546)and monthly number of times of attendance,working years,attendance time at night,and degree of education were negatively correlated with job satisfaction( β =-0.185,-0.097,-0.020,and -1.106); monthly number of times of attendance andcommute time were positively correlated with depression( β =0.243 and 0.029); attendance time at night,working situation of spouse,commute time,monthly number of times of attendance,degree of education,and working years were positively correlated with daily stress( β =0.006,0.473,0.010,0.043,0.585, and 0.028). Conclusion: Number of times of attendance, attendance time,working years,and spouse are influencing factors for job stress in locomotive attendants. Improvement in work process and care for their personal life help to reduce

Short-Term Natural Course of Depressive Symptoms and Family-Related Stress in Adolescents After Separation From Father.

Science.gov (United States)

Gobbi, Gabriella; Low, Nancy C P; Dugas, Erika; Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Contreras, Gisèle; O'Loughlin, Jennifer

2015-10-01

To determine if separation from a father is associated with short-term changes in mental health or substance use in adolescents. Every 3 months, during a 5-year period, we followed 1160 Grade 7 students participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study who were living with both parents. Participants who reported not living with their father for 6 or more consecutive months during follow-up were categorized as separated from father. Pooled regressions within the framework of generalized estimating equations were used to model the associations between separation from father and indicators of mental health (depressive symptoms, and worry and [or] stress about family relationships or the family situation) and substance use (alcohol use and cigarette smoking) 4 to 6 and 7 to 9 months postseparation, controlling for age, sex, and baseline level of the outcome variable. Compared with adolescents living with both parents, adolescent offspring separated from their fathers were more likely to report depressive symptoms (β = 0.17, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.33) 4 to 6 months postseparation, as well as worry and (or) stress about their parents separating or divorcing (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.29 to 4.43), a new family (OR 4.25, 95% CI 2.33 to 7.76), and the family financial situation (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.60). Separation from father was also marginally significantly related to worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their father (OR 1.53; 95% CI 0.98 to 2.39). At 7 to 9 months postseparation, separation from father continued to be associated with worry and (or) stress about their parents separating or divorcing, a new family, and the family financial situation. Separation from father was no longer associated with worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their father, but it was associated with worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their mother. Separation from father was not related to use of alcohol or cigarettes. Adolescent offspring

Work-related stress

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtman, I.L.D.

2005-01-01

Changes in the content and organisation of work in recent decades have resulted in an intensification of work, which is commonly regarded as a cause of stress. This report presents trends in the risks and consequences of work-related stress, and identifies how these can be prevented. The focus

Stressful social relations and mortality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Rikke; Christensen, Ulla; Nilsson, Charlotte Juul

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the relationship between stressful social relations in private life and all-cause mortality. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between stressful social relations (with partner, children, other family, friends and neighbours, respectively) and all...... men and women aged 36-52 years, linked to the Danish Cause of Death Registry for information on all-cause mortality until 31 December 2011. Associations between stressful social relations with partner, children, other family, friends and neighbours, respectively, and all-cause mortality were examined....... CONCLUSIONS: Stressful social relations are associated with increased mortality risk among middle-aged men and women for a variety of different social roles. Those outside the labour force and men seem especially vulnerable to exposure....

Stress-related eating, mindfulness, and obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cotter, Elizabeth W; Kelly, Nichole R

2018-04-30

This study explored how experiences of stress in adulthood, including the occurrence of stressful life events and psychosocial strains in various life domains, might be related to stress-related eating and indicators of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Cross-sectional data were examined from 3,708 adults in the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS II). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that experiences of stress were associated with higher BMI and waist circumference, even after controlling for age, annual household income, education level, race, and sex, although the additional variance accounted for was small. A nonparametric bootstrapping approach indicated that stress-related eating mediated the association between experiences of stress and indicators of obesity. Moderated-mediation analyses indicated that the relationship between experiences of stress and stress-related eating was amplified for women and individuals with obesity in comparison to men and individuals without obesity. Mindfulness did not moderate the experiences of stress and stress-related eating association. These results provide further evidence of the contributions of psychosocial factors to chronic disease risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries

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... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries KidsHealth / For Parents / Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries What's in this article? ...

Relative deprivation in the Nordic countries-child mental health problems in relation to parental financial stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunnarsdóttir, Hrafnhildur; Hensing, Gunnel; Povlsen, Lene; Petzold, Max

2016-04-01

The Nordic welfare system has been acknowledged as favourable for children, successfully contributing to low child mortality and poverty rates. Nevertheless, mental health problems among children and adolescents are common and the economic situation of the family has been highlighted as an important determinant. In spite of similar social, political and cultural structures, the Nordic countries differ; Iceland was most affected by the global financial crisis in 2008. The aim of this study was to examine potential differences in parental financial stress and the associations to child mental health between the Nordic countries as well as age and gender differences.  The study sample consisted of 6330 children aged 4-16 years old included in the 2011 version of the Nordic Study of Children's Health, Wellbeing and Quality of life. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to measure mental health problems.  In Iceland, 47.7% of the parents reported financial stress while ≤20% did so in the other countries except for Finland (33.5%). However, in case of parental financial stress the OR of mental health problems comparing children to parents with and without financial stress was significantly lower among the Icelandic children (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.15-2.24) than among the others: Denmark OR 3.07 (95% CI 2.15-4.39), Finland OR 2.28 (95% CI 1.60-3.25), Norway OR 2.77 (95% CI 1.86-4.12), Sweden OR 3.31(95% CI 2.26-4.86). No significant age or gender differences in the ORs were observed.  Besides socioeconomic situation, relative deprivation should be considered an important determinant of child mental health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Caring Situation, Health, Self-efficacy, and Stress in Young Informal Carers of Family and Friends with Mental Illness in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Lilas; Krevers, Barbro; Skärsäter, Ingela

2015-06-01

This study compared the caring situation, health, self-efficacy, and stress of young (16-25) informal carers (YICs) supporting a family member with mental illness with that of YICs supporting a friend. A sample of 225 carers, assigned to a family group (n = 97) or a friend group (n = 128) completed the questionnaire. It was found that the family group experiences a lower level of support and friends experienced a lower positive value of caring. No other differences in health, general self-efficacy and stress were found. YICs endure different social situations, which is why further study of the needs of YICs, especially those supporting friends, is urgently needed.

The situation of radiation oncology patients' relatives. A stocktaking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momm, Felix; Lingg, Sabine; Adebahr, Sonja; Grosu, Anca-Ligia; Xander, Carola; Becker, Gerhild

2010-01-01

Background and Purpose: Recent studies have shown a very high importance of relatives in decisions about medical interventions. Therefore, the situation of this group was investigated in the sense of a stocktaking by interviewing the closest relatives of radiotherapy patients. Interviewed Persons and Methods: In a defined span of time (6 weeks), a total of 470 relatives (evaluable: n = 287, 61%) of radiotherapy patients were interviewed by a newly developed questionnaire about their contentment with their inclusion in the therapy course. Further, they gave information about specific needs of relatives as well as proposals for direct improvements in the context of a radiation therapy. Results: In total, the relatives were satisfied with their inclusion in the radiotherapy course and with the patient care. As an example, more than 95% of the relatives agreed with the statement ''Here in the hospital my ill relative is cared for well.'' Nevertheless, direct possibilities for improvements were found in the interdisciplinary information about oncologic topics and in the organization of the therapy course. Conclusion: In the stocktaking the situation of radiotherapy patients' relatives was generally satisfactory. Further improvements for the future can be expected mainly from interdisciplinary cancer centers having the best suppositions to care for the relatives, if necessary. Structures known from palliative care can be used as a model. (orig.)

The Theory about didactical situations used to analyze practice related teaching and learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarkrog, Vibe

2018-01-01

Based on research showing that the students’ challenges in practice based learning can be located to the transitions between theory and practice, this study focuses on how teachers support the students in these transitions. The theoretical framework is mainly Brousseau’s ‘Theory about didactical...... the results show that the Theory of didactical situations can be a useful framework accomplishing practice related teaching and learning. In the discussion a number of challenges in relation to practice related teaching is highlighted focusing on the relation between the five situations in the theory...... situations’ that defines five situations of practice related teaching. The data includes observations combined with interviews of teachers in relation to various examples of practice related teaching in the social and health care programs. Based on the analysis of three examples of practice related teaching...

Method for analysis and assessment of the relation between stress and reliability of knowledge-based actions in the probabilistic safety analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fassmann, Werner

2014-06-01

According to the current theoretical and empirical state-of-the-art, stress has to be understood as the emotional and cognitive reaction by which humans adapt to situations which imply real or imagined danger, threat, or frustration of important personal goals or needs. The emotional reaction to such situations can be so extreme that rational coping with the situation will be precluded. In less extreme cases, changes of cognitive processes underlying human action will occur, which may systematically affect the reliability of tasks personnel has to perform in a stressful situation. Reliable task performance by personnel of nuclear power plants and other risk technologies is also affected by such effects. The method developed in the frame of the research and development project RS1198 sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) addresses both aspects of emotional and cognitive coping with stressful situations. Analytical and evaluation steps of the approach provide guidance to the end users on how to capture and quantify the contribution of stress-related emotional and cognitive factors to the reliable performance of knowledge-based actions. For this purpose, a suitable guideline has been developed. Further research for clarifying open questions has been identified. A case study application illustrates how to use the method. Part of the work performed in this project was dedicated to a review addressing the question to which extent Swain's approach to the analysis and evaluation of stress is in line with current scientific knowledge. Suitable suggestions for updates have been developed.

Bidirectional relations between work-related stress, sleep quality and perseverative cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Laethem, Michelle; Beckers, Debby G J; Kompier, Michiel A J; Kecklund, Göran; van den Bossche, Seth N J; Geurts, Sabine A E

2015-11-01

In this longitudinal two-wave study, bidirectional relations between work-related stress and sleep quality were examined. Moreover, it was investigated whether perseverative cognition is a potential underlying mechanism in this association, related to both work-related stress and sleep quality. A randomly selected sample of Dutch employees received an online survey in 2012 and 2013. Of all invited employees, 877 participated in both waves. Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. We found evidence for reversed relations between work-related stress and sleep quality. Specifically, when controlling for perseverative cognition, work-related stress was not directly related to subsequent sleep quality, but low sleep quality was associated with an increase in work-related stress over time. Moreover, negative bidirectional associations over time were found between perseverative cognition and sleep quality, and positive bidirectional associations were found between work-related stress and perseverative cognition. Lastly, a mediation analysis showed that perseverative cognition fully mediated the relationship between work-related stress and sleep quality. The study findings suggest that perseverative cognition could be an important underlying mechanism in the association between work-related stress and sleep quality. The bidirectionality of the studied relationships could be an indication of a vicious cycle, in which work-related stress, perseverative cognition, and sleep quality mutually influence each other over time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work-related stress management by Finnish enterprises.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnunen-Amoroso, Maritta; Liira, Juha

2014-01-01

Work-related stress has become one of the major problems in working societies and it increases employees' risk of disease. Its importance has been emphasized also due to its' great socio-economic consequences. Different stress management and worksite interventions have been implemented, however, the actual practices in companies have been assessed little. The purpose of this study was to examine how enterprises in Finland manage work-related stress. An assessment of work-related stress methods was conducted in 40 enterprises acting in the metropolitan area of Finland in May 2010 by a questionnaire. The concept of work-related stress was well known by participants. Enterprises rarely had their own work-related stress management protocol even though all of the workplaces had experienced work-related stress at some point. The collaboration between the workplace and occupational health services varied. Companies easily placed the responsibility for work-related stress assessment and handling on occupational health services. Workplaces have to pay more attention to work-related stress and related issues. The easiest way to do this is to collaborate with occupational health services. Protocols for collaboration should be developed jointly using the available models which have been established as cost-effective.

Effect of the clinical support nurse role on work-related stress for nurses on an inpatient pediatric oncology unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ann; Kicis, Jennifer; Sangha, Gurjit

2007-01-01

High patient acuity, heavy workload, and patient deaths can all contribute to work-related stress for pediatric oncology nurses. A new leadership role, the clinical support nurse (CSN), was recently initiated on the oncology unit of a large Canadian pediatric hospital to support frontline staff and reduce some of the stresses related to clinical activity. The CSN assists nurses with complex patient care procedures, provides hands-on education at the bedside, and supports staff in managing challenging family situations. This study explores the effect of the CSN role on the nurses' work-related stress using the Stressor Scale for Pediatric Oncology Nurses. A total of 58 nurses participated in this study for a response rate of 86%. The results show that the intensity of work-related stress experienced by nurses in this study is significantly less (P < .001) on shifts staffed with a CSN compared with shifts without a CSN.

Work-related stress and psychosomatic medicine

OpenAIRE

Nakao, Mutsuhiro

2010-01-01

Abstract This article introduces key concepts of work-related stress relevant to the clinical and research fields of psychosomatic medicine. Stress is a term used to describe the body's physiological and/or psychological reaction to circumstances that require behavioral adjustment. According to the Japanese National Survey of Health, the most frequent stressors are work-related problems, followed by health-related and then financial problems. Conceptually, work-related stress includes a varie...

Financial Impact of Colorectal Cancer and Its Consequences: Associations Between Cancer-Related Financial Stress and Strain and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Linda; O'Leary, Eamonn; O'Ceilleachair, Alan; Skally, Mairead; Hanly, Paul

2018-01-01

The financial impact and consequences of cancer on the lives of survivors remain poorly understood. This is especially true for colorectal cancer. We investigated objective cancer-related financial stress, subjective cancer-related financial strain, and their association with health-related quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors. This was a cross-sectional postal survey. The study was conducted in Ireland, which has a mixed public-private healthcare system. Colorectal cancer survivors, diagnosed 6 to 37 months prior, were identified from the population-based National Cancer Registry. Cancer-related financial stress was assessed as impact of cancer on household ability to make ends meet and cancer-related financial strain by feelings about household financial situation since cancer diagnosis. Health-related quality of life was based on European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 global health status. Logistic regression was used to identify associations between financial stress and strain and low health-related quality of life (lowest quartile, score ≤50). A total of 493 survivors participated. Overall, 41% reported cancer-related financial stress and 39% cancer-related financial strain; 32% reported both financial stress and financial strain. After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical variables, the odds of low health-related quality of life were significantly higher in those who reported cancer-related financial stress postdiagnosis compared with those who reported no change in financial stress postcancer (OR = 2.54 (95% CI, 1.62-3.99)). The odds of low health-related quality of life were also significantly higher in those with worse financial strain postdiagnosis (OR =1.73 (95% CI, 1.09-2.72)). The OR for those with both cancer-related financial stress and financial strain was 2.59 (95% CI, 1.59-4.22). Survey responders were younger, on average, than nonresponders. Responders and nonresponders may have differed in cancer-related

Work-related stress disorders: variability in clinical expression and pitfalls in psychiatric diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Buselli, Rodolfo; Veltri, Antonello; Baldanzi, Sigrid; Bozzi, Silvia; Marino, Riccardo; Chiumiento, Martina; Dell'Osso, Liliana; Cristaudo, Alfonso

2016-03-24

Putative occupational stress-related psychiatric disorders are Adjustment Disorders (AD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mood Disorders (MD) are not excluded but are unlikely to be identified as occupational diseases. The differential diagnosis between AD and MD is not easy and is based on strict categorical criteria. The aim of this study  was to explore differences in personality and mood spectrum symptoms among workers investigated for occupational stress suffering from AD or MD. Sixty-two patients with AD and 43 with MD were recruited and evaluated by means of rating scales for psychosocial occupational risk and work-related stress (WHS, CDL, OSQ), for sleep disturbances (PSQI), for personality disorders (SCID-II) and for mood spectrum symptoms (MOODS-SR). The diagnostic groups did not differ for WHS, OSQ and PSQI scores. The duration of exposure to stressful/adversative work situations was significantly higher in the MD group (p=0.03). Positive family psychiatric history (p=0.005), personality disorders (p=0.009) and pathological personality traits (p<0.0001) were significantly more frequent in the MD group. The MOODS-SR questionnaire total score (p=0.019) and the manic component score (p=0.001) but not the depressive score were significantly higher in the MD group. The present study suggests that  positive family psychiatric history, pathological personality traits and  spectrum manic symptoms represent markers of vulnerability and low resilience for workers exposed to occupational stress. These characteristics could weaken the etiological relationship between work-related stress and an initial  major depressive episode when it is under investigation as a possible occupational disease.

Occupational imbalance and the role of perceived stress in predicting stress-related disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Håkansson, Carita; Ahlborg, Gunnar

2017-03-02

Stress-related disorders are the main reason for sick leave in many European countries. The aim of the present study was to explore whether perceived occupational imbalance predicts stress-related disorders, potential gender differences, and to explore the mediating role of perceived stress. Longitudinal data on 2223 employees in a public organization in Sweden were collected by surveys, and analyzed by logistic regression. Occupational imbalance predicted stress-related disorders among both women and men. However, what aspects of occupational imbalance which predicted stress-related disorders differ by gender. Perceived stress was not a mediator in these associations. How women and men perceived their occupational balance affected the risk of stress-related disorders. The results may be used to develop effective strategies to decrease stress-related disorders.

Coping with Work-Related Stress through Guided Imagery and Music (GIM): Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Bolette Daniels; Hansen, Åse Marie; Gold, Christian

2015-01-01

Long-term stress-related sick leave constitutes a serious health threat and an economic burden on both the single worker and the society. Effective interventions for the rehabilitation and facilitation of return to work are needed. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), a psychotherapy intervention including relaxation, music listening, and imagery, on biopsychosocial measures of work-related stress. Twenty Danish workers on sick leave were randomized to music therapy versus wait-list control. Data collection was carried out at an occupational health ward in the period 2008-2010. Changes in salivary cortisol, testosterone, and melatonin were explored, and self-reported data on psychological stress symptoms (perceived stress, mood disturbance, sleep quality, physical distress symptoms, work readiness, well-being, anxiety, depression, immediate stress) were collected. Data regarding sick leave situation and job return were collected from participants throughout the study. Significant beneficial effects of GIM compared to wait-list after nine weeks with large effect sizes were found in well-being, mood disturbance, and physical distress, and in cortisol concentrations with a medium effect size. A comparison between early and late intervention as related to the onset of sick leave showed faster job return and significantly improved perceived stress, well-being, mood disturbance, depression, anxiety, and physical distress symptoms in favor of early intervention. In the whole sample, 83% of the participants had returned to work at nine weeks' follow-up. The results indicate that GIM is a promising treatment for work-related chronic stress, and further studies are recommended. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress: Unsafe Environments and Conditions, and the Default Stress Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Brosschot, Jos F; Verkuil, Bart; Thayer, Julian F

2018-03-07

Prolonged physiological stress responses form an important risk factor for disease. According to neurobiological and evolution-theoretical insights the stress response is a default response that is always "on" but inhibited by the prefrontal cortex when safety is perceived. Based on these insights the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress (GUTS) states that prolonged stress responses are due to generalized and largely unconsciously perceived unsafety rather than stressors. This novel perspective necessitates a reconstruction of current stress theory, which we address in this paper. We discuss a variety of very common situations without stressors but with prolonged stress responses, that are not, or not likely to be caused by stressors, including loneliness, low social status, adult life after prenatal or early life adversity, lack of a natural environment, and less fit bodily states such as obesity or fatigue. We argue that in these situations the default stress response may be chronically disinhibited due to unconsciously perceived generalized unsafety. Also, in chronic stress situations such as work stress, the prolonged stress response may be mainly caused by perceived unsafety in stressor-free contexts. Thus, GUTS identifies and explains far more stress-related physiological activity that is responsible for disease and mortality than current stress theories.

Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress: Unsafe Environments and Conditions, and the Default Stress Response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jos F. Brosschot

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Prolonged physiological stress responses form an important risk factor for disease. According to neurobiological and evolution-theoretical insights the stress response is a default response that is always “on” but inhibited by the prefrontal cortex when safety is perceived. Based on these insights the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress (GUTS states that prolonged stress responses are due to generalized and largely unconsciously perceived unsafety rather than stressors. This novel perspective necessitates a reconstruction of current stress theory, which we address in this paper. We discuss a variety of very common situations without stressors but with prolonged stress responses, that are not, or not likely to be caused by stressors, including loneliness, low social status, adult life after prenatal or early life adversity, lack of a natural environment, and less fit bodily states such as obesity or fatigue. We argue that in these situations the default stress response may be chronically disinhibited due to unconsciously perceived generalized unsafety. Also, in chronic stress situations such as work stress, the prolonged stress response may be mainly caused by perceived unsafety in stressor-free contexts. Thus, GUTS identifies and explains far more stress-related physiological activity that is responsible for disease and mortality than current stress theories.

Reducing surgical nurses' aseptic practice-related stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Aholaakko, Teija-Kaisa

2011-12-01

This paper aims to explore aseptic practice-related stress in surgery. The objectives are to define stress-related factors and the means to reduce the stress. Occupational stress is related to personal characteristics: job satisfaction and physiological and psychological well-being. The stress symptoms are often classified as part of a negative mood. Nurses have expressed stress when deadening their conscience to external demands with co-workers or internal working role-related demands. Surgery nurses expect fair division of work and compliance with rules. The hospital management, technology and the medical profession, instead of the needs of the patient, are recognised as a danger in the development of surgery nurses' role. A qualitative stimulated recall interview was performed in the surgery of the university hospital. Thirty-one operations were videotaped, and 31 nurses interviewed during videotape stimulation. The 1306 text pages were transcripted and analysed by a qualitative membership categorisation device analysis. The analysis revealed aseptic practice-related stress which constructed a sixteen level category. The membership categorisation identified connections between qualitatively attributed personnel and seven stress factors: working experience; time; equipment; person; patient; working morals and power. Final analysis revealed nurses reducing aseptic practice-related stress by safe, peaceful, competent and relative means. The aseptic practice-related stress varied from positive motivating feelings to exhaustion. The stress was experienced by medical and nursing co-workers and reduced by means which varied according to expertise and co-workers. This study showed needs for both the shared multiprofessional documentation of aseptic practice and better adherence to recommendations. Constructive means are useful when solving conflicts and replacing person-related aseptic practice with evidence-based. They may support nurses' professional growth, reduce

Marijuana-related problems and social anxiety: the role of marijuana behaviors in social situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckner, Julia D; Heimberg, Richard G; Matthews, Russell A; Silgado, Jose

2012-03-01

Individuals with elevated social anxiety appear particularly vulnerable to marijuana-related problems. In fact, individuals with social anxiety may be more likely to experience marijuana-related impairment than individuals with other types of anxiety. It is therefore important to determine whether constructs particularly relevant to socially anxious individuals play a role in the expression of marijuana-related problems in this vulnerable population. Given that both social avoidance and using marijuana to cope with negative affect broadly have been found to play a role in marijuana-related problems, the current study utilized a new measure designed to simultaneously assess social avoidance and using marijuana to cope in situations previously identified as anxiety-provoking among those with elevated social anxiety. The Marijuana Use to Cope with Social Anxiety Scale (MCSAS) assessed behaviors regarding 24 social situations: marijuana use to cope in social situations (MCSAS-Cope) and avoidance of social situations if marijuana was unavailable. In Study 1, we found preliminary support for the convergent and discriminant validity and internal consistency of the MCSAS scales. In Study 2, we examined if MCSAS scores were related to marijuana problems among those with (n = 44) and without (n = 44) clinically elevated social anxiety. Individuals with clinically meaningful social anxiety were more likely to use marijuana to cope in social situations and to avoid social situations if marijuana was unavailable. Of importance, MCSAS-Cope uniquely mediated the relationship between social anxiety group status and marijuana-related problems. Results highlight the importance of contextual factors in assessing marijuana-related behaviors among high-risk populations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Deep situationality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matejskova, Tatiana

2014-01-01

as a Slovak national with immigration experi- ence, a nominal outsider to both the country of research, Germany, and its immigrant subjects, the post-Soviet Russian-speaking migrants. Focusing on the production of time-spaces of proximity as a deeply situational process, I stress in particular the un...

Assessment of pharmacists' job satisfaction and job related stress in Amman.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Khalidi, Doaa; Wazaify, Mayyada

2013-10-01

The myriad changes in pharmacy practice in Jordan have transformed the pharmacist's role to be more focused on the patient and his/her therapeutic needs than on just the traditional dispensing. This, in addition to other possible factors, is believed to have influenced pharmacists' job satisfaction and stress level in different practice settings in Jordan. This study aimed to determine the level of job satisfaction and job related stress among pharmacists in Amman. Moreover, the main causes of dissatisfaction and stress-related factors affecting pharmacists at their working positions were also explored. The study was conducted in four pharmacy practice settings: independent and chain community pharmacies as well as private and public hospital pharmacies. The study adopted the self-administered survey methodology technique using a pre-validated pre-piloted questionnaire. The questionnaire was adapted from one previously used in Northern Ireland. Data were entered into SAS database and analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi square and regression analysis. The significance level was set at P marital status (P = 0.023). Moreover, job related stress situations like patient care responsibility have been associated significantly with the type of pharmacy practice settings (P = 0.043) and pharmacists' registration year (P = 0.013). Other job stressors like long working hours, lack of advancement, promotion opportunities and poor physician pharmacists' relationship have also been reported by participants. The study concluded that community pharmacists in Amman are found to be less satisfied with their jobs than their hospital counterparts. Pharmacists' job satisfaction should be enhanced to improve pharmacists' motivation and competence. Consequently, this will improve their productivity and provision of pharmaceutical care.

Stress-related expectations about smoking cessation and future quit attempts and abstinence - a prospective study in daily smokers who wish to quit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skov-Ettrup, Lise Skrubbeltrang; Egan, Kia Kejlskov; Dalum, Peter

2017-01-01

Smokers who wish to quit may refrain from doing so if they expect to experience more stress after haven given up. We test if stress-related expectations about smoking cessation are associated with quit attempts and abstinence among smokers who are motivated to quit. The study included 1809 daily...... after 3, 8 and 14 months. We found that the association between expecting to be more stressed if giving up smoking differed between participants who had previously attempted to quit and those who had not: In participants who previously attempted to quit (47%), expecting to be more stressed......, expectations about stress were not associated with abstinence. Results indicate that expectations about stress in relation to smoking cessation are an important determinant of cessation in smokers who previously attempted to quit. Addressing stress and how to handle stressful situations may increase...

Nickel-titanium alloys: stress-related temperature transitional range.

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, M; Beshers, D N

2000-12-01

The inducement of mechanical stress within nickel-titanium wires can influence the transitional temperature range of the alloy and therefore the expression of the superelastic properties. An analogous variation of the transitional temperature range may be expected during orthodontic therapy, when the archwires are engaged into the brackets. To investigate this possibility, samples of currently used orthodontic nickel-titanium wires (Sentalloy, GAC; Copper Ni-Ti superelastic at 27 degrees C, 35 degrees C, 40 degrees C, Ormco; Nitinol Heat-Activated, 3M-Unitek) were subjected to temperature cycles ranging between 4 degrees C and 60 degrees C. The wires were mounted in a plexiglass loading device designed to simulate clinical situations of minimum and severe dental crowding. Electrical resistivity was used to monitor the phase transformations. The data were analyzed with paired t tests. The results confirmed the presence of displacements of the transitional temperature ranges toward higher temperatures when stress was induced. Because nickel-titanium wires are most commonly used during the aligning stage in cases of severe dental crowding, particular attention was given to the performance of the orthodontic wires under maximum loading. An alloy with a stress-related transitional temperature range corresponding to the fluctuations of the oral temperature should express superelastic properties more consistently than others. According to our results, Copper Ni-Ti 27 degrees C and Nitinol Heat-Activated wires may be considered suitable alloys for the alignment stage.

The situation of radiation oncology patients' relatives. A stocktaking; Die Situation der Angehoerigen von Strahlentherapiepatienten. Eine Bestandsaufnahme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Momm, Felix; Lingg, Sabine; Adebahr, Sonja; Grosu, Anca-Ligia [Klinik fuer Strahlenheilkunde, Univ. Freiburg (Germany); Xander, Carola; Becker, Gerhild [Palliativeinheit, Univ. Freiburg (Germany)

2010-06-15

Background and Purpose: Recent studies have shown a very high importance of relatives in decisions about medical interventions. Therefore, the situation of this group was investigated in the sense of a stocktaking by interviewing the closest relatives of radiotherapy patients. Interviewed Persons and Methods: In a defined span of time (6 weeks), a total of 470 relatives (evaluable: n = 287, 61%) of radiotherapy patients were interviewed by a newly developed questionnaire about their contentment with their inclusion in the therapy course. Further, they gave information about specific needs of relatives as well as proposals for direct improvements in the context of a radiation therapy. Results: In total, the relatives were satisfied with their inclusion in the radiotherapy course and with the patient care. As an example, more than 95% of the relatives agreed with the statement ''Here in the hospital my ill relative is cared for well.'' Nevertheless, direct possibilities for improvements were found in the interdisciplinary information about oncologic topics and in the organization of the therapy course. Conclusion: In the stocktaking the situation of radiotherapy patients' relatives was generally satisfactory. Further improvements for the future can be expected mainly from interdisciplinary cancer centers having the best suppositions to care for the relatives, if necessary. Structures known from palliative care can be used as a model. (orig.)

A situational approach to the measurement of safety culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semmer, N.; Regennass, A.

1997-01-01

Values and social norms are the main target of most approaches to the study of safety culture and many existing survey methodologies directly ask for these norms and values. However, a number of considerations point to the dangers of limiting the evaluation of safety culture to the analysis of these responses. Therefore the necessity is stressed to also consider how actual situations activate norms and behaviours. This relates to the fact that in any given situation both aspects of the appraisal of reality are present: the objective definition of the situation and its personal evaluation. The latter not only reflects the ''official'' norms and values but also ''basic underlying assumptions''. The situational approach introduced in this paper confronts people with situations which contain a dilemma with conflicting social norms and where various costs and benefits are associated with different types of behaviour. In addition, the prerequisites and limitations of the situational approach are discussed. (author). 9 refs, 1 fig

Work stress and patient safety: observer-rated work stressors as predictors of characteristics of safety-related events reported by young nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Elfering, A; Semmer, N K; Grebner, S

This study investigates the link between workplace stress and the 'non-singularity' of patient safety-related incidents in the hospital setting. Over a period of 2 working weeks 23 young nurses from 19 hospitals in Switzerland documented 314 daily stressful events using a self-observation method (pocket diaries); 62 events were related to patient safety. Familiarity of safety-related events and probability of recurrence, as indicators of non-singularity, were the dependent variables in multilevel regression analyses. Predictor variables were both situational (self-reported situational control, safety compliance) and chronic variables (job stressors such as time pressure, or concentration demands and job control). Chronic work characteristics were rated by trained observers. The most frequent safety-related stressful events included incomplete or incorrect documentation (40.3%), medication errors (near misses 21%), delays in delivery of patient care (9.7%), and violent patients (9.7%). Familiarity of events and probability of recurrence were significantly predicted by chronic job stressors and low job control in multilevel regression analyses. Job stressors and low job control were shown to be risk factors for patient safety. The results suggest that job redesign to enhance job control and decrease job stressors may be an important intervention to increase patient safety.

Job-Related Stress among Mass Communication Faculty.

Science.gov (United States)

Endres, Fred F.; Wearden, Stanley T.

1996-01-01

Questions 600 full-time faculty members teaching journalism and/or mass communication about job-related stress. Finds faculty members suffer from job-related stress; differences exist in the way men and women view, experience, and cope with stress; anxiety and stress are shared by teachers at all grade levels; and times when faculty and students…

Stress in police officers: a study of the origins, prevalence and severity of stress-related symptoms within a county police force.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, P A; Gibbs, A C C

2003-06-01

High levels of stress-related illness are causing concern across industry. Against a background of impending legislative moves to try to improve this situation, there is a need to identify key work-related stressors. Police work tends to be regarded as inherently stressful because of the personal risk of exposure to confrontation and violence and the day-to-day involvement in a variety of traumatic incidents. As a result, high levels of stress-related symptoms might be expected in this population. To examine the sources of stress-related symptoms within police officers and measure the prevalence of significant associated mental ill-health. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of a population of 1206 police officers was performed to assess levels of strain associated with a series of potential home and work related stressors. Participants were then split into low and high scoring groups on the basis of a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) threshold score in order to identify those stressors most associated with mental ill-health effects. Occupational stressors ranking most highly within the population were not specific to policing, but to organizational issues such as the demands of work impinging upon home life, lack of consultation and communication, lack of control over workload, inadequate support and excess workload in general. The high scoring group constituted 41% of the population and differed significantly from those with low scores in perception of all stressors, ranking both personal and occupational stressors more highly, and from personality constraints appeared significantly more 'stress-prone'. A significant association between gender and mental ill-health was found, with females more likely to score more highly on the GHQ than males. This study confirms previous findings of organizational culture and workload as the key issues in officer stress. Given that the degree of symptomatology appears to be worsening, management action is required. Further

Stress of conscience and perceptions of conscience in relation to burnout among care-providers in older people.

Science.gov (United States)

Juthberg, Christina; Eriksson, Sture; Norberg, Astrid; Sundin, Karin

2008-07-01

The aim was to study the relationship between conscience and burnout among care-providers in older care, exploring the relationship between stress of conscience and burnout, and between perceptions of conscience and burnout. Everyday work in healthcare presents situations that influence care-providers' conscience. How care-providers perceive conscience has been shown to be related to stress of conscience (stress related to troubled conscience), and in county council care, an association between stress of conscience and burnout has been found. A questionnaire study was conducted in municipal housing for older people. A total of 166 care-providers were approached, of which 146 (50 registered nurses and 96 nurses' aides/enrolled nurses) completed a questionnaire folder containing the stress of conscience questionnaire, the perceptions of conscience questionnaire and the maslach burnout inventory. Multivariate canonical correlation analysis was used to explore relationships. The relationship between stress of conscience and burnout indicates that experiences of shortcomings and of being exposed to contradictory demands are strongly related to burnout (primarily to emotional exhaustion). The relationship between perceptions of conscience and burnout indicates that a deadened conscience is strongly related to burnout. Conscience seems to be of importance in relation to burnout, and suppressing conscience may result in a profound loss of wholeness, integrity and harmony in the self. The results from our study could be used to raise awareness of the importance of conscience in care.

Work-related stress and psychosomatic medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nakao Mutsuhiro

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract This article introduces key concepts of work-related stress relevant to the clinical and research fields of psychosomatic medicine. Stress is a term used to describe the body's physiological and/or psychological reaction to circumstances that require behavioral adjustment. According to the Japanese National Survey of Health, the most frequent stressors are work-related problems, followed by health-related and then financial problems. Conceptually, work-related stress includes a variety of conditions, such as overwork, unemployment or job insecurity, and lack of work-family balance. Job stress has been linked to a range of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Stressful working conditions can also impact employee well-being indirectly by directly contributing to negative health behaviors or by limiting an individual's ability to make positive changes to lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking and sedentary behavior. Over the past two decades, two major job stress models have dominated the occupational health literature: the job demand-control-support model and the effort-reward imbalance model. In both models, standardized questionnaires have been developed and frequently used to assess job stress. Unemployment has also been reported to be associated with increased mortality and morbidity, such as by cardiovascular disease, stroke, and suicide. During the past two decades, a trend toward more flexible labor markets has emerged in the private and public sectors of developed countries, and temporary employment arrangements have increased. Temporary workers often complain that they are more productive but receive less compensation than permanent workers. A significant body of research reveals that temporary workers have reported chronic work-related stress for years. The Japanese government has urged all employers to implement four approaches to comprehensive mind

Work-related stress and psychosomatic medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakao, Mutsuhiro

2010-05-26

This article introduces key concepts of work-related stress relevant to the clinical and research fields of psychosomatic medicine. Stress is a term used to describe the body's physiological and/or psychological reaction to circumstances that require behavioral adjustment. According to the Japanese National Survey of Health, the most frequent stressors are work-related problems, followed by health-related and then financial problems. Conceptually, work-related stress includes a variety of conditions, such as overwork, unemployment or job insecurity, and lack of work-family balance. Job stress has been linked to a range of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Stressful working conditions can also impact employee well-being indirectly by directly contributing to negative health behaviors or by limiting an individual's ability to make positive changes to lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking and sedentary behavior. Over the past two decades, two major job stress models have dominated the occupational health literature: the job demand-control-support model and the effort-reward imbalance model. In both models, standardized questionnaires have been developed and frequently used to assess job stress. Unemployment has also been reported to be associated with increased mortality and morbidity, such as by cardiovascular disease, stroke, and suicide. During the past two decades, a trend toward more flexible labor markets has emerged in the private and public sectors of developed countries, and temporary employment arrangements have increased. Temporary workers often complain that they are more productive but receive less compensation than permanent workers. A significant body of research reveals that temporary workers have reported chronic work-related stress for years. The Japanese government has urged all employers to implement four approaches to comprehensive mind/body health care for stress

[Work-related stress and psychological distress assessment in urban and suburban public transportation companies].

Science.gov (United States)

Romeo, L; Lazzarini, G; Farisè, E; Quintarelli, E; Riolfi, A; Perbellini, L

2012-01-01

The risk of work-related stress has been determined in bus drivers and workers employed in the service department of two urban and suburban public transportation companies. The INAIL evaluation method (Check list and HSE indicator tool) was used. The GHQ-12 questionnaire, which is widely used to assess the level of psychological distress, was also employed. 81.9% of workers involved in the survey answered both the HSE indicator tool and the GHQ-12 questionnaire. The Check list evaluation showed an increase in quantifiable company stress indicators while close examination using the HSE indicator tool demonstrated critical situations for all the subscales, with the control subscales more problematic in bus drivers. The demand, manager's support, relationships and change subscales were most associated with psychological distress in bus drivers, while relationships, role, change and demand subscales were negatively related in workers of the service department.

Bidirectional relations between work-related stress, sleep quality and perseverative cognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laethem, M. van; Beckers, D.G.J.; Kompier, M.A.J.; Kecklund, L.G.; Bossche, S.N.J. van den; Geurts, S.A.E.

2015-01-01

Objective In this longitudinal two-wave study, bidirectional relations between work-related stress and sleep quality were examined. Moreover, it was investigated whether perseverative cognition is a potential underlying mechanism in this association, related to both work-related stress and sleep

Association between changes in heart rate variability during the anticipation of a stressful situation and the stress-induced cortisol response.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulopulos, Matias M; Vanderhasselt, Marie-Anne; De Raedt, Rudi

2018-08-01

Vagal activity - reflecting the activation of stress regulatory mechanisms and prefrontal cortex activation - is thought to play an inhibitory role in the regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, most studies investigating the association between stress-induced changes in heart rate variability (HRV, an index of cardiac vagal tone) and cortisol have shown a non-significant relationship. It has been proposed that physiological changes observed during anticipation of a stressor allow individuals to make behavioral, cognitive, and physiological adjustments that are necessary to deal with the upcoming actual stressor. In this study, in a large sample of 171 healthy adults (96 men and 75 women; mean age = 29.98, SD = 11.07), we investigated whether the cortisol response to a laboratory-based stress task was related to anticipation-induced or stress task-induced changes in HRV. As expected, regression analyses showed that a larger decrease in HRV during the anticipation of a stress task was related to higher stress task-induced cortisol increase, but not cortisol recovery. In line with prior research, the stress task-induced change in HRV was not significantly related to cortisol increase or recovery. Our results show for the first time that anticipatory HRV (reflecting differences in stress regulation and prefrontal activity before the encounter with the stressor) is important to understand the stress-induced cortisol increase. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Work-Related Stress, Quitting Intentions and Absenteeism

OpenAIRE

Leontaridi, Rannia M.; Ward, Melanie E.

2002-01-01

The paper uses data from the International Social Surveys Program (ISSP) to investigate work-related stress among a group of 15 OECD countries. It examines the determinants of work-related stress and explores the importance of work-related stress as a predictor of individuals' quitting behaviour and the rate of absenteeism. We find that those individuals reporting to experience at least some stress in their current position are 10 - 14 % more likely to hold intentions to quit or be absent fro...

Understanding Medical Students' Experience with Stress and Its Related Constructs: A Focus Group Study from Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Farquhar, Julia; Lie, Desiree; Chan, Angelique; Ow, Mandy; Vidyarthi, Arpana

2018-02-01

In order to protect medical students from burnout and its untoward psychiatric effects, it is imperative to understand their stress, burnout, coping, and resilience experiences. This study aimed to derive collective definitions from the medical student perspective, to identify common themes of students' experiences, and to distinguish pre-clinical and clinical year students' experiences relating to these four constructs. The authors conducted focus groups of medical students in Singapore across 4 years using a semi-structured question guide. Participants shared their understanding, experiences, and the relationships between stress, burnout, coping, and resilience. Coders independently evaluated construct definitions and derived common themes through an iterative process, and compared transcripts of pre-clinical and clinical year students to determine differences in experience over time. Nine focus groups (54 students, 28 females, mean age 24.3) were conducted. Students identified common definitions for each construct. Nine themes emerged within three domains: (1) relating constructs to personal experience, (2) interrelating stress, burnout, coping, and resilience, and (3) understanding the necessity of stress. Compared to clinical students, pre-clinical students reported theory-based rather than reality-based experiences and exam-induced stress, defined constructs using present rather than future situations, and described constructs as independent rather than interrelated. This sample of medical students in Singapore shares a common understanding of stress, burnout, coping, and resilience, but experiences these uniquely. They perceive a positive role for stress. These findings build upon prior literature, suggesting an interrelationship between stress and its related constructs and adding the novel perspective of students from an Asian country.

Method for analysis and assessment of the relation between stress and reliability of knowledge-based actions in the probabilistic safety analysis; Methode fuer die Analyse und Bewertung der Wechselwirkung zwischen Stress und der Zuverlaessigkeit wissensbasierten Handelns in der probabilistischen Sicherheitsanalyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fassmann, Werner

2014-06-15

According to the current theoretical and empirical state-of-the-art, stress has to be understood as the emotional and cognitive reaction by which humans adapt to situations which imply real or imagined danger, threat, or frustration of important personal goals or needs. The emotional reaction to such situations can be so extreme that rational coping with the situation will be precluded. In less extreme cases, changes of cognitive processes underlying human action will occur, which may systematically affect the reliability of tasks personnel has to perform in a stressful situation. Reliable task performance by personnel of nuclear power plants and other risk technologies is also affected by such effects. The method developed in the frame of the research and development project RS1198 sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) addresses both aspects of emotional and cognitive coping with stressful situations. Analytical and evaluation steps of the approach provide guidance to the end users on how to capture and quantify the contribution of stress-related emotional and cognitive factors to the reliable performance of knowledge-based actions. For this purpose, a suitable guideline has been developed. Further research for clarifying open questions has been identified. A case study application illustrates how to use the method. Part of the work performed in this project was dedicated to a review addressing the question to which extent Swain's approach to the analysis and evaluation of stress is in line with current scientific knowledge. Suitable suggestions for updates have been developed.

Work-related stress and work ability among Croatian university hospital midwives.

Science.gov (United States)

Knezevic, Bojana; Milosevic, Milan; Golubic, Rajna; Belosevic, Ljiljana; Russo, Andrea; Mustajbegovic, Jadranka

2011-04-01

to explore the sources and levels of stress at work and work ability among Croatian midwives. midwives are subjected to multiple stressors. Among health-care professionals, psychological distress for a prolonged period of time has negative effects on the worker's health, work ability and quality of patient care. 'Work ability' is a term describing a worker's resources related to physical, mental and social demands at work. As a measure of work ability in midwifery, the Work Ability Index (WAI) is considered to be a very predictive instrument; midwives with a poor WAI score usually leave their current job within five years. university hospitals in Zagreb, Croatia. cross-sectional design survey. 300 health-care workers (105 qualified midwives and 195 paediatric nurses) were invited to complete the questionnaire. The total response rate was 53% (158/300). The sample included 14.7% of all hospital-based midwives in Zagreb hospitals. the Occupational Stress Assessment Questionnaire (OSAQ) for health-care workers and the WAI questionnaire. over three-quarters of the midwives (46/60, 76.7%) believed that their job was stressful, and considered that insufficient work resources caused the most stress. More than half of the midwives associated an insufficient number of coworkers, unexpected situations, inadequate income, night work, incurable patients and poor organisation at work with a high level of stress. The perceived specific stressors differed between midwives and paediatric nurses in the same hospital. Insufficient work resources and poor organisation at work were more common stressors among midwives than paediatric nurses (pworkplace compared with paediatric nurses (pability. After adjusting for age, the difference in WAI score between the groups of workers was not significant. Croatian midwives experienced work-related stress due to: insufficient work resources, insufficient number of coworkers, poor organisation at work, communication with superiors and emotional

Job Stress, Job Dissatisfaction and Stress Related Illnesses Among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between self-reported job stress and job dissatisfaction and the prevalence of stress related illnesses and risk factors amongst educators. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample of 21,307 educators from public schools in South Africa.

On generalization uniaxial stress-strain relation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahay, C.; Dubey, R.N.

1980-01-01

Different forms of constitutive relations have been advanced for elastic, plastic and elastic-plastic behaviour of materials. It is shown that the various forms of the stress-strain relationship are specialized forms of generalization of a single stress-strain relation. For example, it is shown how the laws of elastic deformation, and the incremental and total deformation relationship for plastic behaviour are derivable from the Ramberg-Osgood relation. (orig.)

Social stress models in rodents : Towards enhanced validity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koolhaas, J M; de Boer, S F; Buwalda, B; Meerlo, P

Understanding the role of the social environment in the development of stress related diseases requires a more fundamental understanding of stress. Stress includes not only the stimulus and the response but also the individual appraisal of the situation. The social environment is not only essential

Reducing Listening-Related Stress in School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Rance, Gary; Chisari, Donella; Saunders, Kerryn; Rault, Jean-Loup

2017-07-01

High levels of stress and anxiety are common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Within this study of school-aged children (20 male, 6 female) we hypothesised that functional hearing deficits (also pervasive in ASD) could be ameliorated by auditory interventions and that, as a consequence, stress levels would be reduced. The use of Ear-Level Remote Microphone devices and Classroom Amplification systems resulted in significantly improved listening, communication and social interaction and a reduction in physiologic stress levels (salivary cortisol) in both one-on-one and group listening situations.

The influence of motivation on stress: is it stressful not to fit?

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Sebastian; Wolf, Oliver T; Memmert, Daniel

2015-01-01

The present research elaborates on the regulatory fit hypothesis by investigating a biological stress marker in a motivational fit- and non-fit-situation. Recent stress theories lead to the assumption that the participants' stress level in fit-situations remains constant or rather decreases, whereas under non-fit-conditions an increase of the stress activity is observed. We tested this hypothesis by assessment of salivary α-amylase (sAA), a saliva-based stress marker presumed to reflect noradrenergic activity. The results indicated that participants in a fit-situation show a decrease in sAA, whereas participants in a non-fit-situation demonstrate a contrary effect with an increase in sAA. These findings extend the concept of regulatory fit by illustrating that there are differences in sAA activity depending on whether participants are in a fit-situation. The experience of regulatory fit appears to be associated with a reduction of stress.

The Effects of Emotional Intelligence (EI Items Education on Job Related Stress in Physicians and Nurses who Work in Intensive Care Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kh Nooryan

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background & Aim: Intensive care units (ICUs are recognized as stressful environments. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of emotional intelligence education items on job related stress on physicians and nurses who work in intensive care units at hospitals of Yerevan, Armenia. Methods: A interventional study design was implemented with 106 registered hospital physicians and nurses, who were widely distributed all the way through. Case group was taught about 15 E.I items. For data collection, the 20-question Berger situational (overt anxiety questionnaire, the 20-item personality (covert anxiety questionnaire, and the Bar-on emotional intelligence questionnaire with 133 questions were used. Statistical descriptive methods, chi-square (X2 and t-tests were used to analyze data. Results: The research achievements revealed that the average score of the case group`s situational anxiety was 46.59 before intervention, which decreased to 39.95 after the training of the items of emotional intelligence. The average score of situational anxiety of control group was 44.32 before intervention which increased to 44.76 after examination. There was a meaningful statistical difference between case and control group after education of emotional intelligence`s items (p=0.001. Conclusion: Results of the current study showed that physicians and nurses experience high level of stress. The ability to effectively deal with emotion intelligence and emotional information in the workplace assists employees in coping with occupational stress and should be developed in stress managing trainings.

Who initiates and organises situations for work-related alcohol use? The WIRUS culture study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordaune, Kristin; Skarpaas, Lisebet S; Sagvaag, Hildegunn; Haveraaen, Lise; Rimstad, Silje; Kinn, Liv G; Aas, Randi W

2017-12-01

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of ill health and premature death in the world. Several studies indicate that working life might influence employees' alcohol consumption and drinking patterns. The aim of this study was to explore work-related drinking situations, with a special focus on answering who initiates and organises these situations. Data were collected through semi-structured group interviews in six Norwegian companies from the private ( n=4) and public sectors ( n=2), employing a total of 3850 employees. The informants ( n=43) were representatives from management and local unions, safety officers, advisers from the social insurance office and human-resource personnel, health, safety and environment personnel, and members from the occupational environment committee. Both qualitative and quantitative content analyses were applied in the analyses of the material. Three different initiators and organisers were discovered: the employer, employees and external organisers. External organisers included customers, suppliers, collaborators, sponsors, subcontractors, different unions and employers' organisations. The employer organised more than half of the situations; external organisers were responsible for more than a quarter. The differences between companies were mostly due to the extent of external organisers. The employer initiates and organises most situations for work-related alcohol use. However, exposure to such situations seems to depend on how many external relations the company has. These aspects should be taken into account when workplace health-promotion initiatives are planned.

Occupational stress and its related factors among university teachers in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wei; Wu, Hui; Wang, Lie

2011-01-01

University teachers in China are expected to suffer serious occupational stress due to the expanding enrollment in universities without a proportional increase in teacher resources and the fact that all promotions for university teachers are determined based on not only teaching but also the outcome of scientific research. This study was designed to assess the occupational stress among university teachers in China and clarify its risk factors. A cross-sectional study was performed in Liaoning Province, the centralized area of higher education in Northeast China. Eight universities (2 multidiscipline and 6 specialized) and 10% of academic staff each were randomly sampled. Questionnaires pertaining to occupational stress indicated by the Chinese Version Personal Strain Questionnaire (PSQ) and demographic characteristics, health status, work situations, and personal and social resources were distributed in October 2008. A total of 827 effective respondents (response rate 76.4%) became our participants. The average raw score of PSQ was 91.0 among the university teachers. General linear model analysis showed that the factors significantly associated with the PSQ score were, in standardized estimate (β) sequence, mental health, role overload, role insufficiency, social support, monthly income, role limitations due to physical problems, research finance and self-rated disease with adjustment for age and sex. We concluded that, in comparison to work-related factors and social support, mental health is a prominent risk factor for occupational stress in university teachers in China. Improvement of mental health and organizational climate should be considered to lessen the occupational stress of university teachers.

Work-related stress: A survey of Indian anesthesiologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakshi, Sumitra Ganesh; Divatia, Jigeeshu Vasishtha; Kannan, Sadhana; Myatra, Sheila Nainan

2017-01-01

Work-related stress is common among medical caregivers and concerns all perioperative care providers. Although anesthesiologists are known to experience stress, there are limited Indian data addressing this issue. This survey was conducted among Indian anesthesiologists to determine their awareness about work stress and views regarding prevention programs. A survey questionnaire was distributed to delegates visiting the exhibits at the national anesthesiology conference in 2011. The questionnaire had ten questions on the work pattern, five on work-related stress, nine on opinion regarding the need and willingness to participate in stress-related programs. There were 1178 responders. Forty-three percent were faculty in medical institutions, 26% were residents and 25% were in free-lance practice. Ninety-one percent of participants rated their stress as moderate-extreme. There was a significant correlation between the amount of stress and working for more than 8 h ( P working on weekends ( P = 0.002), and carrying work back home ( P work stress. Eighty-four percent of participants felt the need for stress management programs and 69% expressed their willingness to participate in the same. The majority of participants rated their stress as moderate-extreme and was higher in anesthesiologists working long hours, over the weekend and those handling high-risk patients. A majority of participants felt the survey made them think about work-related stress and expressed their willingness to participate in stress management programs.

Stress and personality.

Science.gov (United States)

Lecic-Tosevski, D; Vukovic, O; Stepanovic, J

2011-01-01

Stress is an adaptation reaction of living organisms in response to internal or external threats to homeostasis. It is considered as a complex defence mechanism representing the final endpoint of numerous dynamic and interconnected factors of biological, psychological and social nature. Stress is not a simple, stimulus-response reaction, but the interaction between an individual and the environment, involving subjective perception and assessment of stressors, thus constituting a highly personalized process. Specific inherited characteristics, early experience in life, and particular, learned cognitive predispositions make individuals more or less susceptible to the effects of stressors. Resilience and vulnerability to stressors as well as intensity of stress response are greatly dependable on age, gender, intelligence, and numerous characteristics of personality, such as hardiness,locus of control, self-efficacy, self-esteem, optimism, hostility (component of type A personality)and type D traits (negative affectivity and social inhibition). To understand the relation between personality and stress, it is essential to recognize the impact of individual differences in the following four aspects: (1) choice or avoidance of environments that are associated with specific stressors, challenges or benefits, (2) way of interpreting a stressful situation and evaluating one's own abilities and capacities for proactive behaviour so as to confront or avoid it, (3) intensity of response to a stressor,and (4) coping strategies employed by the individual facing a stressful situation. Studies have recorded considerable consistency in coping strategies employed to confront stressful situations, independentlyof situational factors and in connection with permanent personality and temperamental traits,such as neuroticism, extraversion, sense of humour, persistence, fatalism, conscientiousness, andopenness to experience. Positive affect has been associated with positive reappraisal

Using art as a self-regulating tool in a war situation: a model for social workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Huss, Ephrat; Sarid, Orly; Cwikel, Julie

2010-08-01

War poses a challenge for social workers, adding exposure to direct risk of personal harm to the general stress of social work practice. Artworks are frequently used in health care settings with people in high distress. This study had three goals: (1) to characterize the stressors of social workers living in a war zone, (2) to teach social workers in crisis situations to identify stress and resilience factors in their artworks, and (3) to develop a general self-care model for arts intervention for professionals in these situations. Common stressors experienced by participants were anxiety and fear as a result of bombs, sirens, worry over loved ones, and overexposure to media. These were layered onto professional stressors, including constant work communication on cell phones during war and dilemmas related to work-family conflicts. Allowing social workers to name and identity the sources of their stress and then change their artwork to enhance resilience helped them to gain a sense of control over diffuse sources of anxiety. The authors propose this method as an effective intervention model with social workers in high-stress situations.

Adolescents' sense-making of alcohol-related risks: The role of drinking situations and social settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Katainen, Anu; Lehto, Anna-Sofia; Maunu, Antti

2015-09-01

The article explores how young people understand the risks of alcohol use and how these understandings are associated with differing drinking situations and social settings. By taking account of situational factors, the aim is to demonstrate how young people have highly nuanced notions of drinking styles that suit different drinking situations and of associated risks. The data for the research were gathered in 18 group interviews with Finnish ninth graders aged 14-15 years. Short film clips portraying young people in different drinking situations were used as stimulus material for the interviews. Data analysis focussed on the risk factors related to the social situations illustrated in the film clips. The results show that young people's risk assessments are not based on alcohol itself, but the magnitude of risk is estimated in relation to the social setting of the drinking situation. What is relevant for young people is whether the social situation allows them to make choices with which they feel comfortable. At the opposite pole of problem drinking was social drinking for the purpose of having fun together with other people in such a way that one remains in control of the drinking situation. From a prevention point of view, a key implication is that awareness of the risks is closely associated with situational and social factors. However, the awareness of those risks does not necessarily prevent young people from drinking because they may be accepted as part of the drinking experience. © The Author(s) 2014.

Knowledge work and work-related stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ipsen, Christine

2006-01-01

Work-related stress is an increasing problem in Europe. Earlier studies have stated that knowledge-work comprises working conditions which reflect a good psychosocial environment. Recent Danish studies, however, point at stress being an increasing problem in knowledge-intensive companies...... with informally, individu-ally and incidentally. It is only when problems exist that enhanced support is offered in order to help an employee to cope or recover. As most workplace initiatives work at this tertiary level, the sources of work-related and organiza-tional stress are not reduced or eliminated...... as good and stimulating, but has on the other hand sides to it which can cause frustration and stress. The implication of organisational characteristics of the knowledge-intensive companies studied is a transfer of the responsibility for ones own working-life. Consequently, issues are dealt...

Pre-diagnosis employment status and financial circumstances predict cancer-related financial stress and strain among breast and prostate cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Linda; Timmons, Aileen

2016-02-01

Cancer may have a significant financial impact on patients, but the characteristics that predispose patients to cancer-related financial hardship are poorly understood. We investigated factors associated with cancer-related financial stress and strain in breast and prostate cancer survivors in Ireland, which has a complex mixed public-private healthcare system. Postal questionnaires were distributed to 1373 people diagnosed with cancer 3-24 months previously identified from the National Cancer Registry Ireland. Outcomes were cancer-related financial stress (impact of cancer diagnosis on household ability to make ends meet) and financial strain (concerns about household financial situation since cancer diagnosis). Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) for factors associated with cancer-related financial stress and strain. Seven hundred forty survivors participated (response rate = 54 %). Of the respondents, 48 % reported cancer-related financial stress and 32 % cancer-related financial strain. Compared to those employed at diagnosis, risk of cancer-related financial stress was significantly lower in those not working (RR = 0.71, 95 % CI 0.58-0.86) or retired (RR = 0.48, 95 % CI 0.34-0.68). It was significantly higher in those who had dependents; experienced financial stress pre-diagnosis; had a mortgage/personal loans; had higher direct medical out-of-pocket costs; and had increased household bills post-diagnosis. For cancer-related financial strain, significant associations were found with dependents, pre-diagnosis employment status and pre-diagnosis financial stress; risk was lower in those with higher direct medical out-of-pocket costs. Cancer-related financial stress and strain are common. Pre-diagnosis employment status and financial circumstances are important predictors of post-diagnosis financial wellbeing. These findings could inform development of tools to identify patients/survivors most in need of financial

Management of work-related stress by Finnish occupational physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnunen-Amoroso, M; Liira, J

2013-07-01

Occupational stress is a serious threat to the well-being of employees and organizations and may cause ill-health and loss of productivity. Determining the methods that occupational health (OH) services and employers use to manage work-related stress can help to detect both barriers and facilitating factors for effective stress management. To examine stress management methods used by OH physicians in Finland. Anonymous, self-administered e-mail questionnaire to Finnish OH physicians. A total of 222 OH physicians responded. Neither OH services nor their client organizations used standardized tools to assess or manage work-related stress. Work-related stress was assessed using patient interviews. Physicians reported that the main method used to manage occupational stress was supporting the individual employee. Half of the physicians attempted to involve workplaces in stress management by asking their patients to contact their supervisors regarding stress issues. In order to tackle work-related stress consistently and effectively employers and OH services should have agreed standardized protocols for managing stress in the workplace.

[Measurement of unemployment-related psychological stress: Validation of the Unemployment Stress (USS)].

Science.gov (United States)

Szabóné Kapuvári, Virág; Martos, Tamás

2016-01-01

Nowadays the theme of unemployment and the given answers of it are up to date questions in psychology. In spite of this fact, the psychological methods measuring this phenomenon are often missing. That is why the Unemployment Stress Scale (USS) is presented in this article. The aim of our study is to develop a scale called USS and test it's validity and reliability. There were 287 adult unemployed persons asked in this study. Besides the USS we used the Beck Depression Scale, the Spielberger Anxiety Scale (TRAIT), the Sense of Coherence Scale (Hungarian version) and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. According to our results, USS has showed an excellent criterion and construct validity. A useful scale has been formed according to test-retest results. (Cronbach-alfa: 0.88 and 0.86 according to the samples). Moreover our scale has a strong correlation with the Spielberger Anxiety Scale (TRAIT) and the Beck Depression Scale. These chracteristics of the new scale proved that we fond a factor, independent from the self esteem and the sense of coherence, which represents the stress level in the situation of unemployment. This scale is a professional construction to measure stress contributed to unemployment. The USS can be a useful scale in clinical practice because after measuring with this scale we can protect the personality of the unemployed by representing the actual unemployment stress level. That is why professionals can help earlier in a crisis like this.

Resiliency against stress among athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamila Litwic-Kaminska

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background The aim of this paper is to describe the results of a study concerning the relationship between resiliency and appraisal of a stressful situation, anxiety reactions and undertaken methods of coping among sportsmen. Participants and procedure The research concerned 192 competitors who actively train in one of the Olympic disciplines – individual or team. We used the following instruments: Resiliency Assessment Scale (SPP-25; Stress Appraisal Questionnaire A/B; Reactions to Competition Questionnaire; Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS; Sport Stress Coping Strategies Questionnaire (SR3S, self-constructed. Results Athletes most frequently apply positive types of stress appraisal, and they cope with stress through a task-oriented style during competitions. There is a relationship between the level of resiliency and the analysed aspects of the process of stress. The higher the resiliency, the more positive is the appraisal of a stressful situation and the more task-oriented are the strategies applied. Similarly, in everyday situations resilient sportspeople positively appraise difficult situations and undertake mostly task-oriented strategies. Resiliency is connected with less frequently experiencing reactions in the form of anxiety. Conclusions The obtained results, similarly to previous research, suggest that resiliency is connected with experiencing positive emotions. It causes more frequent appraisal of stressful situations as a challenge. More resilient people also choose more effective and situation-appropriate coping strategies. Therefore they are more resistant to stress.

In situ subsoil stress-strain behaviour in relation to soil precompression stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keller, T; Arvidsson, J; Schjønning, Per

2012-01-01

is assumed to be elastic and reversible as long as [sigma] work examined soil stress-strain behavior as measured in situ during wheeling experiments and related it to the stress-strain behavior and [sigma]pc measured on soil cores in uniaxial compression tests in the laboratory. The data......Soil compaction negatively influences many important soil functions, including crop growth. Compaction occurs when the applied stress, [sigma], overcomes the soil strength. Soil strength in relation to compaction is typically expressed by the soil precompression stress, [sigma]pc. Deformation...... analyzed were from a large number of wheeling experiments carried out in Sweden and Denmark on soils with a wide range of texture. Contradicting the concept of precompression stress, we observed residual strain, [Latin Small Letter Open E]res, at [sigma

[Organizational well-being and work-related stress in health care organizations: validation of the Work-related Stress Assessment Scale].

Science.gov (United States)

Coluccia, Anna; Lorini, Francesca; Ferretti, Fabio; Pozza, Andrea; Gaetani, Marco

2015-01-01

The issue of the assessment of work-related stress has stimulated in recent years, the production of several theoretical paradigms and assessment tools. In this paper we present a new scale for the assessment of organizational well-being and work-related stress specific for healthcare organizations (Work-related Stress Assessment Scale - WSAS). The goal of the authors is to examine the psychometric properties of the scale, so that it can be used in the healthcare setting as a work-related stress assessment tool. The answers of 230 healthcare professionals belonging to different roles have been analyzed. The study was realized in 16 Units of the University Hospital "S. Maria alle Scotte "of Siena. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed the presence of five factors with good internal consistency and reliability, "relationship to the structure of proximity" (α = 0.93) "change" (α = 0.92), "organization of work "(α = 0.81)," relationship with the company / Governance "(α = 0.87)" working environment "(α = 0.83). The analysis of SEM (Structural Equation Models) has confirmed the goodness of the factor solution (NNFI = 0.835, CFI = 0.921, RMSEA = 0.060). The good psychometric qualities, the shortness and simplicity of the scale WSAS makes it a useful aid in the assessment of work-related stress in health care organizations.

NDE of stresses in thick-walled components by ultrasonic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goebbels, K.; Pitsch, H.; Schneider, E.; Nowack, H.

1985-01-01

The possibilty of measuring stresses - especially residual stresses - by ultrasonic methods has been presented at the 4th and 5th International Conference on NDE in Nuclear Industry. This contribution now presents results of several applications to thick walled components such as turbines and generators for power plants. The measurement technique using linearly polarized shear waves allows one to characterize the homogeneitry of the residual stress situation along and around cylindrically shaped components. Some important results show that the stress distribution integrated over the cross section of the component has not followed in any case the simple relations derived by stress analysts. Conclusions referring to the stress situation inside the components are discussed

Are Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System Activity and Perceived Stress Related to Functional Somatic Symptoms in Adolescents? The TRAILS Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin A M Janssens

Full Text Available Stressors have been related to medically insufficiently explained or functional somatic symptoms (FSS. However, the underlying mechanism of this association is largely unclear. In the current study, we examined whether FSS are associated with different perceived stress and cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS levels during a standardized stressful situation, and whether these associations are symptom-specific.We examined 715 adolescents (16.1 years, 51.3% girls from the Dutch cohort study Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Sample during the Groningen Social Stress Test (GSST. FSS were assessed by the Youth Self-Report, and clustered into a cluster of overtiredness, dizziness and musculoskeletal pain and a cluster of headache and gastrointestinal symptoms. Perceived stress levels (i.e. unpleasantness and arousal were assessed by the Self-Assessment Manikin, and cardiac ANS activity by assessing heart rate variability (HRV-HF and pre-ejection period (PEP. Perceived stress and cardiac ANS levels before, during, and after the GSST were studied as well as cardiac ANS reactivity. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations.Perceived arousal levels during (beta = 0.09, p = 0.04 and after (beta = 0.07, p = 0.047 the GSST, and perceived unpleasantness levels before (beta = 0.07, p = 0.048 and during (beta = 0.12, p = 0.001 the GSST were related to FSS during the past couple of months. The association between perceived stress and FSS was stronger for the FSS cluster of overtiredness, dizziness and musculoskeletal pain than for the cluster of headache and gastrointestinal symptoms. Neither ANS activity levels before, during, and after the GSST, nor maximal HF-HRV and PEP reactivity were related to FSS.This study suggests that perceived stress levels during social stress are related to FSS, whereas cardiac ANS activity and reactivity are not related to FSS.

The role of stress mindset in shaping cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses to challenging and threatening stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Crum, Alia J; Akinola, Modupe; Martin, Ashley; Fath, Sean

2017-07-01

Prior research suggests that altering situation-specific evaluations of stress as challenging versus threatening can improve responses to stress. The aim of the current study was to explore whether cognitive, physiological and affective stress responses can be altered independent of situation-specific evaluations by changing individuals' mindsets about the nature of stress in general. Using a 2 × 2 design, we experimentally manipulated stress mindset using multi-media film clips orienting participants (N = 113) to either the enhancing or debilitating nature of stress. We also manipulated challenge and threat evaluations by providing positive or negative feedback to participants during a social stress test. Results revealed that under both threat and challenge stress evaluations, a stress-is-enhancing mindset produced sharper increases in anabolic ("growth") hormones relative to a stress-is-debilitating mindset. Furthermore, when the stress was evaluated as a challenge, a stress-is-enhancing mindset produced sharper increases in positive affect, heightened attentional bias towards positive stimuli, and greater cognitive flexibility, whereas a stress-is-debilitating mindset produced worse cognitive and affective outcomes. These findings advance stress management theory and practice by demonstrating that a short manipulation designed to generate a stress-is-enhancing mindset can improve responses to both challenging and threatening stress.

Classification of stresses in pressure components using the GLOSS diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seshadri, R.

1990-01-01

Discontinuity stresses in pressure components are classified as secondary stresses at temperatures below the creep range. The stresses are considered to be deformation-controlled in that shakedown occurs after several load cycles. There are situations, however, where the discontinuity stresses may not be deformation-controlled, and follow-up action might occur. A conservative approach would be to classify the resulting mixed-mode response as a load-controlled situation. The subsequent design could then be unduly wasteful. A simple method for evaluating the mixed-mode response is a technique known as the generalized local stress-strain (GLOSS) analysis. The underlying theory relates the follow-up process to the deformation-controlled uniaxial relaxation. The slope of the mixed-mode response trajectory on the GLOSS diagram determines the relative proportions of deformation and load-controlled actions. In this paper, use is made of the GLOSS diagram to classify stresses or damage due to follow-up in pressure components for temperature below the creep range and elevated temperatures. Some ASME code related perspectives are also discussed in the paper

Case studies on heat stress related perceptions in different industrial sectors in southern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Ramalingam, Ayyappan; Dasu, Venkatesan; Stephen, Jeremiah Chinnadurai; Sivaperumal, Mohan Raj; Kumarasamy, Deepan; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Ghosh, Santu; Sambandam, Sankar

2010-11-29

Linkages between thermal loads and its physiological consequences have been widely studied in non-tropical developed country settings. In many developing countries like India, despite the widespread recognition of the problem, limited attempts have been made to estimate health impacts related to occupational heat stress and fewer yet to link heat stress with potential productivity losses. This is reflected in the ubiquity of workplaces with limited or no controls to reduce exposures. As a prelude to understanding the feasibility of alternative interventions in different industrial sectors, we present case studies from 10 different industrial units in Tamil Nadu, Chennai, which describe perceptions of occupational heat stress among the workers and supervisors/management.Units were selected from among those who had previously requested an assessment of workplace heat stress exposure at select locations as part of routine industrial hygiene services provided by the investigators. Since the earlier measurements were performed in response to a management request, all units were revisited to generate a simple job and process profile using checklists in order to understand the overall heat exposure situation in the concerned unit. This was followed by a simple questionnaire administration to a small subsample of employees to evaluate the perceptions of workers and supervisors/management. Finally, we retrieved available quantitative data from previous measurements of heat stress at these units to correlate prevalence of exposures with respective perceptions.Results indicate that the existing level of controls may not be sufficient for managing work-related heat stress in any of the sectors studied, with wide variations in perceived risks. There was a noticeable disconnect between worker's perceptions and their ability to secure workplace improvements related to heat stress from the management. Wider availability of engineering and administrative controls in the industries

Case studies on heat stress related perceptions in different industrial sectors in southern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalpana Balakrishnan

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Linkages between thermal loads and its physiological consequences have been widely studied in non-tropical developed country settings. In many developing countries like India, despite the widespread recognition of the problem, limited attempts have been made to estimate health impacts related to occupational heat stress and fewer yet to link heat stress with potential productivity losses. This is reflected in the ubiquity of workplaces with limited or no controls to reduce exposures. As a prelude to understanding the feasibility of alternative interventions in different industrial sectors, we present case studies from 10 different industrial units in Tamil Nadu, Chennai, which describe perceptions of occupational heat stress among the workers and supervisors/management.Units were selected from among those who had previously requested an assessment of workplace heat stress exposure at select locations as part of routine industrial hygiene services provided by the investigators. Since the earlier measurements were performed in response to a management request, all units were revisited to generate a simple job and process profile using checklists in order to understand the overall heat exposure situation in the concerned unit. This was followed by a simple questionnaire administration to a small subsample of employees to evaluate the perceptions of workers and supervisors/management. Finally, we retrieved available quantitative data from previous measurements of heat stress at these units to correlate prevalence of exposures with respective perceptions.Results indicate that the existing level of controls may not be sufficient for managing work-related heat stress in any of the sectors studied, with wide variations in perceived risks. There was a noticeable disconnect between worker's perceptions and their ability to secure workplace improvements related to heat stress from the management. Wider availability of engineering and administrative

Level of Work Related Stress among Teachers in Elementary Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Agai-Demjaha, Teuta; Bislimovska, Jovanka Karadzinska; Mijakoski, Dragan

2015-09-15

Teaching is considered a highly stressful occupation, with work-related stress levels among teachers being among the highest compared to other professions. Unfortunately there are very few studies regarding the levels of work-related stress among teachers in the Republic of Macedonia. To identify the level of self-perceived work-related stress among teachers in elementary schools and its relationship to gender, age, position in the workplace, the level of education and working experience. We performed a descriptive-analytical model of a cross-sectional study that involved 300 teachers employed in nine elementary schools. Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of a specially designed questionnaire. We found that the majority of interviewed teachers perceive their work-related stress as moderate. The level of work-related stress was significantly high related to the gender, age, position in workplace, as well as working experience (p related to level of education (p stressful as compared to the upper-grade teachers (18.5% vs. 5.45%), while the same is true for female respondents as compared to the male ones (15.38% vs. 3.8%). In addition, our results show that teachers with university education significantly more often associate their workplace with stronger stress than their colleagues with high education (13.48% vs. 9.4%). We also found that there is no significant difference of stress levels between new and more experienced teachers. Our findings confirm that the majority of interviewed teachers perceived their work-related stress as high or very high. In terms of the relationship between the level of teachers' stress and certain demographic and job characteristics, according to our results, the level of work-related stress has shown significantly high relation to gender, age, levels of grades taught as well as working experience, and significant relation to the level of education.

Age-Related Decrease in Stress Responsiveness and Proactive Coping in Male Mice.

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Oh, Hee-Jin; Song, Minah; Kim, Young Ki; Bae, Jae Ryong; Cha, Seung-Yun; Bae, Ji Young; Kim, Yeongmin; You, Minsu; Lee, Younpyo; Shim, Jieun; Maeng, Sungho

2018-01-01

Coping is a strategic approach to dealing with stressful situations. Those who use proactive coping strategies tend to accept changes and act before changes are expected. In contrast, those who use reactive coping are less flexible and more likely to act in response to changes. However, little research has assessed how coping style changes with age. This study investigated age-related changes in coping strategies and stress responsiveness and the influence of age on the processing of conditioned fear memory in 2-, 12- and 23-month-old male mice. Coping strategy was measured by comparing the escape latency in an active avoidance test and by comparing responses to a shock prod. The results showed that proactivity in coping response gradually decreased with age. Stress responsiveness, measured by stress-induced concentration of corticosterone, was also highest in 2-month-old mice and decreased with age. Consolidation of fear memory was highest in 12-month-old mice and was negatively correlated with the degree of stress responsiveness and proactivity in coping. Fear extinction did not differ among age groups and was not correlated with stress responsiveness or the proactivity of coping. However, the maintenance of extinct fear memory, which was best in 2-month-old mice and worst in 12-month-old mice, was negatively correlated with stress responsiveness but not with coping style. Age-dependent changes in the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and its regulatory co-chaperones, which are accepted mechanisms for stress hormone stimulation, were measured in the hippocampus. The expression of GR was increased at 12 months compared to other age groups. There were no differences in Hsp70 and BAG1 expression by age. These results can be summarized as follows: (1) stress responsiveness and proactivity in coping decreased with age class; (2) consolidation of fear memory was negatively correlated with both stress responsiveness and proactivity; however, maintenance of

Shear Stress-Relative Slip Relationship at Concrete Interfaces

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Keun-Hyeok Yang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study develops a simple and rational shear stress-relative slip model of concrete interfaces with monolithic castings or smooth construction joints. In developing the model, the initial shear cracking stress and relative slip amount at peak stress were formulated from a nonlinear regression analysis using test data for push-off specimens. The shear friction strength was determined from the generalized equations on the basis of the upper-bound theorem of concrete plasticity. Then, a parametric fitting analysis was performed to derive equations for the key parameters determining the shapes of the ascending and descending branches of the shear stress-relative slip curve. The comparisons of predictions and measurements obtained from push-off tests confirmed that the proposed model provides superior accuracy in predicting the shear stress-relative slip relationship of interfacial shear planes. This was evidenced by the lower normalized root mean square error than those in Xu et al.’s model and the CEB-FIB model, which have many limitations in terms of the roughness of the substrate surface along an interface and the magnitude of equivalent normal stress.

Relative deprivation in the Nordic countries-child mental health problems in relation to parental financial stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunnarsdóttir, Hrafnhildur; Hensing, Gunnel; Povlsen, Lene

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Nordic welfare system has been acknowledged as favourable for children, successfully contributing to low child mortality and poverty rates. Nevertheless, mental health problems among children and adolescents are common and the economic situation of the family has been highlighted...... as an important determinant. In spite of similar social, political and cultural structures, the Nordic countries differ; Iceland was most affected by the global financial crisis in 2008. The aim of this study was to examine potential differences in parental financial stress and the associations to child mental...... to measure mental health problems.  RESULTS:  In Iceland, 47.7% of the parents reported financial stress while ≤20% did so in the other countries except for Finland (33.5%). However, in case of parental financial stress the OR of mental health problems comparing children to parents with and without financial...

Momentary Parental Stress and Food-Related Parenting Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Berge, Jerica M; Tate, Allan; Trofholz, Amanda; Fertig, Angela R; Miner, Michael; Crow, Scott; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2017-12-01

Research suggests that stress and depressed mood are associated with food-related parenting practices (ie, parent feeding practices, types of food served at meals). However, current measures of parental stress, depressed mood, and food-related parenting practices are typically survey-based and assessed as static/unchanging characteristics, failing to account for fluctuations across time and context. Identifying momentary factors that influence parent food-related parenting practices will facilitate the development of effective interventions aimed at promoting healthy food-related parenting practices. In this study, we used ecological momentary assessment to examine the association between momentary factors (eg, stress, depressed mood) occurring early in the day and food-related parenting practices at the evening meal. Children aged 5 to 7 years and their families ( N = 150) from 6 racial and/or ethnic groups ( n = 25 each African American, Hispanic/Latino, Hmong, American Indian, Somali, and white families) were recruited for this mixed-methods study through primary care clinics. Higher stress and depressed mood earlier in the day predicted pressure-to-eat feeding practices and fewer homemade foods served at meals the same night. Effect modification was found for certain racial and/or ethnic groups with regard to engaging in pressure-to-eat feeding practices (ie, America Indian, Somali) or serving fewer homemade meals (ie, African American, Hispanic/Latino) in the face of high stress or depressed mood. Clinicians may want to consider discussing with parents the influence stress and depressed mood can have on everyday food-related parenting practices. Additionally, future researchers should consider using real-time interventions to reduce parental stress and depressed mood to promote healthy parent food-related parenting practices. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Stress Related Oral Disorders - A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D Nagabhushana

2004-01-01

However, relatively few studies have been carried out on the relationship of emotional factors to diseases of the oral mucosa. So, here is an article which tries to briefly review the psychosomatic (stress related disorders related to the oral cavity.

The Fertility Problem Inventory: measuring perceived infertility-related stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, C R; Sherrard, W; Glavac, I

1999-07-01

To develop a reliable, valid instrument to evaluate perceived infertility-related stress. Prospective study. University-affiliated teaching hospital. Consecutively referred patients (1,153 women and 1,149 men) seen for infertility treatment. None. Participants' infertility-related stress was assessed by written questionnaire using the Fertility Problem Inventory. Current levels of anxiety, depression, and marital satisfaction also were determined. Women described greater global stress than men and higher specific stress in terms of social concerns, sexual concerns, and need for parenthood. Both men and women facing male infertility reported higher global stress and more social and sexual concerns than men and women experiencing female infertility. Social, sexual, and relationship concerns related to infertility were more effective predictors of depression and marital dissatisfaction than expressed needs for parenthood or attitudes toward child-free living. The Fertility Problem Inventory provides a reliable measure of perceived infertility-related stress and specific information on five separate domains of patient concern. Patterns of infertility-related stress differed depending on gender, fertility history, and infertility diagnosis. Among patients receiving treatment, social, sexual, and relationship concerns appear central to current distress. Counseling interventions that target these domains appear likely to offer maximal therapeutic benefit.

Individual differences in delay discounting under acute stress: the role of trait perceived stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina M. Lempert

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Delay discounting refers to the reduction of the value of a future reward as the delay to that reward increases. The rate at which individuals discount future rewards varies as a function of both individual and contextual differences, and high delay discounting rates have been linked with problematic behaviors, including drug abuse and gambling. The current study investigated the effects of acute anticipatory stress on delay discounting, while considering two important factors: individual perceptions of stress and whether the stressful situation is future-focused or present-focused. Half of the participants experienced acute stress by anticipating giving a videotaped speech. This stress was either future-oriented (speech about future job or present-oriented (speech about physical appearance. They then performed a delay discounting task, in which they chose between smaller, immediate rewards and larger, delayed rewards. Their scores on the Perceived Stress Scale were also collected. The way in which one appraises a stressful situation interacts with acute stress to influence choices; under stressful conditions, delay discounting rate was highest in individuals with low perceived stress and lowest for individuals with high perceived stress. This result might be related to individual variation in reward responsiveness under stress. Furthermore, the time orientation of the task interacted with its stressfulness to affect the individual’s propensity to choose immediate rewards. These findings add to our understanding of the intermediary factors between stress and decision making.

Stress: a naturalistic proposal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María de Lourdes Rodríguez Campuzano

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Some of the stress related topics, especially from the conceptual framework of Lazarus and Folkman are reviewed on this work. It is sustained that this approach is dualistic and that the research made from this view is made on the basis of morphological criteria that don’t allow studying important elements of this kind of behavior. From an interbehavioral approach three functional criteria are proposed to study this phenomenon: the functional nature of situations, aptitude levels of behavior, and its three dimensions. Emphasis is made on the singular and individual nature of stress reactions. Finally it is suggested to take into account these functional criteria to develop a generic situational taxonomy to study these reactions as parts of complex behavioral patterns.

Occupational Stress and Professional Development of Primary School Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mateja Modrej

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The occupation of primary school teachers is considered one of the most stressful professions. The survey was used to determine the incidence of stress in 110 primary school teachers in urban and rural schools in Slovenia, depending on seniority. Its aim was to learn about stress symptoms, stressful situations and strategies to manage stress among teachers. The results show that teachers evaluate their work as a very responsible one and in majority do not think about changing their job. Teachers most often perceive physical and emotional symptoms of stress. They are faced with stressful situations when working with pupils, at their professional work, and in relations with colleagues, school management, and parents. When difficulties arise in their work, teachers most often turn for help to a colleague or the school management; and they manage their stress by going for a walk and talking to their friends.

Work-related stress, associated comorbidities and stress causes in French community pharmacies: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Bruno; Virot, Julie; Lambert, Céline; Collin, Aurore; Alapini, David; Gagnaire, Jean-Marc; Authier, Nicolas; Cuny, Damien; Vennat, Brigitte

2017-01-01

Background Like other health professionals, community pharmacists are exposed to stress factors (being efficient, avoiding mistakes and bearing emotional load), but they are also under the pressure of entrepreneurial responsibilities. The main objective was to assess the level of work-related stress in French community pharmacies. The other objectives of the study were to assess the associated comorbidities and causes of work-related stress. Methods This observational cross-sectional study was sent to all French community pharmacies by email. The survey was anonymous and designed to collect the following items: socio-demographic factors, professional status, characteristics of community pharmacy, work-related stress (visual analogic scale—VAS), fatigue (VAS), sleep disturbances (questions), anxiety and depression symptoms (hospital anxiety and depression scale), medical consultation for work-related stress, medication use for work related stress, psychoactive drug-use and causes of work-related stress. Participants were included in the survey if they were pharmacists (owner or assistant) or pharmacy technicians working in a community pharmacy at the time of the survey. Exclusion criteria were defined as follows: pharmacy students or other professionals involved in a community pharmacy (e.g. dietician, beautician) and lack of professional status information. There was no age limitation. Results After three months of data collection, 1,339 participants answered the survey and 1,272 participants were included in conformity with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and to avoid missing data on the primary endpoint. Work-related stress was detected in 32.8% (417/1,272) of individuals (scores ≥70/100). Men were significantly more affected than women and there was no difference between professional statuses and no relation with the age of the participants. Work-related stress was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, medical

Work-related stress, associated comorbidities and stress causes in French community pharmacies: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Balayssac

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background Like other health professionals, community pharmacists are exposed to stress factors (being efficient, avoiding mistakes and bearing emotional load, but they are also under the pressure of entrepreneurial responsibilities. The main objective was to assess the level of work-related stress in French community pharmacies. The other objectives of the study were to assess the associated comorbidities and causes of work-related stress. Methods This observational cross-sectional study was sent to all French community pharmacies by email. The survey was anonymous and designed to collect the following items: socio-demographic factors, professional status, characteristics of community pharmacy, work-related stress (visual analogic scale—VAS, fatigue (VAS, sleep disturbances (questions, anxiety and depression symptoms (hospital anxiety and depression scale, medical consultation for work-related stress, medication use for work related stress, psychoactive drug-use and causes of work-related stress. Participants were included in the survey if they were pharmacists (owner or assistant or pharmacy technicians working in a community pharmacy at the time of the survey. Exclusion criteria were defined as follows: pharmacy students or other professionals involved in a community pharmacy (e.g. dietician, beautician and lack of professional status information. There was no age limitation. Results After three months of data collection, 1,339 participants answered the survey and 1,272 participants were included in conformity with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and to avoid missing data on the primary endpoint. Work-related stress was detected in 32.8% (417/1,272 of individuals (scores ≥70/100. Men were significantly more affected than women and there was no difference between professional statuses and no relation with the age of the participants. Work-related stress was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep

Work-related stress, associated comorbidities and stress causes in French community pharmacies: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Balayssac, David; Pereira, Bruno; Virot, Julie; Lambert, Céline; Collin, Aurore; Alapini, David; Gagnaire, Jean-Marc; Authier, Nicolas; Cuny, Damien; Vennat, Brigitte

2017-01-01

Like other health professionals, community pharmacists are exposed to stress factors (being efficient, avoiding mistakes and bearing emotional load), but they are also under the pressure of entrepreneurial responsibilities. The main objective was to assess the level of work-related stress in French community pharmacies. The other objectives of the study were to assess the associated comorbidities and causes of work-related stress. This observational cross-sectional study was sent to all French community pharmacies by email. The survey was anonymous and designed to collect the following items: socio-demographic factors, professional status, characteristics of community pharmacy, work-related stress (visual analogic scale-VAS), fatigue (VAS), sleep disturbances (questions), anxiety and depression symptoms (hospital anxiety and depression scale), medical consultation for work-related stress, medication use for work related stress, psychoactive drug-use and causes of work-related stress. Participants were included in the survey if they were pharmacists (owner or assistant) or pharmacy technicians working in a community pharmacy at the time of the survey. Exclusion criteria were defined as follows: pharmacy students or other professionals involved in a community pharmacy (e.g. dietician, beautician) and lack of professional status information. There was no age limitation. After three months of data collection, 1,339 participants answered the survey and 1,272 participants were included in conformity with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and to avoid missing data on the primary endpoint. Work-related stress was detected in 32.8% (417/1,272) of individuals (scores ≥70/100). Men were significantly more affected than women and there was no difference between professional statuses and no relation with the age of the participants. Work-related stress was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, medical consultations, medication use

Racism-Related Stress, General Life Stress, and Psychological Functioning among Black American Women

Science.gov (United States)

Pieterse, Alex L.; Carter, Robert T.; Ray, Kilynda V.

2013-01-01

The relationship between general life stress, perceived racism, and psychological functioning was explored in a sample of 118 Black American women. Findings indicate that racism-related stress was not a significant predictor of psychological functioning when controlling for general life stress. Perceived racism was positively associated with…

Neural activation in stress-related exhaustion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gavelin, Hanna Malmberg; Neely, Anna Stigsdotter; Andersson, Micael

2017-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the association between burnout and neural activation during working memory processing in patients with stress-related exhaustion. Additionally, we investigated the neural effects of cognitive training as part of stress rehabilitation. Fifty...... association between burnout level and working memory performance was found, however, our findings indicate that frontostriatal neural responses related to working memory were modulated by burnout severity. We suggest that patients with high levels of burnout need to recruit additional cognitive resources...... to uphold task performance. Following cognitive training, increased neural activation was observed during 3-back in working memory-related regions, including the striatum, however, low sample size limits any firm conclusions....

When pain meets … pain-related choice behavior and pain perception in different goal conflict situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrooten, Martien G S; Wiech, Katja; Vlaeyen, Johan W S

2014-11-01

Individuals in pain often face the choice between avoiding pain and pursuing other equally valued goals. However, little is known about pain-related choice behavior and pain perception in goal conflict situations. Seventy-eight healthy volunteers performed a computerized task requiring repeated choices between incompatible options, differing in their effect on probability to receive painful stimulation and money. Depending on group assignment, participants chose between increased pain probability versus decreased money probability (avoidance-avoidance conflict situation); decreased pain probability versus increased money probability (approach-approach conflict situation); or decrease versus increase in both probabilities (double approach/avoidance conflict situation). During the choice task, participants rated painfulness, unpleasantness, threat, and fearfulness associated with the painful stimulation and how they felt. Longer choice latency and more choice switching were associated with higher retrospective ratings of conflict and of decision difficulty, and more equal importance placed on pain avoidance and earning money. Groups did not differ in choice behavior, pain stimulus ratings, or affect. Across groups, longer choice latencies were nonsignificantly associated with higher pain, unpleasantness, threat, and fearfulness. In the avoidance-avoidance group, more choice switching was associated with higher pain-related threat and fearfulness, and with more negative affect. These results of this study suggest that associations between choice behaviors, pain perception, and affect depend on conflict situation. We present a first experimental demonstration of the relationship between pain-related choice behaviors, pain, and affect in different goal conflict situations. This experimental approach allows us to examine these relationships in a controlled fashion. Better understanding of pain-related goal conflicts and their resolution may lead to more effective pain

A new request to the social psychiatry in Ukraine: stress-related disorders and PTSD, are we ready?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Chaban

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In early 2014 resulted by the outbreak of conflict in eastern Ukraine 823,000 people became internally displaced, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service. All of the above requires a new assessment of the state of people in a situation of chronic stress and distress taking into account their mentality, psychological amortization properties and social situation. We need systematic training of specialists in the field of acute stress and PTSD, with following consistent professional development. It is necessary to develop a national protocol for PTSD management and to implement an appropriate modernization of the Ukrainian health care system.

Occupations, perceived stress, and stress-related disorders among women and men in the public sector in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Håkansson, Carita; Ahlborg, Gunnar

2017-01-01

Stress-related disorders are a public health problem and represent a significant burden to individuals and society. It is, therefore, of importance to regard stress in a wider context and identify risk factors not only at work but in all occupations in everyday life, to prevent ill health. The aim of this study was to examine potential associations between everyday occupations, perceived stress, and stress-related disorders as well as potential gender differences. A survey was mailed to a random selection of 3481 employees in the public sector in Western Sweden. Cox regressions with constant time at risk were used, in order to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). The results showed a clear association between reporting imbalance between different everyday occupations and both perceived stress and stress-related disorders among men and women. Imbalance between different everyday occupations seems to be an important risk factor for perceived stress and stress-related disorder among both women and men. To enable people to achieve balance between different everyday occupations may be a useful way to prevent stress, stress-related disorders, and sick leave, and to promote better health and well-being.

Playing the game to tackle work-related stress

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakhuys Roozeboom, M.M.C.; Wiezer, N.M.; Schelvis, R.; Kraker, H. de

2012-01-01

The need for evidence-based solutions to the problem of work-related stress among employees in the Netherlands is increasing. Research institute TNO suggested that managers might learn about the issue by playing a specially designed game based around work-related stress. This led to the development

Post-stress recovery of pituitary-adrenal hormones and glucose, but not the response during exposure to the stressor, is a marker of stress intensity in highly stressful situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Márquez, Cristina; Belda, Xavier; Armario, Antonio

2002-02-01

Acute immobilization in male rats elicited the same ACTH, corticosterone and glucose response as foot shock when measured immediately after stress. However, post-stress recovery of plasma ACTH, corticosterone and glucose levels were delayed in immobilized versus shocked rats. Similarly, stress-induced anorexia was much greater in the former animals. All these data suggest that post-stress speed of recovery of some physiological variables is positively related to stressor intensity and could be used to evaluate it.

Alcohol-related memory associations in positive and negative affect situations: drinking motives, working memory capacity, and prospective drinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Salemink, Elske; Wiers, Reinout W

2014-03-01

Although studies on explicit alcohol cognitions have identified positive and negative reinforcing drinking motives that are differentially related to drinking indices, such a distinction has received less attention in studies on implicit cognitions. An alcohol-related Word-Sentence Association Task was used to assess implicit alcohol-related memory associations in positive and negative affect situations in 92 participants. Results revealed that enhancement motives were specifically associated with the endorsement of alcohol words in positive affect situations and coping motives were associated with the endorsement of alcohol words in negative affect situations. Furthermore, alcohol associations in positive affect situations predicted prospective alcohol use and number of binges, depending on levels of working memory capacity. The current findings shed more light on the underpinnings of alcohol use and suggest that implicit memory processes and working memory capacity might be important targets for intervention.

Work-related stress management between workplace and occupational health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnunen-Amoroso, Maritta; Liira, Juha

2016-06-13

Work-related stress has been evaluated as one of the most important health risks in Europe. Prevention of work related stress and interventions to reduce risk factors for stress in the workplace are conducted together by the enterprise and occupational health services. The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of Finnish occupational physicians on the stress management with enterprises. From the Finnish Association of Occupational Health Physicians membership list 207 physicians responded to self-administered anonymous questionnaire. The data were analysed using SPSS 17.0. The client enterprises contacted occupational health services frequently about work-related stress. Collaboration between occupational health and enterprises was strongest in companies' own occupational health services and generally with most experienced physicians. Occupational health services and enterprises shared responsibility for managing work-related stress. Professional experience and close contact with organisation management favours successful stress management between occupational health and enterprises.

Interindividual differences in stress sensitivity: basal and stress-induced cortisol levels differentially predict neural vigilance processing under stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Henckens, Marloes J A G; Klumpers, Floris; Everaerd, Daphne; Kooijman, Sabine C; van Wingen, Guido A; Fernández, Guillén

2016-04-01

Stress exposure is known to precipitate psychological disorders. However, large differences exist in how individuals respond to stressful situations. A major marker for stress sensitivity is hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function. Here, we studied how interindividual variance in both basal cortisol levels and stress-induced cortisol responses predicts differences in neural vigilance processing during stress exposure. Implementing a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design, 120 healthy male participants were exposed to a stress-induction and control procedure, followed by an emotional perception task (viewing fearful and happy faces) during fMRI scanning. Stress sensitivity was assessed using physiological (salivary cortisol levels) and psychological measures (trait questionnaires). High stress-induced cortisol responses were associated with increased stress sensitivity as assessed by psychological questionnaires, a stronger stress-induced increase in medial temporal activity and greater differential amygdala responses to fearful as opposed to happy faces under control conditions. In contrast, high basal cortisol levels were related to relative stress resilience as reflected by higher extraversion scores, a lower stress-induced increase in amygdala activity and enhanced differential processing of fearful compared with happy faces under stress. These findings seem to reflect a critical role for HPA-axis signaling in stress coping; higher basal levels indicate stress resilience, whereas higher cortisol responsivity to stress might facilitate recovery in those individuals prone to react sensitively to stress. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Predictors of responses to stress among families coping with poverty-related stress.

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Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo; Etter, Erica Moran; Wadsworth, Martha E; Raviv, Tali

2012-05-01

This study tested how poverty-related stress (PRS), psychological distress, and responses to stress predicted future effortful coping and involuntary stress responses one year later. In addition, we explored age, sex, ethnicity, and parental influences on responses to stress over time. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses conducted with 98 low-income families (300 family members: 136 adults, 82 school-aged children, 82 adolescents) revealed that primary control coping, secondary control coping, disengagement, involuntary engagement, and involuntary disengagement each significantly predicted future use of that response. Primary and secondary control coping also predicted less maladaptive future responses to stress, while involuntary responses to stress undermined the development of adaptive responding. Age, sex, and interactions among PRS and prior coping were also found to predict certain responses to stress. In addition, child subgroup analyses demonstrate the importance of parental modeling of coping and involuntary stress responses, and warmth/nurturance and monitoring practices. Results are discussed with regard to the implications for preventive interventions with families in poverty.

Stress leads to prosocial action in immediate need situations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony W. Buchanan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Stress clearly influences decision making, but the effects are complex. This review focuses on the potential for stress to promote prosocial decisions, serving others at a temporary cost to the self. Recent work has shown altruistic responses under stress, particularly when the target’s need is salient. We discuss potential mechanisms for these effects, including emotional contagion and offspring care mechanisms. These neurobiological mechanisms may promote prosocial—even heroic—action, particularly when an observer knows the appropriate response and can respond to a target in need. The effects of stress on behavior are not only negative, they can be adaptive and altruistic under conditions that promote survival and well-being at the individual and group level.

Epigenetic mechanisms of alcoholism and stress-related disorders.

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Palmisano, Martina; Pandey, Subhash C

2017-05-01

Stress-related disorders, such as anxiety, early life stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder appear to be important factors in promoting alcoholism, as alcohol consumption can temporarily attenuate the negative affective symptoms of these disorders. Several molecules involved in signaling pathways may contribute to the neuroadaptation induced during alcohol dependence and stress disorders, and among these, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and opioid peptides (i.e., nociceptin and dynorphin) are involved in the interaction of stress and alcohol. In fact, alterations in the expression and function of these molecules have been associated with the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders and alcoholism. In recent years, various studies have focused on the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate chromatin architecture, thereby modifying gene expression. Interestingly, epigenetic modifications in specific brain regions have been shown to be associated with the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including alcoholism and stress. In particular, the enzymes responsible for chromatin remodeling (i.e., histone deacetylases and methyltransferases, DNA methyltransferases) have been identified as common molecular mechanisms for the interaction of stress and alcohol and have become promising therapeutic targets to treat or prevent alcoholism and associated emotional disorders. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Stress Management: A Rational Approach.

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Reeves, Cecil

This workbook was designed for use as the primary resource tool during a l-day participatory stress management seminar in which participants identify stressful situations, conduct analyses, and develop approaches to manage the stressful situations more effectively. Small group warm-up activities designed to introduce participants, encourage…

Do I just look stressed or am I stressed? Work-related stress in a sample of Italian employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgi, Gabriele; Leon-Perez, Jose M; Cupelli, Vincenzo; Mucci, Nicola; Arcangeli, Giulio

2014-01-01

Work-related stress is becoming a significant problem in Italy and it is therefore essential to advance the theory and methodology required to detect this phenomenon at work. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose a new method for evaluating stress at work by measuring the discrepancies between employees' perceptions of stress and their leaders' evaluation of the stress of their subordinates. In addition, a positive impression scale was added to determine whether workers might give socially desirable responses in organizational diagnosis. Over 1,100 employees and 200 leaders within several Italian organizations were involved in this study. Structural equation modeling was used to test such new method for evaluating stress in a model of stress at work that incorporates relationships among individual (positive impression), interpersonal (workplace bullying) and organizational factors (working conditions, welfare culture, training). Results showed that the leaders' capacity to understand subordinates' stress is associated with subordinates' psychological well-being since higher disagreement between self and leaders' ratings was related to lower well-being. We discuss the implications of healthy leadership for the development of healthy organizations.

Participation in a US community-based cardiovascular health study: investigating nonrandom selection effects related to employment, perceived stress, work-related stress, and family caregiving.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Leslie A; Fujishiro, Kaori; Howard, Virginia J; Landsbergis, Paul; Hein, Misty J

2017-09-01

Participation in health studies may be inversely associated with employment and stress. We investigated whether employment, perceived stress, work-related stress, and family caregiving were related to participation in a longitudinal US community-based health study of black and white men and women aged ≥45 years. Prevalence ratios and confidence intervals were estimated for completion of the second stage (S2) of a two-stage enrollment process by employment (status, type), and stress (perceived stress, work-related stress, caregiving), adjusting for age, sex, race, region, income, and education. Eligibility and consent for a follow-up occupational survey were similarly evaluated. Wage- but not self-employed participants were less likely than the unemployed to complete S2. Among the employed, S2 completion did not vary by stress; however, family caregivers with a short time burden of care (stress levels. Limited evidence of selection bias was seen by employment and stress within a large US community-based cohort, but findings suggest the need for enrollment procedures to consider possible barriers to participation among wage-employed individuals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Oxidative stress in relation to surgery: is there a role for the antioxidant melatonin?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kücükakin, Bülent; Gögenur, Ismail; Reiter, Russel J

2009-01-01

During and after surgical procedures, there is a well defined physiological stress response that involves activation of inflammatory, endocrine, metabolic, and immunological mediators. Oxidative stress, which is defined to be a situation where the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species...... exceeds the mechanisms required to detoxify them, is believed to be an integrated part of the surgical stress response. Oxidative stress per se may be associated with complications such as myocardial injury, sepsis, pulmonary edema, kidney and liver failure, and increased mortality. Melatonin is a potent...... antioxidant and in many studies melatonin has been shown to be more effective than some "classical" antioxidants (e.g., vitamins E and C) in protecting against oxidative/nitrosative stress. There are numerous experimental studies in which the antioxidant properties of melatonin have been proven...

Management of agricultural aspects in nuclear and/or radiological emergency situations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griperay, Gerard

1997-01-01

In revealing the agricultural aspects of the nuclear and/or radiological emergency situations the paper stresses upon the shocking role which the Chernobyl nuclear accident had on the agricultural management in France. Merely, the misunderstand, unawareness and lack of information relative to production as well as contamination conditions led to damages of FF 150 millions to the detriment of French farmers. Reflexions upon and analysis of this case has led to several conclusions concerning the role of information, the situation of international standards, and the lack of knowledge in important practical issues related to radioisotope migration in plants and agricultural products. Among the future lines of action in this field there are discussed the issues of indemnity, post-accident planning, drilling and information. In conclusion the following points are highlighted: 1. Redefinition of the EU standards; 2. Updating the situation of food and agricultural production units located around basic nuclear facilities in order to dispose of the necessary statistics to make decisions in emergency situations; 3. In absence of a post-accident plan, a scheme of action should be elaborated able to be rapidly implemented by public authorities in order to protect the consumer and restrict the supply to local market and exportation only to warranted agricultural products

Managing work-related stress in the district nursing workplace.

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Burke, Michelle

2013-11-01

This article aims to highlight the issue of work-related stress within the district nursing workplace. It will acknowledge how the management of work-related stress has previously been discussed within nursing literature and will consider the emerging relationship between staff working conditions, staff wellbeing and quality of patient care. It will reintroduce the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Management Standards approach to tackling work-related stress, which provides management support to reduce environmental work stressors and encourage enabling work environments and a positive workplace culture.

HER2 and β-catenin protein location: importance in the prognosis of breast cancer patients and their correlation when breast cancer cells suffer stressful situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuello-Carrión, F Darío; Shortrede, Jorge E; Alvarez-Olmedo, Daiana; Cayado-Gutiérrez, Niubys; Castro, Gisela N; Zoppino, Felipe C M; Guerrero, Martín; Martinis, Estefania; Wuilloud, Rodolfo; Gómez, Nidia N; Biaggio, Verónica; Orozco, Javier; Gago, Francisco E; Ciocca, Leonardo A; Fanelli, Mariel A; Ciocca, Daniel R

2015-02-01

In human breast cancer, β-catenin localization has been related with disease prognosis. Since HER2-positive patients are an important subgroup, and that in breast cancer cells a direct interaction of β-catenin/HER2 has been reported, in the present study we have explored whether β-catenin location is related with the disease survival. The study was performed in a tumor bank from patients (n = 140) that did not receive specific anti-HER2 therapy. The proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry in serial sections, 47 (33.5%) patients were HER2-positive with a long follow-up. HER2-positive patients that displayed β-catenin at the plasma membrane (completely surrounding the tumour cells) showed a significant better disease-free survival and overall survival than the patients showing the protein on other locations. Then we explored the dynamics of the co-expression of β-catenin and HER2 in human MCF-7 and SKBR3 cells exposed to different stressful situations. In untreated conditions MCF-7 and SKBR3 cells showed very different β-catenin localization. In MCF-7 cells, cadmium administration caused a striking change in β-catenin localization driving it from plasma membrane to cytoplasmic and perinuclear areas and HER2 showed a similar localization patterns. The changes induced by cadmium were compared with heat shock, H2O2 and tamoxifen treatments. In conclusion, this study shows the dynamical associations of HER2 and β-catenin and their changes in subcellular localizations driven by stressful situations. In addition, we report for the first time the correlation between plasma membrane associated β-catenin in HER2-positive breast cancer and survival outcome, and the importance of the protein localization in breast cancer samples.

The stress connection : neuroimaging studies of emotion circuits in social stress, personality, and stress-related psychopathology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veer, Ilya Milos

2015-01-01

The aim of this thesis was to identify the neural mechanisms that enable a person to adaptively respond to, and recover from stress, which was studied in healthy controls, in people with increased vulnerability or resilience to stress-related disorders, and in people with depression or PTSD, using

Work-related stress: A survey of Indian anesthesiologists

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Sumitra Ganesh Bakshi

2017-01-01

Conclusion: The majority of participants rated their stress as moderate-extreme and was higher in anesthesiologists working long hours, over the weekend and those handling high-risk patients. A majority of participants felt the survey made them think about work-related stress and expressed their willingness to participate in stress management programs.

Nature-Based Stress Management Course for Individuals at Risk of Adverse Health Effects from Work-Related Stress—Effects on Stress Related Symptoms, Workability and Sick Leave

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Eva Sahlin

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Sick leave due to stress-related disorders is increasing in Sweden after a period of decrease. To avoid that individuals living under heavy stress develop more severe stress-related disorders, different stress management interventions are offered. Self-assessed health, burnout-scores and well-being are commonly used as outcome measures. Few studies have used sick-leave to compare effects of stress interventions. A new approach is to use nature and garden in a multimodal stress management context. This study aimed to explore effects on burnout, work ability, stress-related health symptoms, and sick leave for 33 women participating in a 12-weeks nature based stress management course and to investigate how the nature/garden activities were experienced. A mixed method approach was used. Measures were taken at course start and three follow-ups. Results showed decreased burnout-scores and long-term sick leaves, and increased work ability; furthermore less stress-related symptoms were reported. Tools and strategies to better handle stress were achieved and were widely at use at all follow-ups. The garden and nature content played an important role for stress relief and for tools and strategies to develop. The results from this study points to beneficial effects of using garden activities and natural environments in a stress management intervention.

Nature-Based Stress Management Course for Individuals at Risk of Adverse Health Effects from Work-Related Stress—Effects on Stress Related Symptoms, Workability and Sick Leave

Science.gov (United States)

Sahlin, Eva; Ahlborg, Gunnar; Vega Matuszczyk, Josefa; Grahn, Patrik

2014-01-01

Sick leave due to stress-related disorders is increasing in Sweden after a period of decrease. To avoid that individuals living under heavy stress develop more severe stress-related disorders, different stress management interventions are offered. Self-assessed health, burnout-scores and well-being are commonly used as outcome measures. Few studies have used sick-leave to compare effects of stress interventions. A new approach is to use nature and garden in a multimodal stress management context. This study aimed to explore effects on burnout, work ability, stress-related health symptoms, and sick leave for 33 women participating in a 12-weeks nature based stress management course and to investigate how the nature/garden activities were experienced. A mixed method approach was used. Measures were taken at course start and three follow-ups. Results showed decreased burnout-scores and long-term sick leaves, and increased work ability; furthermore less stress-related symptoms were reported. Tools and strategies to better handle stress were achieved and were widely at use at all follow-ups. The garden and nature content played an important role for stress relief and for tools and strategies to develop. The results from this study points to beneficial effects of using garden activities and natural environments in a stress management intervention. PMID:25003175

Work-related stress, work/life balance and personal life coaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawksley, Barbara

2007-01-01

Work-related stress adversely affects personal performance, organizational efficiency and patient care as well as costing the NHS millions of pounds each year. Reducing the effects of work-related stress is a legal duty for all employers. There are a number of resources available to help both employees and employers, such as the Health and Safety Executive stress management standards. Personal life coaching is one approach to reducing work-related stress, which is well established amongst business and management executives as well as some public sector organizations.

Level of Work Related Stress among Teachers in Elementary Schools

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Teuta Agai–Demjaha

2015-07-01

CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that the majority of interviewed teachers perceived their work-related stress as high or very high. In terms of the relationship between the level of teachers’ stress and certain demographic and job characteristics, according to our results, the level of work-related stress has shown significantly high relation to gender, age, levels of grades taught as well as working experience, and significant relation to the level of education.

The experience of acculturative stress-related growth from immigrants’ perspectives

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Kim, Junhyoung; Kim, Hakjun

2013-01-01

Previous literature has mainly focused on the positive effects of stress associated with disability and illness, called stress-related growth. Little research has explored positive changes as a result of acculturative stress among a group of immigrants. In particular, older Asian immigrants may experience a high level of stress related to acculturation because they may face more challenges to adapt to and navigate a new culture. This study was designed to capture the characteristics of stress-related growth associated with acculturative stress. Using in-depth interviews among 13 older Korean immigrants, three main themes associated with the stress-coping strategies were identified: (a) the development of mental toughness, (b) engagement in meaningful activities, and (c) promotion of cultural understanding. These themes indicate that by following the stressful acculturation process, participants developed a better understanding of the new culture, engaged in various leisure activities, and enhanced mental strength. This finding provides information on how immigrants deal with acculturative stress and have positive psychological changes, which results in a sense of happiness and psychological well-being. PMID:24070225

The experience of acculturative stress-related growth from immigrants’ perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junhyoung Kim

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Previous literature has mainly focused on the positive effects of stress associated with disability and illness, called stress-related growth. Little research has explored positive changes as a result of acculturative stress among a group of immigrants. In particular, older Asian immigrants may experience a high level of stress related to acculturation because they may face more challenges to adapt to and navigate a new culture. This study was designed to capture the characteristics of stress-related growth associated with acculturative stress. Using in-depth interviews among 13 older Korean immigrants, three main themes associated with the stress-coping strategies were identified: (a the development of mental toughness, (b engagement in meaningful activities, and (c promotion of cultural understanding. These themes indicate that by following the stressful acculturation process, participants developed a better understanding of the new culture, engaged in various leisure activities, and enhanced mental strength. This finding provides information on how immigrants deal with acculturative stress and have positive psychological changes, which results in a sense of happiness and psychological well-being.

On the Role of Situational Stressors in the Disruption of Global Neural Network Stability during Problem Solving.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mengting; Amey, Rachel C; Forbes, Chad E

2017-12-01

When individuals are placed in stressful situations, they are likely to exhibit deficits in cognitive capacity over and above situational demands. Despite this, individuals may still persevere and ultimately succeed in these situations. Little is known, however, about neural network properties that instantiate success or failure in both neutral and stressful situations, particularly with respect to regions integral for problem-solving processes that are necessary for optimal performance on more complex tasks. In this study, we outline how hidden Markov modeling based on multivoxel pattern analysis can be used to quantify unique brain states underlying complex network interactions that yield either successful or unsuccessful problem solving in more neutral or stressful situations. We provide evidence that brain network stability and states underlying synchronous interactions in regions integral for problem-solving processes are key predictors of whether individuals succeed or fail in stressful situations. Findings also suggested that individuals utilize discriminate neural patterns in successfully solving problems in stressful or neutral situations. Findings overall highlight how hidden Markov modeling can provide myriad possibilities for quantifying and better understanding the role of global network interactions in the problem-solving process and how the said interactions predict success or failure in different contexts.

A study on anti-stress property of Nardostachys jatamamsi on stress induced Drosophila melanogaster

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Shilpashree R.

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Stress is a feeling that’s created when we react to particular events. It s the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. As a result of the stress immune system can be suppressed by chronic stress opening to increased infections and increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases. So one has to learn away to overcome stress. Here is an attempt made to overcome the stress induced in Drosophila melanogaster a model organism, in this study. Methotrexate is used to induce the stress at different concentration taking different group of flies and a Nardostachys jatamamsi plant extract having antistress property is used to relieve the stress induced. This stress relieve measured by the various stress related enzymes like catalase and Superoxide dismutase by this antistress property of the plant Nardostachys jatamamsi was shown.

Do I Just Look Stressed or am I Stressed? Work-related Stress in a Sample of Italian Employees

OpenAIRE

GIORGI, Gabriele; LEON-PEREZ, Jose M.; CUPELLI, Vincenzo; MUCCI, Nicola; ARCANGELI, Giulio

2013-01-01

Work-related stress is becoming a significant problem in Italy and it is therefore essential to advance the theory and methodology required to detect this phenomenon at work. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose a new method for evaluating stress at work by measuring the discrepancies between employees' perceptions of stress and their leaders' evaluation of the stress of their subordinates. In addition, a positive impression scale was added to determine whether workers might give sociall...

[Work related stress: from knowledge to practice].

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, G

2009-01-01

Work-related stress is a well documented condition, resulting from a distorted interaction between working conditions and individual coping resources, that may have a negative impact on workers' health and well-being, as well as nd on performance efficiency and productivity: hence high costs for workers companies and society. It is a complex multifaceted and multidimensional phenomenon, whose assessment needs a multidisciplinary approach (work management, psychology, physiology, ergonomics, sociology, medicine). That is why risk assessment and management require a careful analysis of work organization (i.e. working time, work load, autonomy, environment, human relations) and individual aspects (i.e. demography, personality, attitudes, motivation, coping strategies). The consequent actions, targeted to the individuals, groups and organizations, should be aimed at preventing or reducing work-related stress, on the one hand, and supporting and protecting the worker, on the other, considering cost/effectiveness and risk/benefit ratios. This can be achieveds to be done with the participation and close collaboration of all the social actors involved (employers, employees, technicians, work organization and occupational health experts), according to the European Framework Agreement on Work-related Stress, signed on October 2004 and included into the Italian Law Decree 81/2008.

Relation between academic yield and stress in medical students

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Sandra Patricia González Peña

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Objective. To study risk factors that where found as influence in the academic yield (stress, alcohol, friendships, depression and family relations in the students of the Medicine Faculty of the Universidad de Manizales. Materials and methods: Descriptive study integrated by random selected sample, who were attending of II to XI semester of the Medicine faculty. An anonymous survey was conduced about sociodemographic, cultural, academic and motivational characteristics,including stress, depresión, family disfunction and substance abuse. We correlated all variables with academic yield using chi square test, Pearson`s coefficient and lineal regression. Results: 212 students of ages between 17 and 31 years where analyzed, in which the majority where from another city. Some of the factors were detected which affect the academic yield of the students as it is stress, depression, the family function and friendships among others. Conclusions: A significant relation between academic yield and stress was found. In turn, stress variable was influenced by depression, alcohol and family relation.

An examination of stress and burnout in certified athletic trainers at division I-a universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrix, A E; Acevedo, E O; Hebert, E

2000-04-01

A growing body of knowledge indicates that too much stress can negatively influence psychological and physical health. A model proposed by Smith to explore personal and situational variables, stress appraisal, and burnout has led to significant understanding of burnout of individuals working in service professions. We examined the relationship of hardiness, social support, and work-related issues relevant to athletic trainers to perceived stress and the relationship of perceived stress to burnout. Correlational analyses were performed to examine the relationships predicted by Smith's model. In addition, we conducted stepwise multiple regression analyses to assess the relative contributions of the personal and situational variables to perceived stress and to examine the relative impact of perceived stress on 3 burnout factors (emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization). One hundred eighteen certified athletic trainers working in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A intercollegiate settings that maintain a football program. We assessed personal and situational variables using the Hardiness Test, the Social Support Questionnaire, and the Athletic Training Issues Survey, adapted for this study. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to assess stress appraisal, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to assess 3 dimensions of burnout. Our results were in support of Smith's theoretical model of stress and burnout. Athletic trainers who scored lower on hardiness and social support and higher on athletic training issues tended to have higher levels of perceived stress. Furthermore, higher perceived stress scores were related to higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and lower levels of personal accomplishment. Our findings examining burnout in Division I athletic trainers were similar to those of other studies investigating coaches and coach-teachers and in support of Smith's theoretical model of stress and burnout.

Cancer-Related Stress and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Review

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Kavita D. Chandwani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A cancer diagnosis elicits strong psychophysiological reactions that characterize stress. Stress is experienced by all patients but is usually not discussed during patient-healthcare professional interaction; thus underdiagnosed, very few are referred to support services. The prevalence of CAM use in patients with history of cancer is growing. The purpose of the paper is to review the aspects of cancer-related stress and interventions of commonly used complementary and alternative techniques/products for amelioration of cancer-related stress. Feasibility of intervention of several CAM techniques and products commonly used by cancer patients and survivors has been established in some cancer populations. Efficacy of some CAM techniques and products in reducing stress has been documented as well as stress-related symptoms in patients with cancer such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, acupuncture, energy-based techniques, and physical activity. Much of the research limitations include small study samples and variety of intervention length and content. Efficacy and safety of many CAM techniques and some herbs and vitamin B and D supplements need to be confirmed in further studies using scientific methodology. Several complementary and alternative medicine therapies could be integrated into standard cancer care to ameliorate cancer-related stress.

[Jealousy in close relationships: personal, relational and situational variables].

Science.gov (United States)

Demirtaş, H Andaç; Dönmez, Ali

2006-01-01

In this study, the effects of personal, situational, and relational variables (such as age, gender, gender role orientation, duration of relationship, relational satisfaction, and physical attractiveness of the partner) on jealousy are investigated. A sample of 454 individuals currently involved in dating or marital relationships (48 % married, 52 % unmarried) completed the Romantic Jealousy Questionnaire, Bem Sex Role Inventory, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Stepwise regression analyses and 2 (gender) x2 (gender role orientation) x2 (relational type) ANOVA's were submitted for analyzing the data. Analysis indicated that unmarried people reported higher levels of jealousy than married people (F1-446 = 5.029). Married women reported less jealousy than unmarried women and married women reported more jealousy than married men. Age, relational satisfaction level, expectation level about the duration of the relationship, and physical attractiveness of the partner were unique predictors of the reported level of jealousy (R2 = 0.12; adjusted R2 = 0.11; P physical, emotional, and cognitive responses to jealousy compared to men. Women used more constructive (F1-446 = 6.27) and less destructive strategies than men (F1-446 = 6.27). Unmarried people used more destructive strategies than married people (F1-446 = 3.84). Age, self-esteem, and the duration of the relationship were unique predictors of coping strategies. The present study revealed that jealousy was a multidimensional variable. In particular, relational type, self-esteem, age, relational satisfaction, and sex are highly correlated with jealousy.

[Occupational stress situation analysis of different types of train drivers].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wenhui; Gu, Guizhen; Wu, Hui; Yu, Shanfa

2014-11-01

To analyze the status of occupational stress in different types of train drivers. By using cluster sampling method, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 1 339 train drivers (including 289 passenger train drivers, 637 freight trains drivers, 339 passenger shunting train drivers, and 74 high speed rail drivers) from a Railway Bureau depot. The survey included individual factors, occupational stress factors, stress response factors and stress mitigating factors. The occupational stress factors, stress response factors and mitigating factors were measured by the revised effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model questionnaires and occupational stress measurement scale. By using the method of covariance analysized the difference of occupational stress factors of all types train drivers, the method of Stepwise regression was used to analyze the effection (R(2)) of occupational stress factors and stress mitigating factors on stress response factors. Covariance analysis as covariates in age, education level, length of service and marital status showed that the scores of ERI (1.58 ± 0.05), extrinsic effort (19.88 ± 0.44), rewards (23.43 ± 0.43), intrinsic effort (17.86 ± 0.36), physical environment (5.70 ± 0.22), social support (30.51 ± 0.88) and daily tension (10.27 ± 0.38 ) of high speed rail drivers were higher than other drivers (F values were 6.06, 11.32, 7.05, 13.25, 5.20, 9.48 and 6.14 respectively, P occupational stress factors and mitigating factors to depressive symptoms of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.64), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.44), passenger shunting train drivers (R(2) = 0.39), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.38); job satisfaction of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.68), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.62), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.43), passenger shunting train drivers(R(2) = 0.38); to daily tension of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.54), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0

STRESS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria-Elena, GHEORDUNESCU

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Taking into account the changes that are currently taking place in our country, it is clear that these changes, which occur in almost all companies, lead to new stress factors for both employees and the organization. Occupational stress is a major problem for employees and managers, but also for the whole society. The issue of stress in organizations has given birth to many debates and studies. It is a common theme that is addressed by managers, employees and consultants from different perspectives. According to a study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, in the European Union, work-related stress is the second work-related health issue after dorsal disorders. It affects 28% of EU employees. The European Parliament is fully involved in addressing issues related to the psychological support of the staff. Preventing work-related stress is one of the objectives set out in the Communique of the European Commission for Employment and Social Affairs regarding their new health and safety at work strategy. Manifestations of stress in organizations are easily observable, being manifested by behaviors such as: difficulties in adapting to the changes required to work or the dramatic drop in labor productivity. Also a double action is met: both the person who passes through the stressful situation and at the organization level on which it is reflected the existence of a stressful environment. This paper aims to address the implications of workplace stress, symptoms of stress in the workplace and strategies to eliminate and prevent stress at work This paper represents an exploratory research based on qualitative methods, being consulted various sources of information: the literature, case studies, media articles, reports of relevant organizations, etc.

Cockpit resources management and the theory of the situation

Science.gov (United States)

Bolman, L.

1984-01-01

The cockpit resource management (CRM) and hypothetical cockpit situations are discussed. Four different conditions which influence pilot action are outlined: (1) wrong assumptions about a situation; (2) stress and workload; (3) frustration and delays to cause risk taking; and (4) ambigious incomplete or contradicting information. Human factors and behavior, and pilot communication and management in the simulator are outlined.

Adolescent antisocial behavior explained by combining stress-related parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Platje, Evelien; Jansen, Lucres M. C.; Vermeiren, Robert R. J. M.; Doreleijers, Theo A. H.; van Lier, Pol A. C.; Koot, Hans M.; Meeus, W.H.J.; Branje, Suzan J. T.; Popma, Arne

Many stress-related parameters have been associated with antisocial behavior, including low cortisol awakening responses (CAR), as well as low cortisol and alpha-amylase reactivity to stress. These parameters reflect different, yet interrelated components of the stress system, yet it remains to be

The relation between fearfulness in young and stress-response in adult laying hens, on individual and group level

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haas, Elske N.; Kops, Marjolein S.; Bolhuis, J. Elizabeth; Groothuis, Ton G. G.; Ellen, Esther D.; Rodenburg, T. Bas

2012-01-01

Fearfulness of an individual can affect its sensitivity to stress, while at the same time the social situation in which an animal lives can affect its fear level. It is however unknown what the long-term effects of high fearfulness on sensitivity to stress are, on individual or group level in laying

Stress at work: development of the Stress Perception Questionnaire of Rome (SPQR), an ad hoc questionnaire for multidimensional assessment of work related stress.

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Cinti, M E; Cannavò, M; Fioravanti, M

2017-01-01

Stress is an emotional condition, mostly experienced as negative, initially identified and defined by Selye in the mid-thirties of the last Century. Since the first definition, stress concerns the adaptation pro- cess mostly related to environmental changes. An application of stress focuses on the evaluation of its interference on work conditions, and the scientific evidence on work related stress is very ample and rich. We are proposing a new ad hoc questionnaire for the multidimensional assessment of work related stress, called Stress Perception Question- naire of Rome (SPQR) composed of 50 items. The development of this questionnaire is based on a multi-step process: a) Identification of all the relevant topics to work related stress and areas in the scientific evidence and their transformation on specific contents of 60 tentative items; b) Exploratory factor analysis aimed to identify the best items (50) which could guarantee the maximum convergence on single scales (8), and the minimum redundancy between scales; c) Validation of the 8 scales' structure by a confirmatory factor analysis (fully achieved); d) Factor analysis for a second level factor resulting in a single factor identified as the questionnaire total score (Stress Score); d) Reliability analysis of the questionnaire total score and the single scale scores (at optimum level); e) Validation by external criteria of work related stress identified in the presence of personal violence episodes experienced by a group of health workers with different professional profiles and from two different hospitals in Rome. Our results show that the SPQR is a useful and sensitive tool for assessing the presence of emotional stress related problems identifiable in a work environment. The advantage of this questionnaire is that it allows for a multidimensional description of the different components of this problematic area besides its ability to quantify the overall stress level of those who have been administered

Perceived work-related stress and early atherosclerotic changes in healthy employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Bugajska, Joanna; Widerszal-Bazyl, Maria; Radkiewicz, Piotr; Pasierski, Tomasz; Szulczyk, Grazyna Anna; Zabek, Jakub; Wojciechowska, Bozena; Jedryka-Góral, Anna

2008-08-01

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived work-related stress and preclinical atherosclerosis. A total of 100 managers and 50 office workers aged 35-65 participated in a questionnaire study. Individual, family and work-related stress risk factors and coping were evaluated in all the studied individuals. Serum levels of biochemical (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, TG, glucose) and serological risk factors of atherosclerosis (anticardiolipin, anti-beta(2) GPI, anti-oxLDL, anti-HSP and anti-hsCRP antibodies) were evaluated. A computer analysis of B-mode ultrasound images was used to assess carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and atherosclerotic plaque in carotid arteries. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS v. 11.5. The studied individuals showed average ranges of both the global stress level and of coping results. In 71% no changes were found in the ultrasound image and in 29% of individuals (43) the presence of plaque was shown. The mean value of the IMT measure was 0.0618 +/- 0.013 mm. IMT and plaque correlated negatively with the level of global work-related stress (r = -0.26; P related stress and coping, or between coping and IMT (P > 0.05), or between work-related stress and healthy lifestyle (no smoking, no excessive use of alcohol, high physical activity), or between healthy lifestyle and IMT (P > 0.05). Positive correlation between IMT and LDL and smoking did not result from higher stress reaction in the studied individuals. The explanation of the negative correlation between perceived work-related stress and preclinical atherosclerosis was not confirmed either by the subjects under high stress undertaking healthy protective activities or by their escaping into unhealthy behaviour. The most probable interpretation of the results is that in individuals with a low level of perceived work-related stress, somatization of stress takes place.

Work-related stress in the veterinary profession in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, D H; Hini, D

2006-06-01

To investigate sources of work-related stress in the veterinary profession in New Zealand, perceptions of levels of stress being experienced, and the social support that veterinarians are using to manage work-related stress. A postal survey was distributed to 1,907 veterinarians registered with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ). The survey collected information on respondents' age, gender, type and number of people in the workplace, stress levels, depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, causes of stress and sources of support. Nine hundred and twenty-seven (48.6%) veterinarians returned useable responses. Veterinarians who were retired, working overseas or did not provide information about their type of work were excluded from the analysis, leaving data from 849 (44.5%) veterinarians. Women experienced more work-related stress and depression than men, veterinarians in small animal/mixed practice reported more stress and depression than those in other types of work, and younger veterinarians experienced higher levels of stress than older veterinarians. The main sources of stress were hours worked, client expectations, and unexpected outcomes. Respondents were also stressed by the need to keep up their knowledge and technical skills, and by personal relationships, finances and their expectations of themselves. Most respondents reported that they had good networks of family and friends to help them deal with stress. In general, respondents tended to rely on informal networks such as family and friends, other veterinarians and workmates to provide support. The small proportion of respondents who reported clinical depression or suicidal thoughts or attempts were more likely than respondents in general to have used health professionals, counselling, pastoral/spiritual support and the Vets in Stress phone line, but less likely to have sought support from employers and workmates. There is a need for a wide range of strategies to manage work-related stress

Determinants of job related stress experienced by nursing staff.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veer, A. de; Francke, A.

2010-01-01

Introduction: Stress levels of Dutch nurses have been found to increase since 2005. There is evidence that personal resources such as coping style and social support influence job related stress. However when formulating policy to reduce such stress, specific jobrelated factors must also be

SPECIFICITY OF SELF-PRESERVATION MOTIVATION IN EXTREME SITUATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ekaterina Anatolevna Karacheva

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of the study motivation of self-preservation in an extreme situation. Usually extreme situation unfold from the point of view of functioning, health, high negative level mental stress and tension. The extreme situation is the situation of human activity to which man acts, carrying out certain activities. The article provides an overview of russian and foreign authors dealing with this problem. Theoretical models of motivation of self-preservation Z. Freud, A. Maslow, G. Murray, M. Magomed-Eminov. The study explores the leading motivation in an extreme situation and analyzed the levels of motivation of self-preservation. The study was conducted in the Afghan veterans, using a method of unfinished sentences and other. Identified two levels of motivation of self-preservation: individual and personal. Revealed that the motivation of self-preservation is the leading motivation in an extreme situation.

Work-related social support modulates effects of early life stress on limbic reactivity during stress.

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Leicht-Deobald, Ulrich; Bruch, Heike; Bönke, Luisa; Stevense, Amie; Fan, Yan; Bajbouj, Malek; Grimm, Simone

2017-12-15

Early life stress (ELS) affects stress- reactivity via limbic brain regions implicated such as hippocampus and amygdala. Social support is a major protective factor against ELS effects, while subjects with ELS experience reportedly perceive less of it in their daily life. The workplace, where most adults spend a substantial amount of time in their daily lives, might serve as a major resource for social support. Since previous data demonstrated that social support attenuates stress reactivity, we here used a psychosocial stress task to test the hypothesis that work-related social support modulates the effects of ELS. Results show decreased amygdala reactivity during stress in ELS subjects who report high levels of work- related social support, thereby indicating a signature for reduced stress reactivity. However, this effect was only observable on the neural, but not on the behavioral level, since social support had no buffering effect regarding the subjective experience of stress in daily life as well as regarding feelings of uncontrollability induced by the stress task. Accordingly, our data suggest that subjects with ELS experiences might benefit from interventions targeted at lowering their subjective stress levels by helping them to better perceive the availability of social support in their daily lives.

Correlates of hepatitis B virus health-related behaviors of Korean Americans: a situation-specific nursing theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Haeok; Fawcett, Jacqueline; Yang, Jin Hyang; Hann, Hie-Won

2012-12-01

The purpose of this article is to explain the evolution of a situation-specific theory developed to enhance understanding of health-related behaviors of Korean Americans (KAs) who have or are at risk for a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The situation-specific theory evolved from an integration of the Network Episode Model, studies of health-related behaviors of people with HBV infection, and our studies of and practice experiences with Asian American individuals with HBV infection. The major concepts of the theory are sociocultural context, social network, individual-level factors, illness experience, and health-related behaviors. The major propositions of the theory are that sociocultural context, social network, and individual-level factors influence the illness experience, and that sociocultural context, social network, individual-level factors, and the illness experience influence health-related behaviors of KAs who have or are at risk for HBV infection. This situation-specific theory represents a translation of abstract concepts into clinical reality. The theory is an explanation of correlates of health-related HBV behaviors of KAs. The next step is to develop and test the effectiveness of a nursing intervention designed to promote behaviors that will enhance the health of KAs who have or are at risk for HBV infection, and that takes into account sociocultural context, social network, individual-level factors, and illness experience. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Coping in Parkinson's disease: an examination of the coping inventory for stressful situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurt, C S; Thomas, B A; Burn, D J; Hindle, J V; Landau, S; Samuel, M; Wilson, K C M; Brown, R G

2011-10-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) brings with it a range of stresses and challenges with which a patient must cope. The type of coping strategies employed can impact upon well-being, although findings from coping studies in PD remain inconsistent. The variety of coping scales used without validation in PD has been cited as a possible cause of this inconsistency. The present study sought to examine the validity of the coping inventory for stressful situations (CISS) in a sample of patients with PD. Five hundred and twenty-five patients with PD were recruited as part of a longitudinal investigation of mood states in PD. Four hundred and seventy-one participants completed the CISS. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to explore the structural validity of the scale. Internal reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity were assessed using Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlations and Pearson's correlations. Both three and four factor solutions were examined. The four factor model was found to provide a better fit of the data than the three factor model. The internal reliability, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability of the CISS scales were shown to be good. Use of emotion-focused coping was associated with greater depression and anxiety whilst, task-oriented coping was associated with better psychological well-being. The results provide support for the validity and reliability of the CISS as a measure of coping in patients with PD. Further research into the relationship between coping and well-being is warranted. The identification of helpful and unhelpful coping strategies may guide the development of evidence-based therapies to improve well-being in patients with PD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Occupational stress and related factors among surgical residents in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Sanghee; Jo, Hye Sung; Boo, Yoon Jung; Lee, Ji Sung; Kim, Chong Suk

2015-11-01

The application rate for surgical residents in Korea has continuously decreased over the past few years. The demanding workload and the occupational stress of surgical training are likely causes of this problem. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational stress and its related factors in Korean surgical residents. With the support of the Korean Surgical Society, we conducted an electronic survey of Korean surgical residents related to occupational stress. We used the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) to measure occupational stress. We analyzed the data focused on the stress level and the factors associated with occupational stress. The mean KOSS score of the surgical residents was 55.39, which was significantly higher than that of practicing surgeons (48.16, P occupation rate and exercise were all significantly associated with KOSS score. Surgical residents have high occupational stress compared to practicing surgeons and other professionals. Their mean number of assigned patients, resident recruitment rate and exercise were all significantly associated with occupational stress for surgical residents.

Work related stress and blood glucose levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Sancini, A; Ricci, S; Tomei, F; Sacco, C; Pacchiarotti, A; Nardone, N; Ricci, P; Suppi, A; De Cesare, D P; Anzelmo, V; Giubilati, R; Pimpinella, B; Rosati, M V; Tomei, G

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to evaluate work-related subjective stress in a group of workers on a major Italian company in the field of healthcare through the administration of a valid "questionnaire-tool indicator" (HSE Indicator Tool), and to analyze any correlation between stress levels taken from questionnaire scores and blood glucose values. We studied a final sample consisting of 241 subjects with different tasks. The HSE questionnaire - made up of 35 items (divided into 7 organizational dimensions) with 5 possible answers - has been distributed to all the subjects in occasion of the health surveillance examinations provided by law. The questionnaire was then analyzed using its specific software to process the results related to the 7 dimensions. These results were compared using the Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression with the blood glucose values obtained from each subject. From the analysis of the data the following areas resulted critical, in other words linked to an intermediate (yellow area) or high (red area) condition of stress: sustain from managers, sustain from colleagues, quality of relationships and professional changes. A significant positive correlation (p work stress can be statistically associated with increased levels of blood glucose.

[Nearby nature as a moderator of stress during childhood].

Science.gov (United States)

Corraliza, José Antonio; Collado, Silvia

2011-04-01

The aim of this investigation is to study the relation between the amount of nature existing in children's daily environments and the way children deal with stressful events. Every day, children are exposed to situations that cause stress. Taking into account previous studies, it is thought that the greener the place where children spend their time, the better they cope with adversities. Thus, when comparing the stress level of children who are exposed to the same amount of adverse situations, the children who have more frequent daily contact with nature will show less stress than those who do not spend time in nature. This effect from nearby nature is called a buffering effect. The present study provides empirical evidence of the buffering effect caused by the existence of Nature in the residential and the school environment. Therefore, our results show that children who have more access to nature increase their resilience, showing a lower stress level than children whose contact with nature is less frequent.

Cancer-Related Post-traumatic Stress (PDQ®)—Patient Version

Science.gov (United States)

Cancer-related post-traumatic stress can occur any time from diagnosis to after treatment ends. Shock, fear, helplessness, or horror can be felt by cancer patients and lead to cancer-related post-traumatic stress. Learn about the causes and ways doctors can help manage these symptoms of distress in this expert-reviewed summary.

Cold Stress

Science.gov (United States)

... Publications and Products Programs Contact NIOSH NIOSH COLD STRESS Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Workers who ... cold environments may be at risk of cold stress. Extreme cold weather is a dangerous situation that ...

[Work-related stress and burnout in physiotherapists--a literature review].

Science.gov (United States)

Mikołajewska, Emilia

2014-01-01

Studies of some chronic conditions and some health risk factors in physiotherapists suggest that work-related stress and burn- out may have a significant but underestimated impact on their health status and productivity. This paper presents the author's attempt to review current knowledge of work-related stress and burnout in physiotherapists. This review was aimed at explor- ing the relationship between causes, consequences and ways of prevention of work-related stress and burnout in this occupa- tional group. Searching PubMed, PEDro and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition was conducted in July 2014, with no starting date limitation and with specified keywords. The literature on work-related stress and burnout in physiotherapists has investigated their relationship with a large number of causes, consequences, and ways of prevention. Based on the research re- viewed, the conclusion can be drawn that further strategies to increase awareness among the management staff and health profes- sionals about the importance of prevention and stress management are required to decrease the prevalence of aforementioned pathologies. It was stressed that the majority of components of these strategies still require to be confirmed by future studies.

National Academic Award Winners over Time: Their Family Situation, Education and Interpersonal Relations

Science.gov (United States)

Sekowski, Andrzej; Siekanska, Malgorzata

2008-01-01

The article presents the results of a study focusing on the family situation, education and interpersonal relations of adults (26-35 years old) who in their adolescence (16-19 years old) displayed exceptional giftedness. One group of those surveyed were national academic award winners (90). The control group consisted of 90 people of no…

The Concept of Travel Medicine and the Actual Situation of Travel-Related Illnesses.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunalı, Varol; Turgay, Nevin

2017-06-01

Travel medicine defines all diseases and medical situations that are related to travel. Travel medicine comprises infectious diseases, traumas, altitude sickness, sun burns, embolisms, jet lag, and many more travel-related situations. With the increasing possibility and ease of travel, the number of people who have travelled internationally has exceeded 1.13 billion in 2014, and the revenues of international travel have exceeded 1.25 trillion dollars. With every passing day, international travels are shifting toward the developing countries and to more exotic regions of the world, and travelers tend to be more adventurous and daring, thereby increasing risky behaviors during travels. Traveling plays an important role in transmitting infections such as Zika virus infection, Ebola, avian flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome, Chikungunya, and dengue fever and is the principal reason for the epidemics of these types of infections on a global scale. With this background, we suggest that travel medicine is an important but "neglected" medical discipline as the discipline of Parasitology itself like most parasitic diseases.

Interindividual differences in stress sensitivity: basal and stress-induced cortisol levels differentially predict neural vigilance processing under stress

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henckens, Marloes J. A. G.; Klumpers, Floris; Everaerd, Daphne; Kooijman, Sabine C.; van Wingen, Guido A.; Fernández, Guillén

2016-01-01

Stress exposure is known to precipitate psychological disorders. However, large differences exist in how individuals respond to stressful situations. A major marker for stress sensitivity is hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function. Here, we studied how interindividual variance in both

Stress-related salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity in alcohol dependent patients with and without a history of childhood maltreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Muehlhan, Markus; Höcker, Anja; Höfler, Michael; Wiedemann, Klaus; Barnow, Sven; Schäfer, Ingo

2017-06-01

Alcohol-dependent (AD) patients with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) have shown a more severe clinical profile and a higher risk of relapse than those without CM. It was hypothesized that stress responsivity plays an important role in moderating the relationship between CM and AD. Surprisingly, systematic investigations about the stress responsivity in AD patients with CM are rare. This study compared physiological and subjective stress responses in AD patients with and without CM as well as in healthy controls with and without CM. A total of 130 participants performed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Physiological stress reactivity related to the noradrenergic system was assessed by salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity. Subjective ratings of anxiety, nervousness, distress, and mood were rated on visual analogue scales. AD patients showed significantly lower stress-related sAA activity than healthy controls (p ≤ 0.024; z ≥ 1.97). A different pattern was found in the subjective ratings. In particular, anticipatory anxiety revealed a clear effect of CM (p ≤ 0.005; z ≥ 2.43) but no difference between AD patients and healthy controls (p > 0.05). After the TSST, distress ratings differed between AD patients with CM and AD patients without CM (p ≤ 0.009; z ≥ 2.61). The discrepancy between physiological responsivity and subjective stress experiences may account for an increased inability to cope with stressful situations, which in turn might explain the enhanced risk of relapse in AD patients with a history of CM during early abstinence.

Adapting the short form of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations into Chinese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li C

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Chun Li,1 Qing Liu,2 Ti Hu,3 Xiaoyan Jin1 1International School of Chinese Studies, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 2Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 3School of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Objectives: The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS is a measurement tool for evaluating stress that has good psychometric properties. We investigated the applicability of a short-form version of the CISS in a large sample of Chinese university students. Methods: Nine hundred and seventy-two Chinese university students aged 18–30 years (mean =20.15, standard deviation =3.26 were chosen as subjects, of whom 101 were randomly selected to be retested after a 2-week interval. Results: The results of a confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the root mean square error of approximation of a four-factor model was 0.06, while the comparative fit index was 0.91, the incremental fit index was 0.93, the non-normed fit index was 0.91, and the root mean residual was 0.07. The Cronbach’s α coefficients for the task-oriented, emotion-oriented, distraction, and social diversion coping subscales were 0.81, 0.74, 0.7, and 0.66, respectively. The 2-week test–retest reliability was 0.78, 0.74, 0.7, and 0.65 for the task-oriented, emotion-oriented, distraction, and social diversion coping subscales, respectively. In the Chinese version of the CISS short form, task-oriented coping was positively correlated with positive affect and extraversion and negatively correlated with neuroticism; emotion-oriented coping was negatively correlated with extraversion and positively correlated with negative affect, anxiety, and neuroticism; distraction coping was positively correlated with neuroticism, extroversion, anxiety, positive affect, and negative affect and negatively

Evidence-based efficacy of adaptogens in fatigue, and molecular mechanisms related to their stress-protective activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Panossian, Alexander; Wikman, Georg

2009-09-01

The aim of this review article is to assess the level of scientific evidence presented by clinical trials of adaptogens in fatigue, and to provide a rationale at the molecular level for verified effects. Strong scientific evidence is available for Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract, which improved attention, cognitive function and mental performance in fatigue and in chronic fatigue syndrome. Good scientific evidence has been documented in trails in which Schisandra chinensis and Eleutherococcus senticosus increased endurance and mental performance in patients with mild fatigue and weakness. Based on their efficacy in clinical studies, adaptogens can be defined as a pharmacological group of herbal preparations that increase tolerance to mental exhaustion and enhance attention and mental endurance in situations of decreased performance. The beneficial stress-protective effect of adaptogens is related to regulation of homeostasis via several mechanisms of action associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the control of key mediators of stress response such as molecular chaperons (e.g. Hsp70), stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK1), Forkhead Box O transcription factor DAF-16, cortisol and nitric oxide (NO). The key point of action of phytoadaptogens appears to be their up-regulating and stress-mimetic effects on the "stress-sensor" protein Hsp70, which plays an important role in cell survival and apoptosis. Hsp70 inhibits the expression of NO synthase II gene and interacts with glucocorticoid receptors directly and via the JNK pathway, thus affecting the levels of circulating cortisol and NO. Prevention of stress-induced increase in NO, and the associated decrease in ATP production, results in increased performance and endurance. Adaptogen-induced up-regulation of Hsp70 triggers stress-induced JNK-1 and DAF-16-mediated pathways regulating the resistance to stress and resulting in enhanced mental and physical performance and, possibly

Midlife work-related stress is associated with late-life cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sindi, Shireen; Kåreholt, Ingemar; Solomon, Alina; Hooshmand, Babak; Soininen, Hilkka; Kivipelto, Miia

2017-09-01

To investigate the associations between midlife work-related stress and late-life cognition in individuals without dementia from the general population. The Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) study population (n = 2000) was randomly selected from independent Finnish population-based surveys (baseline mean age 50 years). Participants underwent two re-examinations in late life (mean age 71 and 78 years, respectively). 1511 subjects participated in at least one re-examination (mean total follow-up 25 years). Work-related stress was measured using two questions on work demands administered in midlife. Multiple cognitive domains were assessed. Analyses were adjusted for several potential confounders. Higher levels of midlife work-related stress were associated with poorer performance on global cognition [β-coefficient, -0.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.05 to -0.00], and processing speed [β -0.03, CI -0.05 to -0.01]. Results remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. Work-related stress was not significantly associated with episodic memory, executive functioning, verbal fluency or manual dexterity. This study shows that global cognition and processing speed may be particularly susceptible to the effects of midlife work-related stress.

Situational Strength Cues from Social Sources at Work: Relative Importance and Mediated Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Alaybek, Balca; Dalal, Reeshad S; Sheng, Zitong; Morris, Alexander G; Tomassetti, Alan J; Holland, Samantha J

2017-01-01

Situational strength is considered one of the most important situational forces at work because it can attenuate the personality-performance relationship. Although organizational scholars have studied the consequences of situational strength, they have paid little attention to its antecedents. To address this gap, the current study focused on situational strength cues from different social sources as antecedents of overall situational strength at work. Specifically, we examined how employees combine situational strength cues emanating from three social sources (i.e., coworkers, the immediate supervisor, and top management). Based on field theory, we hypothesized that the effect of situational strength from coworkers and immediate supervisors (i.e., proximal sources of situational strength) on employees' perceptions of overall situational strength on the job would be greater than the effect of situational strength from the top management (i.e., the distal source of situational strength). We also hypothesized that the effect of situational strength from the distal source would be mediated by the effects of situational strength from the proximal sources. Data from 363 full-time employees were collected at two time points with a cross-lagged panel design. The former hypothesis was supported for one of the two situational strength facets studied. The latter hypothesis was fully supported.

Situational Strength Cues from Social Sources at Work: Relative Importance and Mediated Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balca Alaybek

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Situational strength is considered one of the most important situational forces at work because it can attenuate the personality–performance relationship. Although organizational scholars have studied the consequences of situational strength, they have paid little attention to its antecedents. To address this gap, the current study focused on situational strength cues from different social sources as antecedents of overall situational strength at work. Specifically, we examined how employees combine situational strength cues emanating from three social sources (i.e., coworkers, the immediate supervisor, and top management. Based on field theory, we hypothesized that the effect of situational strength from coworkers and immediate supervisors (i.e., proximal sources of situational strength on employees' perceptions of overall situational strength on the job would be greater than the effect of situational strength from the top management (i.e., the distal source of situational strength. We also hypothesized that the effect of situational strength from the distal source would be mediated by the effects of situational strength from the proximal sources. Data from 363 full-time employees were collected at two time points with a cross-lagged panel design. The former hypothesis was supported for one of the two situational strength facets studied. The latter hypothesis was fully supported.

Relationship between infertility-related stress and emotional distress and marital satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gana, Kamel; Jakubowska, Sylwia

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive effects of infertility-related stress on psychological distress and marital satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a nonrecursive model hypothesizing the impact of infertility-related stress on both emotional distress and marital dissatisfaction, which were supposed to have a reciprocal influence on each other. The model was estimated using data from a sample of 150 infertile patients (78 males and 72 females). Findings confirmed the predictive effects of infertility-related stress on both emotional and marital distress. However, infertility-related stress was found to have more impact on emotional distress than on marital satisfaction. © The Author(s) 2014.

Understanding work related musculoskeletal pain: does repetitive work cause stress symptoms?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonde, J. P.; Mikkelsen, S.; Andersen, JH

2005-01-01

for development of regional pain in repetitive work, stress symptoms would likely be on the causal path. AIMS: To examine whether objective measures of repetitive monotonous work are related to occurrence and development of stress symptoms. METHODS: In 1994-95, 2033 unskilled workers with continuous repetitive...... Profile Inventory. RESULTS: Repetitive work, task cycle time, and quantified measures of repetitive upper extremity movements including force requirements were not related to occurrence of stress symptoms at baseline or development of stress symptoms during three years of follow up. CONCLUSIONS......: The findings do not indicate that repetitive work is associated with stress symptoms, but small effects cannot be ruled out. Thus the results question the importance of mental stress mechanisms in the causation of regional pain related to repetitive work. However, the findings should be interpreted...

Neuropsychological sequelae of work-stress-related exhaustion.

Science.gov (United States)

Österberg, Kai; Skogsliden, Sofia; Karlson, Björn

2014-01-01

The aim was to assess long-term cognitive performance after substantial recovery from work-stress-related exhaustion, in relation to subjective cognitive complaints and return to active work. In total, 54 patients previously diagnosed with work-stress-related exhaustion participated in a neuropsychological examination ∼2 years after initial sick leave. Most participants were substantially recovered at follow-up, with only 13% still meeting the criteria for exhaustion disorder suggested by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. When participants' scores on 14 neuropsychological tests were compared to a matched group of 50 controls, the former patient group showed lower performance mainly on attention tests of the reaction time type, but also slightly lower scores on visuo-spatial constructional ability. However, the former patient group performed better than controls on two memory tests and, in part, on a test of simultaneous capacity. Self-ratings of everyday cognitive problems remained significantly higher in the former patient group than among controls, but the extent of self-rated cognitive problems was generally unrelated to performance on the neuropsychological tests. No relationship between performance on these tests and the extent of work resumption was observed. In summary, persons with previous work-stress-related exhaustion showed persistent signs of a minor attention deficit, despite considerable general recovery and return to work.

Computational Psychometrics for Modeling System Dynamics during Stressful Disasters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietro Cipresso

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Disasters can be very stressful events. However, computational models of stress require data that might be very difficult to collect during disasters. Moreover, personal experiences are not repeatable, so it is not possible to collect bottom-up information when building a coherent model. To overcome these problems, we propose the use of computational models and virtual reality integration to recreate disaster situations, while examining possible dynamics in order to understand human behavior and relative consequences. By providing realistic parameters associated with disaster situations, computational scientists can work more closely with emergency responders to improve the quality of interventions in the future.

Work-related stress in healthcare workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomei, G; Ricci, S; Fidanza, L; Sacco, C; De Cesare, D P; Ricci, P; Pimpinella, B; Giubilati, R; Suppi, A; Anzelmo, V; Tomei, F; Casale, T; Rosati, M V

2016-01-01

In the assessment of work-related stress it is crucial to find the factors that generate and increase it in order to identify categories of individuals at risk, to plan interventions for prevention, elimination or reduction of risk. The aim of the study is to assess the subjective stress in 68 workers of a large Italian company dealing with human health, through the use of a questionnaire-indicating tool, elaborated by the Italian National Institute for insurance against accidents at work (INAIL) and developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We studied a final sample of 68 individuals (34 drivers/rescuers and 34 video display unit (VDU) operators). The questionnaire consists of 35 items (divided into six areas) with five possible answers each, that cover working conditions considered potential causes of stress. The drivers/rescuers had a better performance than the VDU operators, especially in the areas "demand", "relationships" and "role". We compared men and women in the two groups, finding that, in VDU operators, women had a better performance than men in all areas, except "role" and "changes", in which the overall scores were the same in men and women. In the drivers/rescuers women showed more critical scores in the items "relationships" and "change". The results show that: the questionnaire-indicating tool is useful, with a demonstrated effectiveness for the occupational physician during the visits and proven validity; additional future efforts should focus on understanding the psycho-social, organizational and individual problems related to stress and the consequent implementation of preventive measures.

[Psychological stress and sudden death].

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Pignalberi, Carlo; Ricci, Renato; Santini, Massimo

2002-10-01

Recent studies provide relevant evidence that psychological stress significantly influences the pathogenesis of sudden cardiac death. Psychological stress expresses a situation of imbalance, derived from a real or perceived disparity between environmental demands and the individual's ability to cope with these demands. A situation of psychological stress may include different components: personality factors and character traits, anxiety and depression, social isolation and acute or chronic adverse life events. In particular, it has been documented that a sudden extremely hard event, such as an earthquake or a war strike, can significantly increase the incidence of sudden death. Nevertheless, each one of these factors, if not present, can balance a partially unfavorable situation; this overview suggests a multifactorial situation where almost all elements are present and in which the relative influence of each one varies according to the individual examined. Sudden death occurs when a transient disruption (such as acute myocardial ischemia, platelet activation or neuroendocrine variations), occurring in a patient with a diseased myocardium (such as one with a post-necrotic scar or hypertrophy), triggers a malignant arrhythmia. Psychological stress acts at both levels: by means of a "chronic" action it contributes to create the myocardial background, while by means of an acute action it can create the transient trigger precipitating sudden death. In the chronic action two possible mechanisms can be detected: the first is a direct interaction, which contributes to cause a hypertension status or to exacerbate coronary atherosclerosis consequent to endothelial dysfunction; the second one acts through adverse health behaviors, such as a poor diet, alcohol consumption or smoking. In case of acute psychological stress, the mechanisms involved are mainly the ability to trigger myocardial ischemia, to promote arrhythmogenesis, to stimulate platelet function, and to increase

Factors related to teamwork performance and stress of operating room nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonoda, Yukio; Onozuka, Daisuke; Hagihara, Akihito

2018-01-01

To evaluate operating room nurses' perception of teamwork performance and their level of mental stress and to identify related factors. Little is known about the factors affecting teamwork and the mental stress of surgical nurses, although the performance of the surgical team is essential for patient safety. The questionnaire survey for operation room nurses consisted of simple questions about teamwork performance and mental stress. Multivariate analyses were used to identify factors causing a sense of teamwork performance or mental stress. A large number of surgical nurses had a sense of teamwork performance, but 30-40% of operation room nurses were mentally stressed during surgery. Neither the patient nor the operation factors were related to the sense of teamwork performance in both types of nurses. Among scrub nurses, endoscopic and abdominal surgery, body mass index, blood loss and the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class were related to their mental stress. Conversely, circulating nurses were stressed about teamwork performance. The factors related to teamwork performance and mental stress during surgery differed between scrub and circulating nurses. Increased support for operation room nurses is necessary. The increased support leads to safer surgical procedures and better patient outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The therapeutic use of the relaxation response in stress-related diseases.

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Esch, Tobias; Fricchione, Gregory L; Stefano, George B

2003-02-01

The objective of this work was to investigate a possible (therapeutic) connection between the relaxation response (RR) and stress-related diseases. Further, common underlying molecular mechanisms and autoregulatory pathways were examined. For the question of (patho)physiology and significance of RR techniques in the treatment of stress-related diseases, we analyzed peer-reviewed references only. The RR has been shown to be an appropriate and relevant therapeutic tool to counteract several stress-related disease processes and certain health-restrictions, particularly in certain immunological, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases/mental disorders. Further, common underlying molecular mechanisms may exist that represent a connection between the stress response, pathophysiological findings in stress-related diseases, and physiological changes/autoregulatory pathways described in the RR. Here, constitutive or low-output nitric oxide (NO) production may be involved in a protective or ameliorating context, whereas inducible, high-output NO release may facilitate detrimental disease processes. In mild or early disease states, a high degree of biological and physiological flexibility may still be possible (dynamic balance). Here, the therapeutic use of RR techniques may be considered particularly relevant, and the observable (beneficial) effects may be exerted via activation of constitutive NO pathways. RR techniques, regularly part of professional stress management or mind/body medical settings, represent an important tool to be added to therapeutic strategies dealing with stress-related diseases. Moreover, as part of 'healthy' life-style modifications, they may serve primary (or secondary) prevention. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the complex physiology underlying the RR and its impact upon stress-related disease states.

Stress history increases alcohol intake in relapse: relation to phosphodiesterase 10A.

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Logrip, Marian L; Zorrilla, Eric P

2012-09-01

Stressful experiences can result in elevated alcohol drinking, as exemplified in many individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. However, how stress history, rather than acute stressors, influences alcohol intake remains uncertain. To model the protracted effects of past stress, male Wistar rats were subjected to light-cued footshock (stress history) or light cues alone (control) prior to acquisition of alcohol self-administration (1-hour sessions, fixed ratio 1-3, 100 µl of 10% v/v alcohol as reinforcer). Stress history did not alter mean alcohol intake during acquisition of self-administration, but it increased preference for the alcohol-paired lever over the inactive lever. Following an extinction period, rats with a history of stress exposure and low baseline alcohol intake showed a twofold elevation in alcohol self-administration, as compared with low-drinking rats with no stress history. Similar effects were not seen in rats self-administering 0.1% sucrose. Analysis of mRNA levels of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A), a dual-specificity cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate hydrolyzing enzyme, showed that stress history increased Pde10a mRNA levels in the basolateral amygdala and, in low-drinking rats, the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (plPFC). Pde10a mRNA levels in the plPFC correlated directly with greater alcohol self-administration during the relapse-like phase, and greater BLA Pde10a mRNA levels correlated with increased ethanol preference after acquisition. The data demonstrate that stress history sensitizes otherwise low alcohol drinkers to consume more alcohol in a relapse-like situation and identify stress-induced neuroadaptations in amygdala and prefrontal cortical Pde10a expression as changes that may drive heightened alcohol intake and preference in susceptible individuals. © 2012 The Authors. Addiction Biology © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Social identity shapes stress appraisals in people with a history of depression.

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Isaksson, Alexandra; Martin, Peter; Kaufmehl, Jan; Heinrichs, Markus; Domes, Gregor; Rüsch, Nicolas

2017-08-01

Ingroup perception or the views people with depression have about their group, may influence their vulnerability to social identity threat and lead to enhanced stress reactions and impaired performance. It is unclear how ingroup perception can influence stress appraisals in performance situations among people with a history of depression who are currently in remission. We investigated the impact of ingroup perception on primary stress appraisal, i.e. how threatening a test situation is perceived, as well as on secondary stress appraisal, or perceived coping resources. Sixty people with a history of depression and currently in remission underwent computerized performance tests. Ingroup perception (group identification, group value and entitativity) and stress appraisals were assessed by self-report. In multiple linear regressions higher group identification predicted stronger perception of the situation as stressful if participants perceived people with depression as a coherent group (high entitativity) and held this group in low regard (low group value). In turn, stronger group identification was related to more perceived coping resources especially if participants did not regard people with depression as a coherent group. Our findings highlight the relevance of ingroup perception for stress and coping processes in people with a history of depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Work-related Stress and the Allostatic Load Index - A Systematic Review].

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Mauss, D; Li, J; Schmidt, B; Angerer, P; Jarczok, M N

2017-12-01

Work-related stress is a growing social challenge and has been associated with reduced employee health, well-being, and productivity. One tool to measure the stress-related wear and tear of the body is the Allostatic Load Index (ALI). This review summarizes recent evidence on the association between work-related stress and ALI in working adults. A systematic literature search following the PRISMA-Statement was conducted in 21 databases including Medline, PubPsych, MedPilot, and Cochrane Register. Publications addressing work related-stress and medical parameters using ALI were considered. Data on study population, analytic techniques, and results were tabulated. Methodological quality was evaluated using a standardized checklist. 9 articles were identified with a total of 3 532 employees from 5 countries reporting cross-sectional data from the years 2003-2013. Overall, 7 studies reported a positive and significant association between work-related stress and ALI, while 2 studies showed no or an insignificant association. Substantial heterogeneity was observed in methods applied and study quality. This systematic review provides evidence that work-related stress is associated with ALI in cross-sectional studies. This association needs to be demonstrated by future studies using longitudinal data on working populations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Psychological stress-relieving effects of chewing - Relationship between masticatory function-related factors and stress-relieving effects.

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Tasaka, Akinori; Kikuchi, Manaki; Nakanishi, Kousuke; Ueda, Takayuki; Yamashita, Shuichiro; Sakurai, Kaoru

2018-01-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between masticatory function-related factors (masticatory performance, occlusal contact area, maximum bite force, number of chewing strokes, and muscle activity) and the stress-relieving effects of chewing. A total of 28 healthy male subjects were instructed to rest or chew for 10min after 30min of stress loading with arithmetic calculations. Their stress state was assessed by measuring salivary cortisol levels. Saliva was collected at three time points: before stress loading, immediately after stress loading, and 10min after stress loading. Compared to resting, chewing produced a significantly greater reduction in the rate of change in salivary cortisol levels 10min after stress loading. A negative correlation was observed between the rate of decrease in salivary cortisol levels and the number of chewing strokes. No significant correlation was observed between the rate of decrease in salivary cortisol levels and other measurement items. In healthy dentulous people, the number of chewing strokes has been shown to be a masticatory function-related factor that affects stress relief from chewing, suggesting the possibility that more appropriate chewing would produce a greater effect psychological stress relief. Copyright © 2017 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Labour factors associated with post-traumatic stress in uniformed workers in Medellín].

Science.gov (United States)

González-Penagos, Catalina; Moreno-Bedoya, Juan P; Berbesi-Fernández, Dedsy Y; Segura-Cardona, Angela M

2013-01-01

Determining the labor factors associated with post-traumatic stress in uniformed workers in Medellin. A cross-sectional study was made of 124 uniformed workers aged 20 to 48 years-old. A survey was made using an adults' post-traumatic stress instrument which had been validated in Medellin. Statistical analysis was carried out. Post-traumatic stress disorder risk prevalence was 52.2 %. Multivariate analysis showed that the highest risk situations were those related to previous mental health diagnosis (PR=7.67), working schedule (4.24), violent episodes (PR=3.59) and community relationships (PR=2.73). A person's current labor situation seemed to be a risk factor for developing post-traumatic stress in the target population.

Dream Content and Adaptation to a Stressful Situation

Science.gov (United States)

De Koninck, Joseph M.; Koulack, David

1975-01-01

The present study considered whether it is better to dream about a stressful presleep experience and have anxious dreams, or is it better to dream about something else and have pleasant dreams. (Author/RK)

Work-related stress assessed by a text message single-item stress question.

Science.gov (United States)

Arapovic-Johansson, B; Wåhlin, C; Kwak, L; Björklund, C; Jensen, I

2017-12-02

Given the prevalence of work stress-related ill-health in the Western world, it is important to find cost-effective, easy-to-use and valid measures which can be used both in research and in practice. To examine the validity and reliability of the single-item stress question (SISQ), distributed weekly by short message service (SMS) and used for measurement of work-related stress. The convergent validity was assessed through associations between the SISQ and subscales of the Job Demand-Control-Support model, the Effort-Reward Imbalance model and scales measuring depression, exhaustion and sleep. The predictive validity was assessed using SISQ data collected through SMS. The reliability was analysed by the test-retest procedure. Correlations between the SISQ and all the subscales except for job strain and esteem reward were significant, ranging from -0.186 to 0.627. The SISQ could also predict sick leave, depression and exhaustion at 12-month follow-up. The analysis on reliability revealed a satisfactory stability with a weighted kappa between 0.804 and 0.868. The SISQ, administered through SMS, can be used for the screening of stress levels in a working population. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Perceived life stress exposure modulates reward-related medial prefrontal cortex responses to acute stress in depression.

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Kumar, Poornima; Slavich, George M; Berghorst, Lisa H; Treadway, Michael T; Brooks, Nancy H; Dutra, Sunny J; Greve, Douglas N; O'Donovan, Aoife; Bleil, Maria E; Maninger, Nicole; Pizzagalli, Diego A

2015-07-15

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often precipitated by life stress and growing evidence suggests that stress-induced alterations in reward processing may contribute to such risk. However, no human imaging studies have examined how recent life stress exposure modulates the neural systems that underlie reward processing in depressed and healthy individuals. In this proof-of-concept study, 12 MDD and 10 psychiatrically healthy individuals were interviewed using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS) to assess their perceived levels of recent acute and chronic life stress exposure. Additionally, each participant performed a monetary incentive delay task under baseline (no-stress) and stress (social-evaluative) conditions during functional MRI. Across groups, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activation to reward feedback was greater during acute stress versus no-stress conditions in individuals with greater perceived stressor severity. Under acute stress, depressed individuals showed a positive correlation between perceived stressor severity levels and reward-related mPFC activation (r=0.79, p=0.004), whereas no effect was found in healthy controls. Moreover, for depressed (but not healthy) individuals, the correlations between the stress (r=0.79) and no-stress (r=-0.48) conditions were significantly different. Finally, relative to controls, depressed participants showed significantly reduced mPFC gray matter, but functional findings remained robust while accounting for structural differences. Small sample size, which warrants replication. Depressed individuals experiencing greater recent life stress recruited the mPFC more under stress when processing rewards. Our results represent an initial step toward elucidating mechanisms underlying stress sensitization and recurrence in depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nurses' work-related stress in China: a comparison between psychiatric and general hospitals.

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Qi, Yun-Ke; Xiang, Yu-Tao; An, Feng-Rong; Wang, Jing; Zeng, Jiao-Ying; Ungvari, Gabor S; Newhouse, Robin; Yu, Doris S F; Lai, Kelly Y C; Ding, Yan-Ming; Yu, Liuyang; Zhang, Xiang-Yang; Chiu, Helen F K

2014-01-01

Little is known about the level of work-related stress in nurses in China.This study compared the level of work-related stress between female nurses working in psychiatric and general hospitals in China. A descriptive comparative cross-sectional design was used.A consecutive sample of nurses from two psychiatric hospitals (N = 297) and a medical unit (N = 408) of a general hospital completed a written survey including socio-demographic data and a measure of work-related stress (Nurse Stress Inventory). Compared to the nurses working in the general hospital, those working in the psychiatric setting had a higher level of stress in the domains of working environment and resources (p working experience, and working in psychiatric hospitals were associated with high work-related stress (b = .2, p work-related stress, specific stress management workshops and effective staff supportive initiatives for Chinese nurses are warranted.

Nurse manager cognitive decision-making amidst stress and work complexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirey, Maria R; Ebright, Patricia R; McDaniel, Anna M

2013-01-01

  The present study provides insight into nurse manager cognitive decision-making amidst stress and work complexity.   Little is known about nurse manager decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. Because nurse manager decisions have the potential to impact patient care quality and safety, understanding their decision-making processes is useful for designing supportive interventions.   This qualitative descriptive study interviewed 21 nurse managers from three hospitals to answer the research question: What decision-making processes do nurse managers utilize to address stressful situations in their nurse manager role? Face-to-face interviews incorporating components of the Critical Decision Method illuminated expert-novice practice differences. Content analysis identified one major theme and three sub-themes.   The present study produced a cognitive model that guides nurse manager decision-making related to stressful situations. Experience in the role, organizational context and situation factors influenced nurse manager cognitive decision-making processes.   Study findings suggest that chronic exposure to stress and work complexity negatively affects nurse manager health and their decision-making processes potentially threatening individual, patient and organizational outcomes.   Cognitive decision-making varies based on nurse manager experience and these differences have coaching and mentoring implications. This present study contributes a current understanding of nurse manager decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

RELATION BETWEEN LATENT SPECIFIC MOTOR ABILITIES AND SITUATION MOTOR SKILLS WITH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS AGED FROM 16 TO 17

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Rabit Veseli

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The game of volleyball with its dynamic character is present in the world of the sport with permanent development and growing popularity and fans. Volleyball is part of a pollystructural complex sports activities. It is performed on a ground of a relatively small size (18 x 9 meters and is a kind of game that requires of players a high level of advanced motoric abilities (speed, strength, endurance, a fast rate of visual reaction, explosivity, as well as specific motoric skills (precision etc.. Scientific conclusion as well as the growing number of conducted researches in the very game, have a real contribution to its modern development and level of popularity. Situation-motoric skills make a significant dimension in the structure of volleyball game. The subject of the research is specific-motoric abilities and situation-motoric skills of 52 volleyball players aged from 16 to 17. The basic goal of the research is to establish the effect of specific-motoric abilities on situation-motoric skills of volleyball players in latent space. In order to assess the specific-motoric abilities 9 tests are used, and to assess the situation-motoric skills 3 precision tests are used. The results obtained from the 12 applied tests are worked out through the basic statistic parameters. Through component factor analysis 3 latent specific-motoric dimensions are isolated as well as one situation-motoric dimension. By regressive analysis there is established a low but statistically significant relation between the criterion and predictor latent dimensions. That confirms the dependence and relation between the specific-motoric abilities and situation-motoric skills. Researches in the fi eld of similar questions have been conducted by the following authors: Jurko et al., 2013 and Nešić, et al., 2011.

Perceived stress, disturbed sleep, and cognitive impairments in patients with work-related stress complaints: a longitudinal study.

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Eskildsen, Anita; Fentz, Hanne Nørr; Andersen, Lars Peter; Pedersen, Anders Degn; Kristensen, Simon Bang; Andersen, Johan Hviid

2017-07-01

Patients on sick leave due to work-related stress often present with cognitive impairments as well as sleep disturbances. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the role of perceived stress and sleep disturbances in the longitudinal development in cognitive impairments in a group of patients with prolonged work-related stress (N = 60) during a period of 12 months following initial professional care-seeking. Objective cognitive impairments (neuropsychological tests) were measured on two occasions - at initial professional care-seeking and at 12-month follow-up. Questionnaires on perceived stress, sleep disturbances, and cognitive complaints were completed seven times during the 12 months which facilitated multilevel analysis with segregation of within-person (change) and between-person (baseline level) components of the time-varying predictors (perceived stress and sleep disturbances). Change in perceived stress was associated with concurrent and subsequent change in self-reported cognitive complaints over the period of 12 months and to a lesser extent the change in performance on neuropsychological tests of processing speed from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Change in sleep disturbances was also associated with concurrent and subsequent change in self-reported cognitive complaints over the 12 months but not with change on neuropsychological test performance. Although the mechanism behind the improvement in cognitive impairments in patients with work-related stress should be further explored in future studies, the results could suggest that improvement in cognitive impairments is partly mediated by decreasing levels of perceived stress and, to a lesser extent, decreasing levels of sleep disturbances. Lay summary This study examines the role of perceived stress and sleep disturbances in respect to the development of cognitive impairments (e.g. memory and concentration) in a group of patients with work-related stress. We found that change in

The stress response and exploratory behaviour in Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa): Relations to sex and social rank.

Science.gov (United States)

Adcock, Sarah J J; Martin, Gerard M; Walsh, Carolyn J

2015-12-01

According to the coping styles hypothesis, an individual demonstrates an integrated behavioural and physiological response to environmental challenge that is consistent over time and across situations. Individual consistency in behavioural responses to challenge has been documented across the animal kingdom. Comparatively few studies, however, have examined inter-individual variation in the physiological response, namely glucocorticoid and catecholamine levels, the stress hormones secreted by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system, respectively. Variation in coping styles between individuals may be explained in part by differences in social rank and sex. Using 20 Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa) we: (1) investigated the existence of consistent inter-individual variation in exploratory behaviour and the hormonal stress response, and tested for correlations as predicted by the coping styles hypothesis; and (2) evaluated whether inter-individual behavioural and hormonal variation is related to social rank and sex. Salivary stress biomarkers (cortisol, alpha-amylase, chromogranin A) were assessed in the presence and absence of a stressor consisting of social isolation in a crate for 10 min. Principal components analysis on a set of behavioural variables revealed two traits, which we labelled exploratory tendency and neophobia. Neither exploratory tendency nor neophobia predicted the physiological stress response. Subordinate pigs exhibited higher catecholamine levels compared to dominant conspecifics. We observed sex differences in the repeatability of salivary stress markers and reactivity of the stress systems. The results do not provide support for the existence of behavioural-physiological coping styles in pigs. Sex is an important determinant of the physiological stress response and warrants consideration in research addressing behavioural and hormonal variation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of Reiki on work-related stress of the registered nurse.

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Cuneo, Charlotte L; Curtis Cooper, Maureen R; Drew, Carolyn S; Naoum-Heffernan, Christine; Sherman, Tricia; Walz, Kathleen; Weinberg, Janice

2011-03-01

The Reiki Master Teacher group at a large academic, urban medical center studied the effects of Reiki on work-related stress in Registered Nurse Reiki I class participants. Research suggests that work-related stress is an influential factor in nursing burn out and retention. Reiki, an ancient form of Oriental "energy work" or healing, has been found to decrease stress. The Perceived Stress Scale tool was administered prior to the Reiki I class and after three weeks of practicing self-Reiki. Seventeen participants returned follow-up data. Results indicated that practicing Reiki more often resulted in reduced perceived stress levels. Data from this small pilot study supports educating nurses about Reiki practice to decrease work-related stress.

Disease-related social situation in family of children with chronic kidney disease--parents` assessment. A multicentre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiliś-Pstrusińska, Katarzyna; Medyńska, Anna; Adamczyk, Piotr; Bałasz-Chmielewska, Irena; Grenda, Ryszard; Kluska-Jóźwiak, Agnieszka; Leszczyńska, Beata; Olszak-Szot, Ilona; Miklaszewska, Monika; Szczepańska, Maria; Tkaczyk, Marcin; Wasilewska, Anna; Zachwieja, Katarzyna; Zajączkowska, Maria; Ziółkowska, Helena; Zagożdżon, Ilona; Zwolińska, Danuta

2014-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children burdens life of patients and their families. Little is known about parents` assessment of families' social situation. However, the knowledge of the details of a patient's and his family's life standards might influence modification and optimization of applied therapy. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to explore the selected elements of life situation of patients suffering with CKD as well as their parents, depending on the CKD stage and appropriate treatment. Cross-sectional national study was conducted. A total of 203 children with CKD and 388 their parent-proxies (196 women and 192 men) were enrolled into this study. Patient data and questionnaires filled by both parents, concerning social-demographic parameters and assessment of changes in families after CKD diagnosis in the child, were analysed. CKD children are being brought up in proper families whose financial situation is not good. Children need help in process of education. Perception of current situation differed between both parents in the change of the income source, taking care of CKD child, change in social relations and evaluating relations with medical staff. Parents do not obtain proper support from social workers. Families of CKD children require support in area of financial and educational help for school children. The discrepancies in evaluation of family situation between mothers and fathers of ill children might be the source of conflicts possibly resulting in worsening the outcome for CKD children.

Analysis of primary teacher stress' sources

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Katja Depolli Steiner

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Teachers are subject to many different work stressors. This study focused on differences in intensity and frequency of potential stressors facing primary schoolteachers and set the goal to identify the most important sources of teacher stress in primary school. The study included 242 primary schoolteachers from different parts of Slovenia. We used Stress Inventory that is designed for identification of intensity and frequency of 49 situations that can play the role of teachers' work stressors. Findings showed that the major sources of stress facing teachers are factors related to work overload, factors stemming from pupils' behaviour and motivation and factors related to school system. Results also showed some small differences in perception of stressors in different groups of teachers (by gender and by teaching level.

Job displacement and stress-related health outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Browning, Martin; Danø, Anne Møller; Heinesen, Eskil

2006-01-01

We investigate whether job loss as the result of displacement causes hospitalization for stress-related diseases which are widely thought to be associated with unemployment. In doing this, we use much better data than any previous investigators. Our data are a random 10% sample of the male...... group of displaced workers if they had not in fact been displaced. Our results indicate unequivocally that being displaced in Denmark does not cause hospitalization for stress-related disease. An analysis of the power of our test suggests that even though we are looking for a relatively rare outcome...... population of Denmark for the years 1981-1999 with full records on demographics, health and work status for each person, and with a link from every working person to a plant. We use the method of matching on observables to estimate the counter-factual of what would have happened to the health of a particular...

Conduct disorder, war zone stress, and war-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in American Indian Vietnam veterans.

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Dillard, Denise; Jacobsen, Clemma; Ramsey, Scott; Manson, Spero

2007-02-01

This study examined whether conduct disorder (CD) was associated with war zone stress and war-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in American Indian (AI) Vietnam veterans. Cross-sectional lay-interview data was analyzed for 591 male participants from the American Indian Vietnam Veterans Project. Logistic regression evaluated the association of CD with odds of high war zone stress and linear regression evaluated the association of CD and PTSD symptom severity. Childhood CD was not associated with increased odds of high war zone stress. Conduct disorder was associated with elevated war-related PTSD symptoms among male AI Vietnam Veterans independent of war zone stress level and other mediators. Future efforts should examine reasons for this association and if the association exists in other AI populations.

Ethical decision making in organizations: the role of leadership stress

OpenAIRE

Selart, Marcus; Johansen, Svein Tvedt

2011-01-01

Across two studies the hypotheses were tested that stressful situations affect both leadership ethical acting and leaders’ recognition of ethical dilemmas. In the studies, decision makers recruited from 3 sites of a Swedish multinational civil engineering company provided personal data on stressful situations, made ethical decisions, and answered to stress-outcome questions. Stressful situations were observed to have a greater impact on ethical acting than on the recognition of ethical dil...

What Differentiates Employees' Job Performance Under Stressful Situations: The Role of General Self-Efficacy.

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Lu, Chang-Qin; Du, Dan-Yang; Xu, Xiao-Min

2016-10-02

The aim of this research is to verify the two-dimensional challenge-hindrance stressor framework in the Chinese context, and investigate the moderating effect of general self-efficacy in the stress process. Data were collected from 164 Chinese employee-supervisor dyads. The results demonstrated that challenge stressors were positively related to job performance while hindrance stressors were negatively related to job performance. Furthermore, general self-efficacy strengthened the positive relationship between challenge stressors and job performance, whereas the attenuating effect of general self-efficacy on the negative relationship between hindrance stressors and job performance was nonsignificant. These findings qualify the two-dimensional challenge-hindrance stressor framework, and support the notion that employees with high self-efficacy benefit more from the positive effect of challenge stressors in the workplace. By investigating the role of an individual difference variable in the challenge-hindrance stressor framework, this research provides a more accurate picture of the nature of job stress, and enhances our understanding of the job stressor-job performance relationship.

Monitoring Perceived Stress and Recovery in Relation to Cycling Performance in Female Athletes.

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Otter, R T A; Brink, M S; van der Does, H T D; Lemmink, K A P M

2016-01-01

The purpose was to investigate perceived stress and recovery related to cycling performance of female athletes over one full year. 20 female athletes (age, 27±8 years; ˙VO2max, 50.3±4.6 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) were measured 8 times in one year to determine perceived stress and recovery (RESTQ-Sport) in relation to cycling performance (Lamberts and Lambert Submaximal Cycle Test (LSCT)). All 19 RESTQ-Sport scales were calculated and scores of the 4 main categories were determined (i. e., general stress, general recovery, sport-specific stress and sport-specific recovery). A balance score of total stress and recovery was calculated by recovery-stress. Power at the second stage (P80), third stage (P90) and heart rate recovery (HRR60 s) of the LSCT were determined as performance parameters. 110 RESTQ-Sports and LSCTs were analysed using a multilevel approach (random intercepts model). Higher self-efficacy was related to improvement of all performance parameters. Higher total recovery stress, and lower emotional stress were related to improvement of P90 and HRR60 s. Higher sport-specific recovery was related to P80, higher general stress, fatigue and physical complaints were related to decreased P90 and higher social stress and injury were related to decreased HRR60 s. Improved perceived recovery and stress contributed to an improved performance. Relevant information could be provided by monitoring changes in perceived stress and recovery of female athletes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Stressful situations and factors in students of nursing in clinical practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliana Ofélia Llapa Rodrigues

Full Text Available Objective.To assess the risk factors for stress in undergraduate students of nursing in clinical practice in a public university in the Northeast region of Brazil. Methods. Cross-sectional descriptive study with 116 students from the fifth to the ninth period. The bilingual KEZKAK questionnaire, validated for Portuguese, was used. Stress was considered to be present when the score was equal or superior to 2. Results. The students with stress in clinical practice were 18 to 22 years old (2.82 ± 0.98, women (2.81 ± 0.96, married (2.80 ± 0.97, and who were permanent contracted employees (2.74 ± 0.94. The factors which were most associated with stress were: Lack of competence (2.99 ± 0.88; Impotence and uncertainty (2.98 ± 0.85; and Patients seeking a closer relationship (2.93 ± 1.01. The students of the sixth period were the most vulnerable to stress (2.85±0.96. Conclusion. The studies showed the main risk factors for stress among students of nursing in their clinical practice. These results could be used in the development of strategies seeking to reduce stress in this context as well as to contribute to promoting mental health.

Work-related stress and Type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Cosgrove, M P; Sargeant, L A; Caleyachetty, R; Griffin, S J

2012-04-01

Work-related psychosocial stress has been hypothesized to increase the individual risk of Type 2 diabetes; however, observational epidemiological studies investigating the association between work-related psychosocial stress and Type 2 diabetes have provided an inconsistent picture. To evaluate whether work-related psychosocial stress (defined by a work-related stress model or by long work hours) is associated with the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A systematic review of the literature was conducted until March 2010. Studies eligible for inclusion were published observational epidemiological studies of adult participants in community or occupational settings if they had a measure of work-related stress on a validated scale or a measure of work hours or overtime assessed prior to, or at the same time as, assessment of Type 2 diabetes status. Where possible, meta-analysis was conducted to obtain summary odds ratios of the association. We located nine studies (four prospective, one case-control and four cross-sectional). The meta-analyses did not show any statistically significant associations between any individual aspect of work-related psychosocial stress or job strain and risk of Type 2 diabetes. The specific hypothesis that a working environment characterized by high psychosocial stress is directly associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes could not be supported from the meta-analysis.

The role of eye fixation in memory enhancement under stress - An eye tracking study.

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Herten, Nadja; Otto, Tobias; Wolf, Oliver T

2017-04-01

In a stressful situation, attention is shifted to potentially relevant stimuli. Recent studies from our laboratory revealed that participants stressed perform superior in a recognition task involving objects of the stressful episode. In order to characterize the role of a stress induced alteration in visual exploration, the present study investigated whether participants experiencing a laboratory social stress situation differ in their fixation from participants of a control group. Further, we aimed at shedding light on the relation of fixation behaviour with obtained memory measures. We randomly assigned 32 male and 31 female participants to a control or a stress condition consisting of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a public speaking paradigm causing social evaluative threat. In an established 'friendly' control condition (f-TSST) participants talk to a friendly committee. During both conditions, the committee members used ten office items (central objects) while another ten objects were present without being used (peripheral objects). Participants wore eye tracking glasses recording their fixations. On the next day, participants performed free recall and recognition tasks involving the objects present the day before. Stressed participants showed enhanced memory for central objects, accompanied by longer fixation times and larger fixation amounts on these objects. Contrasting this, fixation towards the committee faces showed the reversed pattern; here, control participants exhibited longer fixations. Fixation indices and memory measures were, however, not correlated with each other. Psychosocial stress is associated with altered fixation behaviour. Longer fixation on objects related to the stressful situation may reflect enhanced encoding, whereas diminished face fixation suggests gaze avoidance of aversive, socially threatening stimuli. Modified visual exploration should be considered in future stress research, in particular when focussing on memory for a

Work-related stress and burnout in physiotherapists – A literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilia Mikołajewska

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Studies of some chronic conditions and some health risk factors in physiotherapists suggest that work-related stress and burnout may have a significant but underestimated impact on their health status and productivity. This paper presents the author’s attempt to review current knowledge of work-related stress and burnout in physiotherapists. This review was aimed at exploring the relationship between causes, consequences and ways of prevention of work-related stress and burnout in this occupational group. Searching PubMed, PEDro and Health Source: Nursing / Academic Edition was conducted in July 2014, with no starting date limitation and with specified keywords. The literature on work-related stress and burnout in physiotherapists has investigated their relationship with a large number of causes, consequences, and ways of prevention. Based on the research reviewed, the conclusion can be drawn that further strategies to increase awareness among the management staff and health professionals about the importance of prevention and stress management are required to decrease the prevalence of aforementioned pathologies. It was stressed that the majority of components of these strategies still require to be confirmed by future studies. Med Pr 2014;65(5:693–701

Parenting style, parenting stress, and children's health-related behaviors.

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Park, Hyunjeong; Walton-Moss, Benita

2012-07-01

Parental guidance is critical to the development of children's health-related behaviors. The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between parenting factors, including parenting style and parenting stress, and children's health-related behaviors. In this descriptive, correlational study, 284 parents of preschool children were interviewed using the Child Rearing Questionnaire and the Korean Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. Parent distress, authoritative and permissive parenting styles, family income, and mother's education were significantly associated with children's health-related behaviors. These findings suggest that higher levels of warmth, characteristics of both parenting styles, may be a critical factor in the development of health-related behaviors.

Relations of Work Identity, Family Identity, Situational Demands, and Sex with Employee Work Hours

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Greenhaus, Jeffrey H.; Peng, Ann C.; Allen, Tammy D.

2012-01-01

This study examined relations of multiple indicators of work identity and family identity with the number of weekly hours worked by 193 married business professionals. We found that men generally worked long hours regardless of the situational demands to work long hours and the strength of their work and family identities. Women's work hours, on…

Determinants of Perceived Stress in Individuals with Obesity: Exploring the Relationship of Potentially Obesity-Related Factors and Perceived Stress.

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Junne, Florian; Ziser, Katrin; Giel, Katrin Elisabeth; Schag, Kathrin; Skoda, Eva; Mack, Isabelle; Niess, Andreas; Zipfel, Stephan; Teufel, Martin

2017-01-01

Associations of specific types of stress with increased food intake and subsequent weight gain have been demonstrated in animal models as well as in experimental and epidemiological studies on humans. This study explores the research question of to what extent potentially obesity-related factors determine perceived stress in individuals with obesity. N = 547 individuals with obesity participated in a cross-sectional study assessing perceived stress as the outcome variable and potential determinants of stress related to obesity. Based on the available evidence, a five factorial model of 'obesity-related obesogenic stressors' was hypothesized, including the dimensions, 'drive for thinness', 'impulse regulation', 'ineffectiveness', 'social insecurity', and 'body dissatisfaction'. The model was tested using multiple linear regression analyses. The five factorial model of 'potentially obesity-related stressors' resulted in a total variance explanation of adjusted R² = 0.616 for males and adjusted R² = 0.595 for females for perceived stress. The relative variance contribution of the five included factors differed substantially for the two sexes. The findings of this cross-sectional study support the hypothesized, potentially obesity-related factors: 'drive for thinness', 'impulse regulation', 'ineffectiveness', 'social insecurity', and 'body dissatisfaction' as relevant determinants of perceived stress in individuals with obesity. © 2017 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Various cellular stress components change as the rat ages: An insight into the putative overall age-related cellular stress network.

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Cueno, Marni E; Imai, Kenichi

2018-02-01

Cellular stress is mainly comprised of oxidative, nitrosative, and endoplasmic reticulum stresses and has long been correlated to the ageing process. Surprisingly, the age-related difference among the various components in each independent stress pathway and the possible significance of these components in relation to the overall cellular stress network remain to be clearly elucidated. In this study, we obtained blood from ageing rats upon reaching 20-, 40-, and 72-wk.-old. Subsequently, we measured representative cellular stress-linked biomolecules (H 2 O 2 , glutathione reductase, heme, NADPH, NADP, nitric oxide, GADD153) and cell signals [substance P (SP), free fatty acid, calcium, NF-κB] in either or both blood serum and cytosol. Subsequently, network analysis of the overall cellular stress network was performed. Our results show that there are changes affecting stress-linked biomolecules and cell signals as the rat ages. Additionally, based on our network analysis data, we postulate that NADPH, H 2 O 2 , GADD153, and SP are the key components and the interactions between these components are central to the overall age-related cellular stress network in the rat blood. Thus, we propose that the main pathway affecting the overall age-related cellular stress network in the rat blood would entail NADPH-related oxidative stress (involving H 2 O 2 ) triggering GADD153 activation leading to SP induction which in-turn affects other cell signals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positive effect of social work-related values on work outcomes: the moderating role of age and work situation.

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Yeung, Dannii Y; Fung, Helene H; Chan, Darius K-S

2015-03-01

This study investigated the effect of social work-related values on job performance through job satisfaction and tested whether age and work situation would moderate such associations. This study consists of two parts: Part 1 is a cross-sectional survey among 299 Chinese clerical employees aged 19-60 years and Part 2 is a 14-day experience sampling study in a subsample of Part 1 (N = 67). Part 1 revealed that age moderated the effect of social work-related values on job performance through job satisfaction, with a stronger positive effect in older workers than in younger workers. Part 2 demonstrated that the moderating effect of age shown in Part 1 also varied across work situations. In particular, holding momentary social work-related values was beneficial to the task performance of older workers, and the effect was significantly stronger when they were in social situations than in nonsocial situations, whereas the effect remained weak among younger workers regardless of work context. Moreover, the moderating effect of age could be accounted for by future time perspective. This study supports socioemotional selectivity theory that goal orientation shifts toward the emphasis of interpersonal closeness when one perceives future time as increasingly limited. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Work-Related Stress, the Blind Men and the Elephant

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Arthur, Andrew R.

2004-01-01

Progress in understanding and developing effective responses to work-related stress has been elusive, patchy, and inconsistent. The reasons for this are reviewed, and the inadequacy of traditional stress management techniques and organisational interventions to tackle it are examined. Although necessary, clinical responses to distressed…

Understanding work related musculoskeletal pain: does repetitive work cause stress symptoms?

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Bonde, J P; Mikkelsen, S; Andersen, J H; Fallentin, N; Baelum, J; Svendsen, S W; Thomsen, J F; Frost, P; Kaergaard, A

2005-01-01

Pain in the neck and upper extremity is reported with high frequency in repetitive work. Mechanical overload of soft tissues seems a plausible mechanism, but psychological factors have received considerable attention during the past decade. If psychological factors are important for development of regional pain in repetitive work, stress symptoms would likely be on the causal path. To examine whether objective measures of repetitive monotonous work are related to occurrence and development of stress symptoms. In 1994-95, 2033 unskilled workers with continuous repetitive work and 813 workers with varied work were enrolled. Measures of repetitiveness and force requirements were quantified using video observations to obtain individual exposure estimates. Stress symptoms were recorded at baseline and after approximately one, two, and three years by the Setterlind Stress Profile Inventory. Repetitive work, task cycle time, and quantified measures of repetitive upper extremity movements including force requirements were not related to occurrence of stress symptoms at baseline or development of stress symptoms during three years of follow up. The findings do not indicate that repetitive work is associated with stress symptoms, but small effects cannot be ruled out. Thus the results question the importance of mental stress mechanisms in the causation of regional pain related to repetitive work. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution because the stress inventory has not been validated against a gold standard.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and stress-related biomarkers.

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Vogel, S W N; Bijlenga, D; Verduijn, J; Bron, T I; Beekman, A T F; Kooij, J J S; Penninx, B W J H

2017-05-01

The current study examined whether (a) Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms were associated with dysregulation of stress-related mechanisms, and (b) whether ADHD symptoms interact with affective disorders in their association with dysregulated stress-related mechanisms. Data were obtained from 2307 subjects participating in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Stress-related mechanisms were reflected by the following biomarkers: (1) hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis indicators (salivary cortisol awakening curve, evening cortisol, cortisol suppression after a 0.5mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST)); (2) autonomic nervous system measures (heart rate, pre-ejection period, respiratory sinus arrhythmia); (3) inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha); (4) brain-derived neurotrophic factor. ADHD symptoms were measured using Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale and used both dichotomous (High ADHD symptoms (yes/no)) and continuous (Inattentive symptoms, Hyperactive/Impulsive symptoms, and the ADHD index). Regression analyses showed associations between High ADHD symptoms, Inattentive symptoms, the ADHD index and a higher cortisol awakening curve, between Hyperactive/Impulsive symptoms and less cortisol suppression after DST, and between Inattentive symptoms and a longer pre-ejection period. However, the associations with the cortisol awakening curve disappeared after adjustment for depressive and anxiety disorders. No associations were observed between ADHD symptoms and inflammatory markers or BDNF. ADHD symptoms did not interact with affective disorders in dysregulation of stress-related mechanisms. Some associations were observed between ADHD symptoms, the HPA-axis, and the pre-ejection period, but these were mostly driven by depressive and anxiety disorders. This study found no evidence that ADHD symptomatology was associated with dysregulations in inflammatory markers and BDNF. Consequently

Avoidance / approach motivation: relation with psychological stress and coping

OpenAIRE

Grakauskas, Žygimantas

2006-01-01

The impact of the BIS/BAS systems on various instances of psychic activities and behaviour (information processing, problem resolution, behaviour, results) is well-researched. However, there is almost no research on how these systems affect human behaviour under stress. Our research aimed to assess the relation between the BIS/BAS motivational systems and emotional reactions under stress, as well as the choice of stress management methods. 225 subjects took part in the research. The following...

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A FREQUENT WORK-RELATED ILLNESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuele Cannizzaro

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD is an anxiety disorder that results from exposure to a traumatic event, and is characterized by hypermnesia of the traumatic event with frequent re-experiencing of the tragic occurrence, hyperarousal, and avoidance behaviour. Depression, anxiety, sleep dysfunction and substance abuse are also commonly reported. PTSD is highly prevalent both in the general population and in certain occupations that are particularly exposed to life-threatening situations, physically and psychological demanding activities, and physical assault, such as rescue workers, firefighters and paramedics. Recent advances in the comprehension of the epidemiology, physiopathology and clinical presentation of PTSD could push toward increased identification of this common psychiatric disorder with significant reflections on the chances of successful treatment.

Regulating Anger under Stress via Cognitive Reappraisal and Sadness.

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Zhan, Jun; Wu, Xiaofei; Fan, Jin; Guo, Jianyou; Zhou, Jianshe; Ren, Jun; Liu, Chang; Luo, Jing

2017-01-01

Previous studies have reported the failure of cognitive emotion regulation (CER), especially in regulating unpleasant emotions under stress. The underlying reason for this failure was the application of CER depends heavily on the executive function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but this function can be impaired by stress-related neuroendocrine hormones. This observation highlights the necessity of developing self-regulatory strategies that require less top-down cognitive control. Based on traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine, which examine how different types of emotions promote or counteract one another, we have developed a novel emotion regulation strategy whereby one emotion is used to alter another. For example, our previous experiment showed that sadness induction (after watching a sad film) could reduce aggressive behavior associated with anger [i.e., "sadness counteracts anger" (SCA)] (Zhan et al., 2015). Relative to the CER strategy requiring someone to think about certain cognitive reappraisals to reinterpret the meaning of an unpleasant situation, watching a film or listening to music and experiencing the emotion contained therein seemingly requires less cognitive effort and control; therefore, this SCA strategy may be an alternative strategy that compensates for the limitations of cognitive regulation strategies, especially in stressful situations. The present study was designed to directly compare the effects of the CER and SCA strategy in regulating anger and anger-related aggression in stressful and non-stressful conditions. Participants' subjective feeling of anger, anger-related aggressive behavior, skin conductance, and salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels were measured. Our findings revealed that acute stress impaired one's ability to use CR to control angry responses provoked by others, whereas stress did not influence the efficiency of the SCA strategy. Compared with sadness or neutral emotion induction, CER induction was found to

Regulating Anger under Stress via Cognitive Reappraisal and Sadness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Zhan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have reported the failure of cognitive emotion regulation (CER, especially in regulating unpleasant emotions under stress. The underlying reason for this failure was the application of CER depends heavily on the executive function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC, but this function can be impaired by stress-related neuroendocrine hormones. This observation highlights the necessity of developing self-regulatory strategies that require less top-down cognitive control. Based on traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine, which examine how different types of emotions promote or counteract one another, we have developed a novel emotion regulation strategy whereby one emotion is used to alter another. For example, our previous experiment showed that sadness induction (after watching a sad film could reduce aggressive behavior associated with anger [i.e., “sadness counteracts anger” (SCA] (Zhan et al., 2015. Relative to the CER strategy requiring someone to think about certain cognitive reappraisals to reinterpret the meaning of an unpleasant situation, watching a film or listening to music and experiencing the emotion contained therein seemingly requires less cognitive effort and control; therefore, this SCA strategy may be an alternative strategy that compensates for the limitations of cognitive regulation strategies, especially in stressful situations. The present study was designed to directly compare the effects of the CER and SCA strategy in regulating anger and anger-related aggression in stressful and non-stressful conditions. Participants’ subjective feeling of anger, anger-related aggressive behavior, skin conductance, and salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels were measured. Our findings revealed that acute stress impaired one’s ability to use CR to control angry responses provoked by others, whereas stress did not influence the efficiency of the SCA strategy. Compared with sadness or neutral emotion induction, CER

Child anxiety symptoms related to longitudinal cortisol trajectories and acute stress responses: evidence of developmental stress sensitization.

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Laurent, Heidemarie K; Gilliam, Kathryn S; Wright, Dorianne B; Fisher, Philip A

2015-02-01

Cross-sectional research suggests that individuals at risk for internalizing disorders show differential activation levels and/or dynamics of stress-sensitive physiological systems, possibly reflecting a process of stress sensitization. However, there is little longitudinal research to clarify how the development of these systems over time relates to activation during acute stress, and how aspects of such activation map onto internalizing symptoms. We investigated children's (n = 107) diurnal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity via salivary cortisol (morning and evening levels) across 29 assessments spanning 6+ years, and related longitudinal patterns to acute stress responses at the end of this period (age 9-10). Associations with child psychiatric symptoms at age 10 were also examined to determine internalizing risk profiles. Increasing morning cortisol levels across assessments predicted less of a cortisol decline following interpersonal stress at age 9, and higher cortisol levels during performance stress at age 10. These same profiles of high and/or sustained cortisol elevation during psychosocial stress were associated with child anxiety symptoms. Results suggest developmental sensitization to stress-reflected in rising morning cortisol and eventual hyperactivation during acute stress exposure-may distinguish children at risk for internalizing disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Modelling situation awareness relations in a multiagent system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blom, H.A.P.; Sharpanskykh, A.

2015-01-01

There is broad consensus that situation awareness (SA) plays a key role in agent-based modelling of complex sociotechnical systems. However in the social sciences and human factors literature there are different views on what SA is and how it could be modelled. More specifically, one school of

Insomnia in a displaced population is related to war-associated remembered stress.

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Basishvili, Tamar; Eliozishvili, Marine; Maisuradze, Lia; Lortkipanidze, Nani; Nachkebia, Nargiz; Oniani, Tengiz; Gvilia, Irma; Darchia, Nato

2012-08-01

Although traumatic events are presumed to cause sleep disturbances, particularly insomnia, sleep in populations subjected to forced displacement has received little attention. The present study examined the prevalence of insomnia and associated factors in internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Abkhazia 15 years after displacement to Tbilisi. Detailed subjective information about sleep-wake habits, sleep-related and stress-related parameters were obtained from 87 IDPs categorized into good sleepers and insomniacs. The Insomnia Severity Index, Perceived Stress Scale and Beck Depression Inventory were administered. The incidence of insomnia was 41.4%. The majority of insomniacs strongly believed that war-related stress accounted for the onset of their insomnia. Stepwise regression (95% confidence interval) revealed four variables significantly associated with insomnia status: self-estimated influence of war related stress (odds ratio (OR) = 2.51), frequency of nightmares (OR = 1.6), Perceived Stress Scale score (OR = 1.14) and Beck Depression Inventory score (OR = 1.12). Insomnia in IDPs was strongly related to war-associated remembered stress. ‛Over thinking' about major stress exposure enhanced IDPs' vulnerability to insomnia. These findings have implications for the management of insomnia and associated impairment of daytime functioning in IDPs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Stigma-Related Stress and Its Correlates Among Men with Pedophilic Sexual Interests.

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Jahnke, Sara; Schmidt, Alexander F; Geradt, Max; Hoyer, Jürgen

2015-11-01

Despite decades of research on the adverse consequences of stereotyping and discrimination for many stigmatized groups, little is known about how people with pedophilia perceive and react to stigma. In this article, we present a framework that outlines how stigma-related stress might negatively affect emotional and social areas of functioning, cognitive distortions, and the motivation to pursue therapy, all of which may contribute to an increased risk of sexual offending. We tested our hypotheses in an online survey among self-identified German-speaking people with pedophilia (N = 104) using a wide range of validated indicators of social and emotional functioning (Brief Symptom Inventory-53, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Emotion Subscale of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, Fear of Negative Evaluation-5, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). Specific risk factors such as self-efficacy, cognitive distortions, and the motivation to seek treatment were also assessed. In line with our hypotheses, fear of discovery generally predicted reduced social and emotional functioning. Contrary to our predictions, perceived social distance and fear of discovery were not linked to self-efficacy, cognitive distortions, or treatment motivation. Results were controlled for the effects of confounding variables (e.g., age, educational level, social desirability, relationship status). We critically evaluate the empirical contribution of this study to research on stigma and child sex offenses, including a discussion of the results in light of the potential indirect effects that public stigma may have on the overall risk for sexual offenses.

Structural changes of the brain in relation to occupational stress.

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Savic, Ivanka

2015-06-01

Despite mounting reports about the negative effects of chronic occupational stress on cognitive functions, it is still uncertain whether and how this type of stress is associated with cerebral changes. This issue was addressed in the present MRI study, in which cortical thickness (Cth) and subcortical volumes were compared between 40 subjects reporting symptoms of chronic occupational stress (38 ± 6 years) and 40 matched controls (36 ± 6 years). The degree of perceived stress was measured with Maslach Burnout Inventory. In stressed subjects, there was a significant thinning of the mesial frontal cortex. When investigating the correlation between age and Cth, the thinning effect of age was more pronounced in the stressed group in the frontal cortex. Furthermore, their amygdala volumes were bilaterally increased (P = 0.020 and P = 0.003), whereas their caudate volumes were reduced (P = 0.040), and accompanied by impaired fine motor function. The perceived stress correlated positively with the amygdala volumes (r = 0.44, P = 0.04; r = 0.43, P = 04). Occupational stress was found to be associated with cortical thinning as well as with selective changes of subcortical volumes, with behavioral correlates. The findings support the hypothesis that stress-related excitotoxicity might be an underlying mechanism, and that the described condition is a stress related illness. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Intermediate-depth earthquakes facilitated by eclogitization-related stresses

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Nakajima, Junichi; Uchida, Naoki; Shiina, Takahiro; Hasegawa, Akira; Hacker, Bradley R.; Kirby, Stephen H.

2013-01-01

Eclogitization of the basaltic and gabbroic layer in the oceanic crust involves a volume reduction of 10%–15%. One consequence of the negative volume change is the formation of a paired stress field as a result of strain compatibility across the reaction front. Here we use waveform analysis of a tiny seismic cluster in the lower crust of the downgoing Pacific plate and reveal new evidence in favor of this mechanism: tensional earthquakes lying 1 km above compressional earthquakes, and earthquakes with highly similar waveforms lying on well-defined planes with complementary rupture areas. The tensional stress is interpreted to be caused by the dimensional mismatch between crust transformed to eclogite and underlying untransformed crust, and the earthquakes are probably facilitated by reactivation of fossil faults extant in the subducting plate. These observations provide seismic evidence for the role of volume change–related stresses and, possibly, fluid-related embrittlement as viable processes for nucleating earthquakes in downgoing oceanic lithosphere.

The experience of acculturative stress-related growth from immigrants’ perspectives

OpenAIRE

Kim, Junhyoung; Kim, Hakjun

2013-01-01

Previous literature has mainly focused on the positive effects of stress associated with disability and illness, called stressrelated growth. Little research has explored positive changes as a result of acculturative stress among a group of immigrants. In particular, older Asian immigrants may experience a high level of stress related to acculturation because they may face more challenges to adapt to and navigate a new culture. This study was designed to capture the characteristics of stress-...

Psychobiological stress response to a simulated school shooting in police officers.

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Strahler, Jana; Ziegert, Thomas

2015-01-01

Police work is one of the most demanding professions with various sources of high occupational stress. Among the most demanding tasks are amok situations, such as school shootings. Hardly anything is known about endocrine and cardiovascular markers in safety professionals during emergency situations in real life and how this relates to stress perception and management. This study will therefore explore police officers' stress responses to a reality-based school shooting simulation assessing neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and psychological stress markers. A convenience sample of 50 police officers (39.5 ± 8.7 yrs, 9 women) participating in a basic or refresher amok training session for the German uniformed and criminal police were recruited. Saliva samples were collected shortly before the simulation task (school shooting), immediately after, 20 and 45 min after finishing the task for the assessment of cortisol and alpha-amylase (sAA), as markers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system, respectively. Heart rate (variability) was assessed continuously. Officers rated their actual mood right before and 10 min after the simulation. Subjective experience of task stressfulness was assessed minutes after finishing the simulation. Overall, the simulated school shooting did not result in changes of mood, tiredness, or calmness but higher restlessness was experienced during the basic training, which was also experienced as more controllable. Female officers reported to experience more strain and anxiety. Cortisol showed highest levels at the beginning of the training and steadily decreasing values thereafter. In contrast, sAA increased substantially right after the simulation with officers on the front position showing most pronounced changes. Cardiovascular reactivity was highest in officers acting on the side positions while advancing to find the suspect. Furthermore higher self-efficacy as well as, by trend, controllability and

Stress in nonregular work arrangements: A longitudinal study of task- and employment-related aspects of stress.

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Vahle-Hinz, Tim

2016-10-01

In nonregular forms of employment, such as fixed-term or temporary agency work, 2 sources of stress must be distinguished: task-related stress components (e.g., time pressure) and employment-related stress components (e.g., effort to maintain employment). The present study investigated the relationship between task- and employment-related demands and resources and indicators of strain, well-being, work engagement, and self-rated performance in a sample of nonregular employed workers. Using a 2-wave longitudinal design, the results of autoregressive cross-lagged structural equation models demonstrated that time pressure, as a task-related demand, is positively related to strain and negatively related to well-being and self-rated performance. Autonomy, as a task-related resource, exhibited no significant relationships in the current study. Employment-related demands exhibited negative relationships with well-being and work engagement as well as negative and positive relationships with self-rated performance over time. Employment-related resources were primarily positive predictors of well-being and self-rated performance. Fit indices of comparative models indicated that reciprocal effect models (which enable causal and reverse effects) best fit the data. Accordingly, demands and resources predicted strain, well-being, work engagement, and self-rated performance over time and vice versa. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Work-related stressors experienced by part-time clinical affiliate nursing faculty in baccalaureate education.

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Whalen, Kathleen S

2009-01-01

This descriptive and multivariate correlational study identifies work-related situations that were perceived as stressful in a sample of part-time clinical affiliate nursing faculty (n = 91) from a western state who teach in baccalaureate programs. The most stressful conditions include being physically and emotionally drained; working outside regular hours; dealing with the number of role expectations; and receiving inadequate monetary compensation. Subjects reported other specific stressful situations related to their work with clinical agencies, universities, and students. The researcher also examined the relationships between selected background factors (number of years of clinical teaching experience, clinical teacher education, and holding a second job), role stress, and job satisfaction. Even though this sample had a high job satisfaction rating, the variable, role stress, was shown to significantly predict job satisfaction. Lastly, implications for nurse educators in baccalaureate programs are explored.

Development of a situation-specific theory for explaining health-related quality of life among older South Korean adults with type 2 diabetes.

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Chang, Sun Ju; Im, Eun-Ok

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study was to develop a situation-specific theory for explaining health-related quality of life (QOL) among older South Korean adults with type 2 diabetes. To develop a situation-specific theory, three sources were considered: (a) the conceptual model of health promotion and QOL for people with chronic and disabling conditions (an existing theory related to the QOL in patients with chronic diseases); (b) a literature review using multiple databases including Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, PsycINFO, and two Korean databases; and (c) findings from our structural equation modeling study on health-related QOL in older South Korean adults with type 2 diabetes. The proposed situation-specific theory is constructed with six major concepts including barriers, resources, perceptual factors, psychosocial factors, health-promoting behaviors, and health-related QOL. The theory also provides the interrelationships among concepts. Health care providers and nurses could incorporate the proposed situation-specific theory into development of diabetes education programs for improving health-related QOL in older South Korean adults with type 2 diabetes.

Dysregulated stress signal sensitivity and inflammatory disinhibition as a pathophysiological mechanism of stress-related chronic fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Strahler, Jana; Skoluda, Nadine; Rohleder, Nicolas; Nater, Urs M

2016-09-01

Chronic stress and its subsequent effects on biological stress systems have long been recognized as predisposing and perpetuating factors in chronic fatigue, although the exact mechanisms are far from being completely understood. In this review, we propose that sensitivity of immune cells to glucocorticoids (GCs) and catecholamines (CATs) may be the missing link in elucidating how stress turns into chronic fatigue. We searched for in vitro studies investigating the impact of GCs or CATs on mitogen-stimulated immune cells in chronically stressed or fatigued populations, with 34 original studies fulfilling our inclusion criteria. Besides mixed cross-sectional findings for stress- and fatigue-related changes of GC sensitivity under basal conditions or acute stress, longitudinal studies indicate a decrease with ongoing stress. Research on CATs is still scarce, but initial findings point towards a reduction of CAT sensitivity under chronic stress. In the long run, resistance of immune cells to stress signals under conditions of chronic stress might translate into self-maintaining inflammation and inflammatory disinhibition under acute stress, which in turn lead to fatigue. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delineating the relationship between stress mindset and primary appraisals: preliminary findings.

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Kilby, Christopher J; Sherman, Kerry A

2016-01-01

Stress mindset theory suggests that positive stress beliefs lead to positive, rather than negative, outcomes when engaging with stressors. Similarly, the Transactional Model of Stress predicts that perceiving a stressor as challenging leads to positive outcomes whereas negative perceptions of the stressor as threatening invoke negative outcomes. The aim of this study was to provide preliminary data examining the nature of the relationship between stress mindset and primary appraisals. It was predicted that positive beliefs about stress would be associated with perceiving a stressful situation as more challenging, and inversely related to perceptions of threat. Participants (N = 124) initially completed measures assessing stress mindset, lifetime and current perceived stress, trait anxiety, and self-efficacy. Then participants received a set of instructions regarding a stressful mathematics task, followed by completion of post-manipulation stress mindset and primary appraisals measures, prior to completing the mathematics task. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that participants who held a greater number of positive beliefs (as opposed to negative beliefs) about stress also perceived the stressor as being more challenging. However, there was no significant relationship between valence of beliefs and threat appraisals. These findings provide initial evidence for the nature of the relationship between valence of stress beliefs and challenge appraisals. Further research is needed to understand how stress beliefs impact on the way in which an individual copes with stressful situations.

Sex differences in stress-related psychiatric disorders: neurobiological perspectives.

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Bangasser, Debra A; Valentino, Rita J

2014-08-01

Stress is associated with the onset and severity of several psychiatric disorders that occur more frequently in women than men, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Patients with these disorders present with dysregulation of several stress response systems, including the neuroendocrine response to stress, corticolimbic responses to negatively valenced stimuli, and hyperarousal. Thus, sex differences within their underlying circuitry may explain sex biases in disease prevalence. This review describes clinical studies that identify sex differences within the activity of these circuits, as well as preclinical studies that demonstrate cellular and molecular sex differences in stress responses systems. These studies reveal sex differences from the molecular to the systems level that increase endocrine, emotional, and arousal responses to stress in females. Exploring these sex differences is critical because this research can reveal the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders and guide the development of novel pharmacotherapies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Callaghan, P; Tak-Ying, S A; Wyatt, P A

2000-06-01

Few empirical studies have investigated the issues linked to Hong Kong nurses work-related health. The present study investigated factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong. The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey and made within-group comparisons of nurses' stress and coping. Using stratified random sampling the researchers selected nurses from the mailing list of a local professional organization. One hundred and sixty-eight (33.6%) nurses responded. Nurses reported lower stress levels than other workers assessed with the same measure. Paediatric nurses reported the highest stress levels. Nurses at the lower grades reported higher stress levels than nurses at the higher grades. Single nurses had marginally higher stress scores than married nurses and females had slightly higher stress scores than males. However, none of these results were statistically significant. The respondents' major sources of stress were related to nursing issues like too much work, interpersonal relationships, and dealing with hospital administration. The respondents coped with their stresses by seeking support from friends and colleagues, using different cognitive strategies and through leisure activities. There was a statistically significant link between the respondents' stress and sickness levels. The results raise issues about the nature of nurses' working experiences.

The relationships of character strengths with coping, work-related stress, and job satisfaction.

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Harzer, Claudia; Ruch, Willibald

2015-01-01

Personality traits have often been highlighted to relate to how people cope with stressful events. The present paper focuses on character strengths as positive personality traits and examines two basic assumptions that were derived from a core characteristic of character strengths (i.e., to determine how individuals deal with adversities): (1) character strengths correlate with coping and (2) buffer the effects of work-related stress on job satisfaction. Two different samples (i.e., a mixed sample representing various occupations [N = 214] and a nurses sample [N = 175]) filled in measures for character strengths, coping, work-related stress, and job satisfaction. As expected, intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal strengths were related to coping. Interpersonal strengths played a greater role for coping among nurses, as interactions with others are an essential part of their workday. Furthermore, intellectual strengths partially mediated the negative effect of work-related stress on job satisfaction. These findings open a new field for research on the role of personality in coping with work-related stress. Character strengths are trainable personal characteristics, and therefore valuable resources to improve coping with work-related stress and to decrease the negative effects of stress. Further research is needed to investigate this assumed causality.

The relationships of character strengths with coping, work-related stress, and job satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia eHarzer

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Personality traits have often been highlighted to relate to how people cope with stressful events. The present paper focuses on character strengths as positive personality traits and examines two basic assumptions that were derived from a core characteristic of character strengths (i.e., to determine how individuals deal with adversities: (1 Character strengths correlate with coping and (2 buffer the effects of work-related stress on job satisfaction. Two different samples (i.e., a mixed sample representing various occupations [N = 214] and a nurses sample [N = 175] filled in measures for character strengths, coping, work-related stress, and job satisfaction. As expected, intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal strengths were related to coping. Interpersonal strengths played a greater role for coping among nurses, as interactions with others are an essential part of their workday. Furthermore, intellectual strengths partially mediated the negative effect of work-related stress on job satisfaction. These findings open a new field for research on the role of personality in coping with work-related stress. Character strengths are trainable personal characteristics, and therefore valuable resources to improve coping with work-related stress and to decrease the negative effects of stress. Further research is needed to investigate this assumed causality.

Type D personality, stress coping strategies and self-efficacy as predictors of Facebook intrusion.

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Błachnio, Agata; Przepiorka, Aneta; Czuczwar, Stanisław Jerzy

2017-07-01

Recently, Facebook has become one of the most popular social networking sites. People use it more and more often. A number of studies have recently addressed the issue of excessive Facebook use, showing this phenomenon to be a spreading problem. The main aim of the present study was to examine whether Type D personality, self-efficacy and coping strategies are related to Facebook intrusion. The participants were 882 students of Polish universities, all of them Facebook users (72% women, mean age: 22.25 years, SD =2.06). We used the Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire, the Facebook Intensity Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Type D Scale. We applied the pen-and-paper procedure. Our results indicate that emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented strategies of coping in stressful situations are predictors of Facebook intrusion and Facebook intensity. The relations between both Facebook intrusion and intensity and social inhibition are significant only when emotion-oriented coping strategy is controlled. The knowledge of whether coping strategies in stressful situations, such as focus on emotions or avoidance, are related to Facebook intrusion might be useful for clinical purposes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

To share or not to share? The contribution of self-disclosure to stress-related growth among suicide survivors.

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Levi-Belz, Yossi

2016-08-01

This study examined to what extent suicide survivors can experience growth in the aftermath of suicide loss, as well as the role of self-disclosure and coping strategies in stress-related growth (SRG) among suicide survivors, compared to bereavement following sudden and expected death types. One hundred forty-five bereaved individuals (aged 18-73) completed questionnaires measuring SRG, self-disclosure, and coping strategies. Significant interaction between self-disclosure and types of death was found, in which suicide survivors with low levels of self-disclosure manifested the lowest level of SRG compared to other subgroups. This finding suggests that sharing intimate information can be beneficial in struggling with a situation of suicide in the family.

Stressful situations and factors in students of nursing in clinical practice

OpenAIRE

Llapa Rodrigues, Eliana Ofélia; Almeida Marques, Daniel; Lopes Neto, David; López Montesinos, María José; Amado de Oliveira, Adriana Sousa

2016-01-01

Objective.To assess the risk factors for stress in undergraduate students of nursing in clinical practice in a public university in the Northeast region of Brazil. Methods. Cross-sectional descriptive study with 116 students from the fifth to the ninth period. The bilingual KEZKAK questionnaire, validated for Portuguese, was used. Stress was considered to be present when the score was equal or superior to 2. Results. The students with stress in clinical practice were 18 to 22 years old (2.82 ...

The Big Five personality and temperamental traits and its correlation with styles of coping with stress in the fire brigade officers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justyna Szrajda

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Selecting specific professional activities (e.g. a brigade officer and methods for coping with difficult situations may result from personal predispositions of a given person. Personality is founded on the innate temperament. The way of dealing with stress depends on personality traits whose influence is manifested, amongst other things, in the selection of specific coping styles. The current study aim to examine the level of correlation between personality and temperamental traits with manifested coping styles. The study covered 58 volunteers – male fire brigade officers. The following tools were used: Personality Inventory, NEO-FFI, Formal Characteristics of Behaviour: Temperament Inventory – Revised Version, FCZ-KT (R and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, CISS. Emotion-focused coping style for stressful situations correlates with the following traits: positively, with perseveration (r=0.5115 and with emotional reactivity (r=0.4927, and negatively, with briskness (r=-0.3926 and endurance (r=-0.5408. The task-oriented coping style for stressful situations correlates positively with extraversion (r=0.3236 and conscientiousness (r=0.3088, and negatively with neuroticism (r=-0.3368 in the NEO-FFI. The emotion-focused coping style for stressful situations is positively correlated with neuroticism (NEO-FFI (r=0.4150. In fire brigade officers, As far as personality traits were concerned, fire brigade officers scored relatively high in extraversion, conscientiousness and low in neuroticism and were likely to demonstrate the task-oriented coping style for stressful situations. Lower level of perseveration and high level of briskness and endurance were associated with emotion-focused coping style for stressful situations. Similarly, the tendency to focus on emotions experienced in stressful situations were associated with high level of neuroticism in the study group.

EFFICACY OF A STRUCTURED GROUP PROGRAM IN COPYING STRATEGIES FOR POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS IN DISPLACEMENT SITUATION

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MARÍA CLARA RODRÍGUEZ DÍAZ

2006-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an analysis is made on the efficacy of a structured group program in emotional, cognitiveand social coping skills for the treatment of a sample of adults and adolescents that developedposttraumatic stress disorder after a forced displacement situation. The participants completed a 10-session intervention including pre and post assessments about the severity level of the symptoms usingthe PSD scale (Foa, 1995 and an additional measure one month after. The results showed significantimprovements in symptoms in both groups and in each one of the possible comparisons. Recoveryshows that the decrease in the severity level of symptoms affects the functioning level positively.

Depersonalization experiences in undergraduates are related to heightened stress cortisol responses.

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Giesbrecht, Timo; Smeets, Tom; Merckelbach, Harald; Jelicic, Marko

2007-04-01

The relationship between dissociative tendencies, as measured with the Dissociative Experiences Scale and its amnesia, absorption/imaginative involvement, and depersonalization/derealization subscales, and HPA axis functioning was studied in 2 samples of undergraduate students (N = 58 and 67). Acute stress was induced by means of the Trier Social Stress Test. Subjective and physiological stress (i.e., cortisol) responses were measured. Individuals high on the depersonalization/derealization subscale of the Dissociative Experiences Scale exhibited more pronounced cortisol responses, while individuals high on the absorption subscale showed attenuated responses. Interestingly, subjective stress experiences, as indicated by the Tension-Anxiety subscale of the Profile of Mood States, were positively related to trait dissociation. The present findings illustrate how various types of dissociation (i.e., depersonalization/derealization, absorption) are differentially related to cortisol stress responses.

Causes of work-related stress and individual strategies in knowledge work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ipsen, Christine; Jensen, Per Langaa

Recent studies point to work-related stress as an increasing problem for knowledge workers. This is a critical and not fully uncovered problem. The working life in knowledge-intensive companies is often described as good and stimulating. This study shows that some aspects of knowledge work can have...... a negative impact on daily activities and cause frustration and work-related stress. The study also finds that few primary preventive activities have been initiated. Based on an empirical study, the authors outline the characteristics of the job as knowledge worker and how it is being experienced. The study...... to the individual for his or her working life. Self-managed knowledge workers thus experience that they stand alone when it comes to work-related problems and stress. The stress intervention applied is characteristically short-term and focused on the individual. The individual perspective consequently affects...

European Approaches to Work-Related Stress: A Critical Review on Risk Evaluation

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Silvia Zoni

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, various international organizations have raised awareness regarding psychosocial risks and work-related stress. European stakeholders have also taken action on these issues by producing important documents, such as position papers and government regulations, which are reviewed in this article. In particular, 4 European models that have been developed for the assessment and management of work-related stress are considered here. Although important advances have been made in the understanding of work-related stress, there are still gaps in the translation of this knowledge into effective practice at the enterprise level. There are additional problems regarding the methodology in the evaluation of work-related stress. The European models described in this article are based on holistic, global and participatory approaches, where the active role of and involvement of workers are always emphasized. The limitations of these models are in the lack of clarity on preventive intervention and, for two of them, the lack of instrument standardization for risk evaluation. The comparison among the European models to approach work-related stress, although with limitations and socio-cultural differences, offers the possibility for the development of a social dialogue that is important in defining the correct and practical methodology for work stress evaluation and prevention.

European approaches to work-related stress: a critical review on risk evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoni, Silvia; Lucchini, Roberto G

2012-03-01

In recent years, various international organizations have raised awareness regarding psychosocial risks and work-related stress. European stakeholders have also taken action on these issues by producing important documents, such as position papers and government regulations, which are reviewed in this article. In particular, 4 European models that have been developed for the assessment and management of work-related stress are considered here. Although important advances have been made in the understanding of work-related stress, there are still gaps in the translation of this knowledge into effective practice at the enterprise level. There are additional problems regarding the methodology in the evaluation of work-related stress. The European models described in this article are based on holistic, global and participatory approaches, where the active role of and involvement of workers are always emphasized. The limitations of these models are in the lack of clarity on preventive intervention and, for two of them, the lack of instrument standardization for risk evaluation. The comparison among the European models to approach work-related stress, although with limitations and socio-cultural differences, offers the possibility for the development of a social dialogue that is important in defining the correct and practical methodology for work stress evaluation and prevention.

The relation between fearfulness in young and stress-response in adult laying hens, on individual and group level.

Science.gov (United States)

de Haas, Elske N; Kops, Marjolein S; Bolhuis, J Elizabeth; Groothuis, Ton G G; Ellen, Esther D; Rodenburg, T Bas

2012-10-10

Fearfulness of an individual can affect its sensitivity to stress, while at the same time the social situation in which an animal lives can affect its fear level. It is however unknown what the long-term effects of high fearfulness on sensitivity to stress are, on individual or group level in laying hens. We hypothesize that increased fearfulness at a young age results in increased sensitivity to stress at an adult age, and that this relation can differ between groups, due to differences in group composition. Therefore, we studied the relation between fearfulness in an Open Field (OF) test at six weeks of age and plasma-corticosterone (CORT) levels after a 5-min Manual Restraint test (MR) at 33 weeks of age, and assessed behavior in the home pen. We used birds from a low mortality line, selected for four generations on low mortality due to feather pecking and cannibalism and a control line (n=153 in total, eight pens/line). These lines are known to differ in fearfulness and stress physiology. Chicks from the low mortality line were more active in the OF compared to chicks from the control line. Chicks that showed a fearful response (no walking, no vocalizing) in the OF test had higher CORT at 33 weeks of age than chicks that walked and/or vocalized in the OF test and had higher activity in the home pen as adults. On group level, a passive response in the OF was related to high CORT levels after MR. Presence of at least one fearful bird in a group led to higher CORT in the other group mates compared to birds from groups with no fearful birds present. Birds from groups in which more than 50% of birds had severe comb lesions had higher CORT levels compared to birds from groups with less than 50% of birds affected. High fearfulness of laying hen chicks can on individual level have a long-term effect on stress sensitivity. The presence of fearful birds in a group as well as signs of social instability in a group, indicated by comb lesions, can affect sensitivity to

Recovery of Work-Related Stress: Complaint Reduction and Work-Resumption are Relatively Independent Processes.

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de Vente, Wieke; Kamphuis, Jan Henk; Blonk, Roland W B; Emmelkamp, Paul M G

2015-09-01

The process of recovery from work-related stress, consisting of complaint reduction and work-resumption, is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of complaint reduction and work-resumption, as well as testing complaint reduction as a mediator in the association between predictors and work-resumption. Seventy-one patients on sickness-leave because of work-related stress complaints were followed over a period of 13 months. Predictors comprised personal (demographics, coping, cognitions), work-related (job-characteristics, social support), and illness-related (complaint duration, absence duration) variables. Dependent variables were distress complaints, burnout complaints, and work-resumption. Complaints reduced considerably over time to borderline clinical levels and work-resumption increased to 68% at 13 months. Predictors of stronger reduction of distress complaints were male gender, less working hours, less decision authority, more co-worker support, and shorter absence duration. Predictors of stronger reduction of burnout complaints were male gender, lower age, high education, less avoidant coping, less decision authority, more job security, and more co-worker support. Predictors of work-resumption were lower age and stronger reduction of burnout complaints. No indication for a mediating role of burnout complaints between the predictor age and work-resumption was found. Complaint reduction and work-resumption are relatively independent processes. Symptom reduction is influenced by individual and work-related characteristics, which holds promise for a multidisciplinary treatment approach for work-related stress.

Health status, job stress and work-related injury among Los Angeles taxi drivers.

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Wang, Pin-Chieh; Delp, Linda

2014-01-01

Taxi drivers work long hours for low wages and report hypertension, weight gain, and musculoskeletal pain associated with the sedentary nature of their job, stressful working conditions, and poor dietary habits. They also experience a high work-related fatality rate. The objective of this study is to examine the association of taxi drivers' health status and level of job stress with work-related injury and determine if a potential interaction exists. A survey of 309 Los Angeles taxi drivers provides basic data on health status, job stress, and work-related injuries. We further analyzed the data using a Modified Poisson regression approach with a robust error variance to estimate the relative risk (RR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) of work-related injuries. Focus group results supplemented and helped interpret the quantitative data. The joint effect of good health and low job stress was associated with a large reduction in the incidence of injuries, consistent with the hypothesis that health status and stress levels modify each other on the risk of work-related injury. These results suggest that the combination of stress reduction and health management programs together with changes in the stressful conditions of the job may provide targeted avenues to prevent injuries.

Situating experiences of HIV-related stigma in Swaziland.

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Root, R

2010-01-01

With the world's highest antenatal HIV prevalence rate (39.2%), Swaziland has also been described as among the most stigmatising. Yet, only recently was an anti-HIV stigma and discrimination (S&D) platform included in the government's National Multisectoral HIV and AIDS Policy. This study draws on a medical anthropological project in rural Swaziland to examine experiences of stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Qualitative methods included a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews (n=40) to identify patterns of stigma across three domains: verbal, physical and social. Key informant interviews (n=5) were conducted with health personnel and support group leaders. Descriptive statistics were situated within a thematic analysis of open-ended content. Among the findings, participants reported extensive HIV-related rumouring (36.4%) and pejorative name-calling (37.5%). Nearly one in five (18.2%) could no longer partake of family meals. Homesteads, which are an organising principle of Swazi life, were often markedly stigmatising environments. In contrast to documented discrimination in health care settings, the health centre emerged as a space where PLWH could share information and support. Given the UNAIDS call for national partners to 'know your epidemic' by tracking the prevalence of HIV-related S&D, results from this study suggested that unless 'knowing your epidemic' includes the lived experiences of HIV stigma that blister into discernible patterns, effectiveness of national initiatives is likely to be limited. Multidisciplinary and locale-specific studies are especially well suited in examining the cultural dynamics of HIV stigma and in providing grounded data that deepen the impact of comprehensive HIV/AIDS policies and programming.

Everything safe? – Risk situations in advanced home care from the point of view of ventilated patients and their relatives

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Ewers, Michael; Schaepe, Christiane; Lehmann, Yvonne

2017-01-01

Background: The number of home mechanically ventilated (HMV) patients has been growing for years. However, little is known about requirements, processes and effects of advanced home care, provided in distance from clinics and doctors. To date, safety related aspects of the above mentioned issues have scarcely been examined. Aim: Users of advanced home care were asked about their experiences and about situations in which they felt safe or unsafe. The aim was to gain insights into the daily care provision, explore safety risks from the users’ point of view, and to develop new approaches to enhance patient safety in home care for the severely ill. Method: A qualitative explorative study has been carried out, based on semi-structured interviews (ventilated patients N = 21; relatives N = 15). Sampling, data collecting and data analysis were guided by principles of Grounded Theory. Results: Risk situations occur when (non-)verbal communication offers of HMV patients are overseen or misunderstood, patient- or technology related monitoring tasks are neglected, if coordination and collaboration requirements are undervalued and if negotiation processes as well as education and supervision needs are disregarded. Furthermore, nurses’ lack of competence, self-confidence and professionalism may produce risk situations. Conclusion: Listen carefully to patients and relatives can help to identify quality shortcomings in advanced home care, to prevent risk situations and to develop patient-centered safety concepts for this particular setting.

Brief Report: Parent's Assessments of Their Care-Related Stress and Child's ASD Symptoms in Relation to Their child's Intervention History.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, Daniel; Csako, Rita; Landon, Jason; Goedeke, Sonja; Ty, Kelly

2018-03-20

Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be stressful. Understanding parent's perceptions of their stress and their child's ASD-related symptoms is important for both the well-being of parent and child and for other reasons, such as intervention adherence and diagnostic accuracy. We report parent (N = 570) ratings of both their ASD Care-Related Stress scores and their child's symptoms in relation to the child's exposure to five mainstream ASD interventions. Differences across intervention history in the way parents perceive their child's symptoms and rate the stressfulness of performing ASD-related parenting duties were found.

Understanding HIV-related posttraumatic stress disorder in South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A number of epidemiological studies have attempted to measure the prevalence of HIV-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review of the literature identified eight relevant studies that put current estimates of the prevalence of HIV-related PTSD between 4.2% and 40%. Even the ...

Exploration of wild relatives of tomato for enhanced stress tolerance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Junming Li,

2010-01-01

Among the different abiotic and biotic stresses, Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora infestans and high salt concentrations are world-wide the most destructive. Several wild relatives of tomato were identified as source for tolerance to these stresses. Three introgression line (IL) populations derived

COPING WITH AND MANAGING STRESS STYLES OF FRESHMEN PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS AT THE PE FACULTY IN NIS

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Danica Pirsl

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Stress is frequently viewed as an enemy. This is a misconception. Stress is often neither positive nor negative. Selye referred to stress judged as "good" as eustress. Distress, on the other hand, is stress that results in negative responses. Unchecked negative stress can interfere with the physiological and psychological functioning of the body and may ultimately result in disease or disability. A stressor is any physical, psychological or environmental event, or condition that initiates the stress. The body responds with the same threestage process. This series of changes is known as the general adaptation syndrome (GAS. The three phases are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. It is interesting to note that PE students form their own stress copying styles in the mental, emotional and physical areas. Results are enhanced activities, sense of control and high energy level. Both male and female students show similar patterns of behaviour in stressful situations but female students show more interest in sporting activities when in stress-related situation

Stress-related endocrinological and psychopathological effects of short- and long-term 50Hz electromagnetic field exposure in rats.

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Szemerszky, Renáta; Zelena, Dóra; Barna, István; Bárdos, György

2010-01-15

It is believed that different electromagnetic fields do have beneficial and harmful biological effects. The aim of the present work was to study the long-term consequences of 50 Hz electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure with special focus on the development of chronic stress and stress-induced psychopathology. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to ELF-EMF (50 Hz, 0.5 mT) for 5 days, 8h daily (short) or for 4-6 weeks, 24h daily (long). Anxiety was studied in elevated plus maze test, whereas depression-like behavior of the long-treated group was examined in the forced swim test. Some days after behavioral examination, the animals were decapitated among resting conditions and organ weights, blood hormone levels as well as proopiomelanocortin mRNA level from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland were measured. Both treatments were ineffective on somatic parameters, namely none of the changes characteristic to chronic stress (body weight reduction, thymus involution and adrenal gland hypertrophy) were present. An enhanced blood glucose level was found after prolonged ELF-EMF exposure (p=0.013). The hormonal stress reaction was similar in control and short-term exposed rats, but significant proopiomelanocortin elevation (pfloating time; p=0.006) were found following long-term ELF-EMF exposure. Taken together, long and continuous exposure to relatively high intensity electromagnetic field may count as a mild stress situation and could be a factor in the development of depressive state or metabolic disturbances. Although we should stress that the average intensity of the human exposure is normally much smaller than in the present experiment.

Work-related stress in a humanitarian context: a qualitative investigation.

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Jachens, Liza; Houdmont, Jonathan; Thomas, Roslyn

2018-03-13

There is a paucity of research on the subjective stress-related experiences of humanitarian aid workers. Most evaluations of stress among these individuals focus on trauma and related conditions or adopt a quantitative approach. This interview-based study explored how 58 humanitarian aid workers employed by a United Nations-aligned organisation perceived the transactional stress process. The thematic analysis revealed eight main topics of interest: an emergency culture was found where most employees felt compelled to offer an immediate response to humanitarian needs; employees identified strongly with humanitarian goals and reported a high level of engagement; the rewards of humanitarian work were perceived as motivating and meaningful; constant change and urgent demands resulted in work overload; and managing work-life boundaries and receiving positive support from colleagues and managers helped to buffer perceived stress, work overload, and negative health outcomes. The practical implications of the results are discussed and suggestions made in the light of current research and stress theory. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

Oxidative Stress-Related Mechanisms and Antioxidant Therapy in Diabetic Retinopathy

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Cheng Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Diabetic retinopathy (DR is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes and is the leading cause of blindness in young adults. Oxidative stress has been implicated as a critical cause of DR. Metabolic abnormalities induced by high-glucose levels are involved in the development of DR and appear to be influenced by oxidative stress. The imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS production and the antioxidant defense system activates several oxidative stress-related mechanisms that promote the pathogenesis of DR. The damage caused by oxidative stress persists for a considerable time, even after the blood glucose concentration has returned to a normal level. Animal experiments have proved that the use of antioxidants is a beneficial therapeutic strategy for the treatment of DR, but more data are required from clinical trials. The aims of this review are to highlight the improvements to our understanding of the oxidative stress-related mechanisms underlying the development of DR and provide a summary of the main antioxidant therapy strategies used to treat the disease.

Stress-related factors in cannabis use and misuse: implications for prevention and treatment.

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Hyman, Scott M; Sinha, Rajita

2009-06-01

We examined the role of stress as a risk factor and motivation for cannabis use/misuse. A systematic review of studies gathered from PsychINFO and MEDLINE databases was conducted. Findings suggest that cannabis is commonly used as a stress-coping strategy. Negative life events, trauma, and maladaptive coping were all related to consumption. Cannabis use for stress-coping purposes was most evident when examining chronic as compared with experimental use. Although many individuals may be able to use cannabis without consequences, there appears to be a subset of individuals who experience greater life stress and who may be more likely to use for stress-coping purposes. These individuals may be at greatest risk for addiction. Chronic use may potentiate stress-related motivation to use/abuse cannabis and is associated with decision-making deficits and alterations in brain-stress pathways that may exacerbate compulsive drug seeking and sensitize individuals to stress-related drug use. Overall, stress-coping interventions and harm reduction focused on reducing the amount ingested may facilitate prevention and recovery efforts.

Nursing and pharmacy students' use of emotionally intelligent behaviours to manage challenging interpersonal situations with staff during clinical placement: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

McCloughen, Andrea; Foster, Kim

2017-04-20

To identify challenging interpersonal interactions experienced by nursing and pharmacy students during clinical placement, and strategies used to manage those situations. Healthcare students and staff experience elevated stress when exposed to dynamic clinical environments, complex care and challenging professional relationships. Emotionally intelligent behaviours are associated with appropriate recognition and management of emotions evoked by stressful experiences and development of effective relationships. Nursing and pharmacy students' use of emotionally intelligent behaviours to manage challenging interpersonal situations is not well known. A qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews to explore experiences of challenging interpersonal situations during clinical placement (Phase two of a larger mixed-methods study). Final-year Australian university nursing and pharmacy students (n = 20) were purposefully recruited using a range of Emotional Intelligence scores (derived in Phase one), measured using the GENOS Emotional intelligence Inventory (concise version). Challenging interpersonal situations involving student-staff and intrastaff conflict, discourteous behaviour and criticism occurred during clinical placement. Students used personal and relational strategies, incorporating emotionally intelligent behaviours, to manage these encounters. Strategies included reflecting and reframing, being calm, controlling discomfort and expressing emotions appropriately. Emotionally intelligent behaviours are effective to manage stressful interpersonal interactions. Methods for strengthening these behaviours should be integrated into education of nursing and pharmacy students and qualified professionals. Education within the clinical/workplace environment can incorporate key interpersonal skills of collaboration, social interaction and reflection, while also attending to sociocultural contexts of the healthcare setting. Students and staff are frequently exposed

Influence of stress in parents on child obesity and related behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, Elizabeth P; Kumanyika, Shiriki; Moore, Reneé H; Stettler, Nicolas; Wrotniak, Brian H; Kazak, Anne

2012-11-01

To assess associations of the number of parent stressors and parent-perceived stress with obesity and related behaviors in their children. This cross-sectional analysis used data from the 2006 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey in which 2119 parents/caregivers answered questions about themselves and their children (ages 3-17 years). Survey data were used to assess the main exposure variables: the number of stressors (measured using a stressor index) and parent-perceived stress (the response to a general stress question); child covariates (age, race/ethnicity, health quality, and gender); adult covariates (education, BMI, gender, poor sleep quality) and study outcomes (child obesity, fast-food consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity). To account for developmental differences, analyses were also stratified by age group (3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17 years). Analyses used multiple logistic regression, with results expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The number of parent stressors was related to child obesity in unadjusted (1.12, 1.03-1.22, P = .007) and adjusted models (1.12, 1.03-1.23, P = .010). Parent-perceived stress was related to fast-food consumption in unadjusted (1.07, 1.03-1.10, P child obesity. Parent-perceived stress was directly related to child fast-food consumption, an important behavioral indicator of obesity risk. Clinical care models and future research that address child obesity should explore the potential benefits of addressing parent stressors and parent-perceived stress.

Food addiction, orthorexia, and food-related stress among dietetics students.

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Grammatikopoulou, Maria G; Gkiouras, Konstantinos; Markaki, Anastasia; Theodoridis, Xenophon; Tsakiri, Vasiliki; Mavridis, Pantelis; Dardavessis, Theodore; Chourdakis, Michael

2018-05-19

Health sciences, and in particular Nutrition and Dietetics students, have been shown to exhibit an increased prevalence of disordered eating. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFEDs), including stress-related eating, food addiction, and orthorexia, in relation to the dietary intake, among nutrition/dietetics students. A total of 176 undergraduate students from a Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, in Greece, participated in the study. Dietary intake was recorded, and the prevalence of Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotion and Stress (EADES), food addiction (with the modified Yale Food Addition scale mYFAS), and orthorexia were assessed. Chi-square and t tests were performed between sexes, orthorexic and non-orthorexic students, as well as between food-addicted and non-addicted participants. Multiple linear regression analysis assessed relationships between energy intake, BMI or waist circumference, and the food-related psychometric scales. Among participating students, 4.5% had food addiction and 68.2% demonstrated orthorexia. No differences were observed between men and women, concerning the prevalence of food addiction and orthorexia, the sum of mYFAS symptoms, or individual EADES factors. Orthorexic students exhibited increased BMI, reduced energy, and saturated fat intake. In addition, orthorexic men consumed more vegetables. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that orthorexic behavior was associated with increased BMI, waist circumference and energy intake. Lower BMI was associated with increasing ability to cope with emotion-and-stress-related eating and increasing appraisal of ability and resources to cope with emotions and stress. Emotion-and-stress-related eating was negatively associated with BMI. Appraisal of ability and resources to cope with emotions and stress was associated with the energy intake. Finally, age was positively correlated with the appraisal of outside

Gamification for Measuring Cyber Security Situational Awareness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fink, Glenn A.; Best, Daniel M.; Manz, David O.; Popovsky, V. M.; Endicott-Popovsky, Barbara E.

2013-03-01

Cyber defense competitions arising from U.S. service academy exercises, offer a platform for collecting data that can inform research that ranges from characterizing the ideal cyber warrior to describing behaviors during certain challenging cyber defense situations. This knowledge could lead to better preparation of cyber defenders in both military and civilian settings. This paper describes how one regional competition, the PRCCDC, a participant in the national CCDC program, conducted proof of concept experimentation to collect data during the annual competition for later analysis. The intent is to create an ongoing research agenda that expands on this current work and incorporates augmented cognition and gamification methods for measuring cybersecurity situational awareness under the stress of cyber attack.

STRESS IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION

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Karina Wengel-Woźny

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Teaching profession dates back to ancient times, when formulation of an ideal of a man with comprehensively developed personality was primarily based on such values as wisdom and knowledge. The profession of a teacher/master was influenced by many factors and underwent numerous transformations over the centuries. Aim. The aim is to assess the impact of stress and burnout at work and functioning of the teachers. Material and methods. The survey was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire consisting of 21 questions, in which the respondent select one of the following answers. The study assured full anonymity. The survey was conducted among a group of randomly selected teacher of primary, middle and secondary schools operating in the province of Opole. Results. As a result of conducted research it appeared that 54% of respondents many times a week feel stress related to their work. There are 28% of surveyed to sense nervous tension due to their professional occupation. 10% among them admit to experience this kind of stress up to twice a week whereas 8% of them tend to feel stressed once a week or less often. Conclusions. It is obvious that stress cannot be totally eliminated out of teacher profession. However we can reduce its size by applying a number of tools. These can be following: Implementation of educational programs dedicated for teachers- programs which aim at minimizing consequences of stress on teacher’s health and life as well as on their environment. Organizing of workshops of “coping with stress” and with difficult situations; education of behaving in situations of “overload”. The change of system of educating teachers and gaining professional competences.

Age-related effects of chronic restraint stress on ethanol drinking, ethanol-induced sedation, and on basal and stress-induced anxiety response.

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Fernández, Macarena Soledad; Fabio, María Carolina; Miranda-Morales, Roberto Sebastián; Virgolini, Miriam B; De Giovanni, Laura N; Hansen, Cristian; Wille-Bille, Aranza; Nizhnikov, Michael E; Spear, Linda P; Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos

2016-03-01

Adolescents are sensitive to the anxiolytic effect of ethanol, and evidence suggests that they may be more sensitive to stress than adults. Relatively little is known, however, about age-related differences in stress modulation of ethanol drinking or stress modulation of ethanol-induced sedation and hypnosis. We observed that chronic restraint stress transiently exacerbated free-choice ethanol drinking in adolescent, but not in adult, rats. Restraint stress altered exploration patterns of a light-dark box apparatus in adolescents and adults. Stressed animals spent significantly more time in the white area of the maze and made significantly more transfers between compartments than their non-stressed peers. Behavioral response to acute stress, on the other hand, was modulated by prior restraint stress only in adults. Adolescents, unlike adults, exhibited ethanol-induced motor stimulation in an open field. Stress increased the duration of loss of the righting reflex after a high ethanol dose, yet this effect was similar at both ages. Ethanol-induced sleep time was much higher in adult than in adolescent rats, yet stress diminished ethanol-induced sleep time only in adults. The study indicates age-related differences that may increase the risk for initiation and escalation in alcohol drinking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychological and social impacts of post-accident situations: lessons from the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lochard, J.

1996-01-01

This paper presents the main features, from the psychological and social points of view, of the post-accident situation in the contaminated areas around Chernobyl. This is based on a series of surveys performed in the concerned territories of the CIS republics. The high level of stress affecting a large segment of the population is related to the perception of the situation by those living in a durably contaminated environment but also to the side-effects of some of the countermeasures adopted to mitigate the radiological consequences or to compensate the affected population. The distinction between the accident and the post-accident phase is enlarged to take into account the various phases characterizing the dynamics of the social response. Although the size of the catastrophe as well as the economic and political conditions that were prevailing at the time and after the accident have resulted in a maximal intensity of the reactions of the population, many lessons can be drawn for the management of potential post-accident situations. (author)

Hemispheric asymmetry in stress processing in rat prefrontal cortex and the role of mesocortical dopamine.

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Sullivan, R M

2004-06-01

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to play an important role not only in the regulation of emotion, but in the integration of affective states with appropriate modulation of autonomic and neuroendocrine stress regulatory systems. The present review highlights findings in the rat which helps to elucidate the complex nature of prefrontal involvement in emotion and stress regulation. The medial PFC is particularly important in this regard and while dorsomedial regions appear to play a suppressive role in such regulation, the ventromedial (particularly infralimbic) region appears to activate behavioral, neuroendocrine and sympathetic autonomic systems in response to stressful situations. This may be especially true of spontaneous stress-related behavior or physiological responses to relatively acute stressors. The role of the medial PFC is somewhat more complex in conditions involving learned adjustments to stressful situations, such as the extinction of conditioned fear responses, but it is clear that the medial PFC is important in incorporating stressful experience for future adaptive behavior. It is also suggested that mesocortical dopamine plays an important adaptive role in this region by preventing excessive behavioral and physiological stress reactivity. The rat brain shows substantial hemispheric specialization in many respects, and while the right PFC is normally dominant in the activation of stress-related systems, the left may play a role in countering this activation through processes of interhemispheric inhibition. This proposed basic template for the lateralization of stress regulatory systems is suggested to be associated with efficient stress and emotional self-regulation, and also to be shaped by both early postnatal experience and gender differences.

Neuroimmune mechanisms of stress: sex differences, developmental plasticity, and implications for pharmacotherapy of stress-related disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Deak, Terrence; Quinn, Matt; Cidlowski, John A; Victoria, Nicole C; Murphy, Anne Z; Sheridan, John F

2015-01-01

The last decade has witnessed profound growth in studies examining the role of fundamental neuroimmune processes as key mechanisms that might form a natural bridge between normal physiology and pathological outcomes. Rooted in core concepts from psychoneuroimmunology, this review utilizes a succinct, exemplar-driven approach of several model systems that contribute significantly to our knowledge of the mechanisms by which neuroimmune processes interact with stress physiology. Specifically, we review recent evidence showing that (i) stress challenges produce time-dependent and stressor-specific patterns of cytokine/chemokine expression in the CNS; (ii) inflammation-related genes exhibit unique expression profiles in males and females depending upon individual, cooperative or antagonistic interactions between steroid hormone receptors (estrogen and glucocorticoid receptors); (iii) adverse social experiences incurred through repeated social defeat engage a dynamic process of immune cell migration from the bone marrow to brain and prime neuroimmune function and (iv) early developmental exposure to an inflammatory stimulus (carageenin injection into the hindpaw) has a lasting influence on stress reactivity across the lifespan. As such, the present review provides a theoretical framework for understanding the role that neuroimmune mechanisms might play in stress plasticity and pathological outcomes, while at the same time pointing toward features of the individual (sex, developmental experience, stress history) that might ultimately be used for the development of personalized strategies for therapeutic intervention in stress-related pathologies.

A study of the health-related quality of life and work-related stress of white-collar migrant workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Su-Ying

2012-10-19

Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work-related stress and its risk factors among white-collar businessmen and management workers that migrate to high-income developing countries. A structural questionnaire survey was administered to 156 white-collar Taiwanese management personnel of representative companies of their industries in Taiwan, who were assigned long-term job positions in China. Questionnaire content included demographics and medical history, self-reported physical and mental conditions, personal lifestyle and behavior, Beck Depression Inventory, and information on HRQoL. White-collar migrant workers reported a high prevalence of alcohol consumption (72.4%) and perceived work-related stress (62.2%), and a lower prevalence of regular exercise (12.2%). Workers with higher levels of perceived work-related stress reported more alcohol consumption, a history of hyperlipidemia, and a higher prevalence of self-reported neck pain, poor sleep, and mild/moderate/severe depression. In our primary multivariate risk model to determine lifestyle and work-related stress variables and HRQoL, perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression negatively impacted both the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of the SF-36 health survey. Hyperlipidemia and self-reported neck pain were associated with significantly lower PCS scores, whereas cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep were associated with statistically lower MCS scores. White-collar migrant workers are generally younger with high socioeconomic status. Perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression indirectly affect HRQoL. Hyperlipidemia, self-reported neck pain, cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep also had a significant negative impact on HRQoL.

A Study of the Health-Related Quality of Life and Work-Related Stress of White-Collar Migrant Workers

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Su-Ying Tsai

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQoL and work-related stress and its risk factors among white-collar businessmen and management workers that migrate to high-income developing countries. A structural questionnaire survey was administered to 156 white-collar Taiwanese management personnel of representative companies of their industries in Taiwan, who were assigned long-term job positions in China. Questionnaire content included demographics and medical history, self-reported physical and mental conditions, personal lifestyle and behavior, Beck Depression Inventory, and information on HRQoL. White-collar migrant workers reported a high prevalence of alcohol consumption (72.4% and perceived work-related stress (62.2%, and a lower prevalence of regular exercise (12.2%. Workers with higher levels of perceived work-related stress reported more alcohol consumption, a history of hyperlipidemia, and a higher prevalence of self-reported neck pain, poor sleep, and mild/moderate/severe depression. In our primary multivariate risk model to determine lifestyle and work-related stress variables and HRQoL, perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression negatively impacted both the Physical Component Summary (PCS and Mental Component Summary (MCS scores of the SF-36 health survey. Hyperlipidemia and self-reported neck pain were associated with significantly lower PCS scores, whereas cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep were associated with statistically lower MCS scores. White-collar migrant workers are generally younger with high socioeconomic status. Perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression indirectly affect HRQoL. Hyperlipidemia, self-reported neck pain, cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep also had a significant negative impact on HRQoL.

Language Acculturation, Acculturation-Related Stress, and Marital Quality in Chinese American Couples.

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Hou, Yang; Neff, Lisa A; Kim, Su Yeong

2018-04-01

The current study examines the longitudinal indirect pathways linking language acculturation to marital quality. Three waves of data were collected from 416 Chinese American couples over eight years ( M age.wave1 = 48 for husbands, 44 for wives). Actor-partner interdependence model analyses revealed that for both husbands and wives, lower levels of language acculturation were associated with higher levels of stress over being stereotyped as a perpetual foreigner. Individuals' foreigner stress, in turn, was directly related to greater levels of their own and their partners' marital warmth, suggesting that foreigner stress may have some positive relational effects. However, individuals' foreigner stress also was associated with increases in their own depressive symptoms, which predicted higher levels of marital hostility in the partner. Overall, these results underscore the complexity of how language acculturation and foreigner stress relate to marital quality and the importance of considering the interdependence of the marital system.

Recovery from work-related stress: a randomized controlled trial of a stress management intervention in a clinical sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Glasscock, David J; Carstensen, Ole; Dalgaard, Vita Ligaya

2018-05-28

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions aimed at reducing work-related stress indicate that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is more effective than other interventions. However, definitions of study populations are often unclear and there is a lack of interventions targeting both the individual and the workplace. The aim of this study was to determine whether a stress management intervention combining individual CBT and a workplace focus is superior to no treatment in the reduction of perceived stress and stress symptoms and time to lasting return to work (RTW) in a clinical sample. Patients with work-related stress reactions or adjustment disorders were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 57, 84.2% female) or a control group (n = 80, 83.8% female). Subjects were followed via questionnaires and register data. The intervention contained individual CBT and the offer of a workplace meeting. We examined intervention effects by analysing group differences in score changes on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). We also tested if intervention led to faster lasting RTW. Mean baseline values of PSS were 24.79 in the intervention group and 23.26 in the control group while the corresponding values for GHQ were 21.3 and 20.27, respectively. There was a significant effect of time. 10 months after baseline, both groups reported less perceived stress and improved mental health. 4 months after baseline, we found significant treatment effects for both perceived stress and mental health. The difference in mean change in PSS after 4 months was - 3.09 (- 5.47, - 0.72), while for GHQ it was - 3.91 (- 7.15, - 0.68). There were no group differences in RTW. The intervention led to faster reductions in perceived stress and stress symptoms amongst patients with work-related stress reactions and adjustment disorders. 6 months after the intervention ended there were no longer differences between

School-related stress and psychosomatic symptoms among school adolescents.

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Natvig, G K; Albrektsen, G; Anderssen, N; Qvarnstrøm, U

1999-11-01

Associations between psychosomatic symptoms and school-induced stress, and personal and social resources were analyzed among 862 Norwegian adolescents ages 13-15 years participating in the WHO project, "Health Promoting Schools." Stress-related factors were represented by the average of scores of 3-12 items. Both in combined and separate analyses of each psychosomatic symptom, increasing school distress, the most direct measure of stress experience, was associated with increased risk. A similar relationship was found with school alienation, though not significant for all symptoms. Social support from the teacher decreased the risk among girls, whereas social support from other pupils reduced the risk among both genders, but in particular among boys. No consistent associations were seen between psychosomatic complaints and general or school-related self-efficacy or decision control. In some analyses, however, these factors seemed to modify the association with school distress or school alienation.

Situationally-sensitive knowledge translation and relational decision making in hyperacute stroke: a qualitative study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madeleine J Murtagh

Full Text Available Stroke is a leading cause of disability. Early treatment of acute ischaemic stroke with rtPA reduces the risk of longer term dependency but carries an increased risk of causing immediate bleeding complications. To understand the challenges of knowledge translation and decision making about treatment with rtPA in hyperacute stroke and hence to inform development of appropriate decision support we interviewed patients, their family and health professionals. The emergency setting and the symptomatic effects of hyper-acute stroke shaped the form, content and manner of knowledge translation to support decision making. Decision making about rtPA in hyperacute stroke presented three conundrums for patients, family and clinicians. 1 How to allow time for reflection in a severely time-limited setting. 2 How to facilitate knowledge translation regarding important treatment risks and benefits when patient and family capacity is blunted by the effects and shock of stroke. 3 How to ensure patient and family views are taken into account when the situation produces reliance on the expertise of clinicians. Strategies adopted to meet these conundrums were fourfold: face to face communication; shaping decisions; incremental provision of information; and communication tailored to the individual patient. Relational forms of interaction were understood to engender trust and allay anxiety. Shaping decisions with patients was understood as an expression of confidence by clinicians that helped alleviate anxiety and offered hope and reassurance to patients and their family experiencing the shock of the stroke event. Neutral presentations of information and treatment options promoted uncertainty and contributed to anxiety. 'Drip feeding' information created moments for reflection: clinicians literally made time. Tailoring information to the particular patient and family situation allowed clinicians to account for social and emotional contexts. The principal responses to

Situationally-sensitive knowledge translation and relational decision making in hyperacute stroke: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Murtagh, Madeleine J; Burges Watson, Duika L; Jenkings, K Neil; Lie, Mabel L S; Mackintosh, Joan E; Ford, Gary A; Thomson, Richard G

2012-01-01

Stroke is a leading cause of disability. Early treatment of acute ischaemic stroke with rtPA reduces the risk of longer term dependency but carries an increased risk of causing immediate bleeding complications. To understand the challenges of knowledge translation and decision making about treatment with rtPA in hyperacute stroke and hence to inform development of appropriate decision support we interviewed patients, their family and health professionals. The emergency setting and the symptomatic effects of hyper-acute stroke shaped the form, content and manner of knowledge translation to support decision making. Decision making about rtPA in hyperacute stroke presented three conundrums for patients, family and clinicians. 1) How to allow time for reflection in a severely time-limited setting. 2) How to facilitate knowledge translation regarding important treatment risks and benefits when patient and family capacity is blunted by the effects and shock of stroke. 3) How to ensure patient and family views are taken into account when the situation produces reliance on the expertise of clinicians. Strategies adopted to meet these conundrums were fourfold: face to face communication; shaping decisions; incremental provision of information; and communication tailored to the individual patient. Relational forms of interaction were understood to engender trust and allay anxiety. Shaping decisions with patients was understood as an expression of confidence by clinicians that helped alleviate anxiety and offered hope and reassurance to patients and their family experiencing the shock of the stroke event. Neutral presentations of information and treatment options promoted uncertainty and contributed to anxiety. 'Drip feeding' information created moments for reflection: clinicians literally made time. Tailoring information to the particular patient and family situation allowed clinicians to account for social and emotional contexts. The principal responses to the challenges of

Work-related stress among correctional officers: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Viotti, Sara

2016-01-25

Correctional officers (COs) are exposed to various factors likely to jeopardize their health and safety. Even if numerous studies have been focused on work-related stress among COs, few studies have been carried out in Italy. Indentify the work-related factors and comprehend how they negatively affect the COs' psychological health in the Italian penal system. A qualitative approach was employed. Twenty-eight COs employed in a detention block of an Italian jail were interviewed face-to-face. For the analyses of the text, Template Analysis technique was followed. The analyses of the text highlighted six macro-categories and thirteen categories hierarchically linked to them: A) Intrinsic work-related factors with six categories: demanding contact with prisoners, high level of responsibility, health risks, critical events, lack of intellectual and social stimulation, and conflict value; B) Factors related to the type of contract and work organization: challenging working hours contrasted with social time, and relocation; C) Social factors: relationships with colleagues and hierarchy; D) Organizational factors: organizational injustice, E) External factors: negative social image; F) Physical environmental factors: physical structure of the prison building. The results indicated that COs are at high risk of stress. More specifically, the analyses highlighted that the most stressful part of the COs' job concerns their relationship with the inmates.

Associations of menopausal symptoms with job-related stress factors in nurses in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuzaki, Kazuyo; Uemura, Hirokazu; Yasui, Toshiyuki

2014-09-01

The main objective was to ascertain the typical menopausal symptoms and job-related stress factors in Japanese nurses during the menopausal transition, and the associations of menopausal symptoms with job-related stress. A supplementary objective was to determine whether there were any differences in menopausal symptoms and job-related stress factors among nurses in managerial positions. One thousand seven hundred female registered nurses aged 45-60 years who were working in hospitals in Japan were asked to complete a self-administered survey that included Greene's Climacteric Scale and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. The proportions of nurses who reported feelings of tiredness, irritability and difficulty in concentration were higher than the proportions with other menopausal symptoms. The proportions of nurses reporting feeling unhappy or depressed and having crying spells were higher among nurses in managerial positions than among other nurses. Stresses related to 'quantitative overload' on the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire among nurses in managerial positions were significantly greater than among nurses not in managerial positions, while stresses related to 'physical overload', 'job control', 'skill discretion', 'workplace environment' and 'job satisfaction' among nurses not in managerial positions were significantly greater than they were among nurses in managerial positions. Psychological symptoms were significantly correlated with poor job-related interpersonal relationships. Health care practitioners should be aware that menopausal symptoms are associated with job-related stress during the menopausal transition. Information on the differences in these associations between nurses in managerial positions and other nurses is important as it will allow their health care to be managed on a more individual basis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of prenatal stress on vulnerability to stress in prepubertal and adult rats.

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Fride, E; Dan, Y; Feldon, J; Halevy, G; Weinstock, M

1986-01-01

This study investigated the hypotheses that unpredictable prenatal stress has effects on the offspring, similar to those induced by perinatal administration of glucocorticoids and increases the vulnerability to stressful situations at adulthood. Rats were exposed to random noise and light stress throughout pregnancy. Offspring were tested for the development of spontaneous alternation behavior (SA) and at adulthood, their response to novel or aversive situations, open field, extinction and punishment following acquisition of an appetitive response and two-way active avoidance, were assessed. In prenatally stressed rats, the development of SA was significantly delayed. On repeated exposure to an open field they were less active; control rats had elevated plasma corticosterone (CCS) on days 2 and 4 of open field exposure, while prenatally stressed rats had significantly raised plasma CCS after each exposure (days 1-8). Furthermore, punishment-induced suppression of an appetitive response was enhanced. Acquisition of active avoidance was faciliated in female but reduced in male prenatally stressed offspring. It is suggested that random prenatal noise and light stress may cause impairment of development of hippocampal function which lasts into adulthood. This impairment is manifested as an increase in vulnerability and a decrease in habituation to stressful stimuli.

Emergency situations in SMEs : Are entrepreneurs prepared?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijn, E.; Montfort, van K.; Masurel, E.

2012-01-01

The article examines how entrepreneurs prepare for emergency situations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands. It identifies the characteristics of SMEs and the theory related to emergency situations and the preparations for such situations. It also provides a detailed

Social buffering by God: prayer and measures of stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Belding, Jennifer N; Howard, Malcolm G; McGuire, Anne M; Schwartz, Amanda C; Wilson, Janie H

2010-06-01

Social buffering is characterized by attenuation of stress in the presence of others, with supportive individuals providing superior buffering. We were interested in learning if the implied presence of a supportive entity, God, would reduce acute stress. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: prayer, encouraging self-talk, and control. They were subsequently placed in a stressful situation. Self ratings of stress were lower among the prayer and self-talk conditions relative to controls. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures only among those who prayed were lower than controls; however, prayer and self-talk did not differ. Prayer alone did not significantly reduce stress, perhaps because the majority of students in the prayer condition did not consider reading a prayer to constitute praying.

Situational and Intrapersonal Predictors of School and Life Satisfaction of Elementary School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Drost, Amy Linden

2012-01-01

This study examined predictors of school and life satisfaction of fifth-grade students. Two situational predictor variables (school climate and school stress) and two intrapersonal predictor variables (locus of control and academic self-concept) were examined. It was hypothesized that positive school climate, low levels of school stress, internal…

Numerical analysis oriented biaxial stress-strain relation and failure criterion of plain concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, J.

1975-01-01

A biaxial stress-strain relation and failure criterion is proposed, which is applicable to structural analysis methods. The formulation of material behavior of plain concrete in biaxial stress-state was developed. A nonlinear elastic, anisotropic stress-strain relation was derived with two moduli of elasticity, E 1 , E 2 and Poisson's ratios, ν 1 , ν 2 , which depend on the prevailing biaxial stress state. The stress-strain relation is valid in the whole biaxial stress field, that means with a smooth transition between the domains of tension/tension, tension/compression and compression/compression. The stress-dependent moduli E 1 , E 2 and the Poisson's ratios ν 1 , ν 2 are approximated by polynomials, trigonometrical and exponential functions. A failure criterion was defined by approximating the test results of the biaxial ultimate concrete strength with a 7th degree polynomial, which is also valid in the whole biaxial stress domain. The definition of the state of failure is given as a function of stresses as well as strains. Initial parameters of the formulation of the biaxial material behavior are the uniaxial cylindrical strength of concrete and the initial values of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. A simple expansion of this formulation makes it applicable not only to normal but also to light-weight concrete. Comparison of numerically calculated stress-strain curves up to the ultimate biaxial stresses which indicate the failure criteria with those obtained from tests show a very good agreement. It is shown, that the biaxial stress-strain relation can be extended for use in cases of triaxial tension/tension/compression stress state. Numerical examples of analysis of concrete slabs show the importance of incorporation of a realistic material behavior for better safety estimations

Stress and burnout among healthcare professionals working in a mental health setting in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Suyi; Meredith, Pamela; Khan, Asaduzzaman

2015-06-01

International literature suggests that the experience of high levels of stress by healthcare professionals has been associated with decreased work efficiency and high rates of staff turnover. The aims of this study are to identify the extent of stress and burnout experienced by healthcare professionals working in a mental health setting in Singapore and to identify demographic characteristics and work situations associated with this stress and burnout. A total of 220 Singaporean mental health professionals completed a cross-sectional survey, which included measures of stress, burnout (exhaustion and disengagement), participants' demographic details, and working situation. Independent t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to examine between-group differences in the dependent variables (stress and burnout). Analyses revealed that healthcare professionals below the age of 25, those with less than five years experience, and those with the lowest annual income, reported the highest levels of stress and burnout. No significant differences were found with other demographic or work situation variables. Findings suggest that healthcare professionals working in a mental health setting in Singapore are experiencing relatively high levels of stress and burnout. It is important that clinicians, administrators and policy makers take proactive steps to develop programs aimed at reducing stress and burnout for healthcare professionals. These programs are likely to also increase the well-being and resilience of healthcare professionals and improve the quality of mental health services in Singapore. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress, glucocorticoids and memory: implications for treating fear-related disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

de Quervain, Dominique; Schwabe, Lars; Roozendaal, Benno

2017-01-01

Glucocorticoid stress hormones are crucially involved in modulating mnemonic processing of emotionally arousing experiences. They enhance the consolidation of new memories, including those that extinguish older memories, but impair the retrieval of information stored in long-term memory. As strong aversive memories lie at the core of several fear-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias, the memory-modulating properties of glucocorticoids have recently become of considerable translational interest. Clinical trials have provided the first evidence that glucocorticoid-based pharmacotherapies aimed at attenuating aversive memories might be helpful in the treatment of fear-related disorders. Here, we review important advances in the understanding of how glucocorticoids mediate stress effects on memory processes, and discuss the translational potential of these new conceptual insights.

Approach to the research and the situation of Public Relations in Europe. Comparative study between German and Spanish cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dra. María Isabel Míguez González

2007-01-01

Full Text Available With the aim of bring near to the spanish academic field the european approaches of Public Relations, this article makes a compared revision of the situation of this subject and profession in Germany and Spain. This revision shows important resemblances on the use of the term “public relations”, the confusion of this subject with other communicative activities, the professional development and the problems of the field in both countries. However, it also shows that Germany has more tradition on public relations research than Spain and, therefore, it has a more extensive corpus of theories about this subject. For this reason, since important resemblances exist in other aspects, german research on public relations could be interesting for the spanish academic field both to explain the situation of public relations in Spain and to motivate theoretical development in our country.

Medical yoga: Another way of being in the world—A phenomenological study from the perspective of persons suffering from stress-related symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agneta Anderzén-Carlsson

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of stress-related illness has grown in recent years. Many of these patients seek help in primary health care. Yoga can reduce stress and thus complements pharmacological therapy in medical practice. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated patients’ experiences of yoga treatment in a primary health care setting or, specifically, the experiences of yoga when suffering from stress-related illness. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the meaning of participating in medical yoga as a complementary treatment for stress-related symptoms and diagnosis in a primary health care setting. This study has a descriptive phenomenological design and took place at a primary health care centre in Sweden during 2011. Five women and one man (43–51 years participated. They were recruited from the intervention group (n=18 in a randomized control trial, in which they had participated in a medical yoga group in addition to standard care for 12 weeks. Data were collected by means of qualitative interviews, and a phenomenological data analysis was conducted. The essential meaning of the medical yoga experience was that the medical yoga was not an endpoint of recovery but the start of a process towards an increased sense of wholeness. It was described as a way of alleviating suffering, and it provided the participants with a tool for dealing with their stress and current situation on a practical level. It led to greater self-awareness and self-esteem, which in turn had an implicit impact on their lifeworld. In phenomenological terms, this can be summarized as Another way of being in the world, encompassing a perception of deepened identity. From a philosophical perspective, due to using the body in a new way (yoga, the participants had learnt to see things differently, which enriched and recast their perception of themselves and their lives.

Medical yoga: Another way of being in the world—A phenomenological study from the perspective of persons suffering from stress-related symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta; Lundholm, Ulla Persson; Köhn, Monica; Westerdahl, Elisabeth

2014-01-01

The prevalence of stress-related illness has grown in recent years. Many of these patients seek help in primary health care. Yoga can reduce stress and thus complements pharmacological therapy in medical practice. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated patients’ experiences of yoga treatment in a primary health care setting or, specifically, the experiences of yoga when suffering from stress-related illness. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the meaning of participating in medical yoga as a complementary treatment for stress-related symptoms and diagnosis in a primary health care setting. This study has a descriptive phenomenological design and took place at a primary health care centre in Sweden during 2011. Five women and one man (43–51 years) participated. They were recruited from the intervention group (n=18) in a randomized control trial, in which they had participated in a medical yoga group in addition to standard care for 12 weeks. Data were collected by means of qualitative interviews, and a phenomenological data analysis was conducted. The essential meaning of the medical yoga experience was that the medical yoga was not an endpoint of recovery but the start of a process towards an increased sense of wholeness. It was described as a way of alleviating suffering, and it provided the participants with a tool for dealing with their stress and current situation on a practical level. It led to greater self-awareness and self-esteem, which in turn had an implicit impact on their lifeworld. In phenomenological terms, this can be summarized as Another way of being in the world, encompassing a perception of deepened identity. From a philosophical perspective, due to using the body in a new way (yoga), the participants had learnt to see things differently, which enriched and recast their perception of themselves and their lives. PMID:24434055

Medical yoga: another way of being in the world-a phenomenological study from the perspective of persons suffering from stress-related symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta; Persson Lundholm, Ulla; Köhn, Monica; Westerdahl, Elisabeth

2014-01-01

The prevalence of stress-related illness has grown in recent years. Many of these patients seek help in primary health care. Yoga can reduce stress and thus complements pharmacological therapy in medical practice. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated patients' experiences of yoga treatment in a primary health care setting or, specifically, the experiences of yoga when suffering from stress-related illness. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the meaning of participating in medical yoga as a complementary treatment for stress-related symptoms and diagnosis in a primary health care setting. This study has a descriptive phenomenological design and took place at a primary health care centre in Sweden during 2011. Five women and one man (43-51 years) participated. They were recruited from the intervention group (n=18) in a randomized control trial, in which they had participated in a medical yoga group in addition to standard care for 12 weeks. Data were collected by means of qualitative interviews, and a phenomenological data analysis was conducted. The essential meaning of the medical yoga experience was that the medical yoga was not an endpoint of recovery but the start of a process towards an increased sense of wholeness. It was described as a way of alleviating suffering, and it provided the participants with a tool for dealing with their stress and current situation on a practical level. It led to greater self-awareness and self-esteem, which in turn had an implicit impact on their lifeworld. In phenomenological terms, this can be summarized as Another way of being in the world, encompassing a perception of deepened identity. From a philosophical perspective, due to using the body in a new way (yoga), the participants had learnt to see things differently, which enriched and recast their perception of themselves and their lives.

Prenatal stress in pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kranendonk, Godelieve

2006-01-01

Studies in many species, including humans, have demonstrated that stress during gestation can have long-term developmental, neuroendocrine, and behavioural effects on the offspring. Because pregnant sows can be subjected to regular stressful situations, it is relevant to study whether prenatal

Stress-related factors in the emergence of transient global amnesia with hippocampal lesion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliane eDöhring

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The transient global amnesia (TGA is a rare amnesic syndrome that is characterized by an acute onset episode of an anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Its origin is still debated, but there is evidence for psychological factors involved in TGA. In neuroimaging, selective lesions in the CA1 fields of the hippocampus can be detected, a region that is particularly involved in the processing of memory, stress and emotion. The aim of this study was to assess the role of psychological stress in TGA by studying the prevalence of stress related precipitating events and individual stress-related personality profiles as well as coping strategies in patients. The hypothesis of a functional differentiation of the hippocampus in mnemonic and stress-related compartments was also evaluated. From all 113 patients, 18 % (n= 24 patients experienced emotional and psychological stress episodes directly before the TGA. In a cohort of 21 acute patients, TGA patients tend to cope with stress less efficiently and less constructively than controls. Patients who experienced a stress related precipitant event exhibited a higher level of anxiety in comparison to non-stress patients and controls. However, there was no difference between the general experience of stress and the number of stress inducing life events. The majority of patients (73% did show typical MRI lesions in the CA1 region of the hippocampal cornu ammonis. There was no clear association between stressful events, distribution of hippocampal CA1 lesions and behavioral patterns during the TGA. Disadvantageous coping strategies and an elevated anxiety level may increase the susceptibility to psychological stress which may facilitate the pathophysiological cascade in TGA. The findings suggest a role of emotional stress factors in the manifestation of TGA in a subgroup of patients. Stress may be one trigger involved in the emergence of transient lesions in the hippocampal CA1 region, which are thought to be the

Effects of Work-Related Stress on Work Ability Index among Iranian Workers.

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Gharibi, Vahid; Mokarami, Hamidreza; Taban, Abrahim; Yazdani Aval, Mohsen; Samimi, Kazem; Salesi, Mahmood

2016-03-01

Work Ability Index (WAI) is a well-known and valid self-report tool that has been widely used in various studies to identify and avoid early retirement and work-related disability. Nevertheless, very few studies have been carried out to evaluate work ability in Iran. We aimed to investigate the WAI and the effect of work-related stress on it among Iranian workers. A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study was carried out among 449 workers from five working sectors in three big cities of Iran. Work ability and work-related stress were measured using the Persian version of WAI and the Persian version of Health and Safety Executive Stress Indicator Tool. More than a third of the workers surveyed (34.70%) did not have an appropriate level of work ability (WAI work-related stress and the mean score of WAI. Furthermore, the variables of body mass index, sleep quality, exercise activity, job tenure, and three subscales of work-related stress including demands, supervisor support, and role were significant predictors of WAI. According to the results of this study, the interventional programs must be focused on improving supervisors support, eliminating ambiguity and conflicts in the role of workers in their job and organization, reducing job demands, improving sleep quality, and increasing exercise activity.

Stress in nurses: stress-related affect and its determinants examined over the nursing day.

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Johnston, Derek W; Jones, Martyn C; Charles, Kathryn; McCann, Sharon K; McKee, Lorna

2013-06-01

Nurses are a stressed group and this may affect their health and work performance. The determinants of occupational stress in nurses and other occupational groups have almost invariably been examined in between subject studies. This study aimed to determine if the main determinants of occupation stress, i.e. demand, control, effort and reward, operate within nurses. A real time study using personal digital-assistant-based ecological momentary assessment to measure affect and its hypothesised determinants every 90 min in 254 nurses over three nursing shifts. The measures were negative affect, positive affect, demand/effort, control and reward. While the effects varied in magnitude between people, in general increased negative affect was predicted by high demand/effort, low control and low reward. Control and reward moderated the effects of demand/effort. High positive affect was predicted by high demand/effort, control and reward. The same factors are associated with variations in stress-related affect within nurses as between.

School and Situated Knowledge: Travel or Tourism?

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Damarin, Suzanne K.

1993-01-01

Examines issues related to situated cognition and learning, both in the classroom and in the world. Topics discussed include educational theories; the situated nature of knowledge; the perception of experts; and the role of technology in situated learning, including virtual reality, hypertext, and telecommunications. (26 references) (LRW)

Subjective health complaints, work-related stress and self-efficacy in Norwegian aircrew.

Science.gov (United States)

Omholt, M L; Tveito, T H; Ihlebæk, C

2017-03-01

The European civilian aviation industry has undergone major changes in the last decade. Despite this, there is little knowledge about work-related stress and subjective health complaints (SHCs) affecting Norwegian aircrew. To investigate the relationships between work-related stress, self-efficacy and SHCs in commercial aircrew in Norway and to explore differences between cockpit and cabin crew. Aircrew members from the three major airlines operating from Norway completed an electronically distributed questionnaire. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the association between work-related stress, self-efficacy and SHCs. There was a 21% response rate. Among the 843 study subjects, tiredness, sleep problems, bloating, low back pain, headaches and neck pain were the most prevalent SHCs. Cabin crew reported significantly higher numbers, prevalences and mean values for all SHCs compared with cockpit crew (P stress levels. High levels of work-related stress were significantly associated with all SHC factors in both groups. Self-efficacy partly moderated the relationship between stress and psychological complaints in both cockpit and cabin crew, and for musculoskeletal complaints in cockpit crew. The model explained 23 and 32% of the variance in psychological complaints for cockpit and cabin crew, respectively. Commercial aircrew in Norway reported high numbers of SHCs, and high levels of work-related stress were associated with high numbers of SHC. More knowledge is needed on the physical, organizational and psychosocial stressors affecting cockpit and cabin crew in order to create a healthier work environment for these groups. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Relations of occupational stress to occupational class in Japanese civil servants : analysis by two occupational stress models

OpenAIRE

Kawaharada, Mariko; Saijo, Yasuaki; Yoshioka, Eiji; Sato, Tetsuro; Sato, Hirokazu; Kishi, Reiko

2007-01-01

The aim of the present study was to identify relations between occupational stress and occupational class in Japanese civil servants, using two occupational stress models – the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model and the Job Demand-Control (JDC) Model. The subjects were employees of three local public organizations. We distributed self-administered questionnaires and assessed occupational stress by ERI and JDC. We used seven occupational categories based on the Standard Occupational Classific...

Personality, threat, and cognitive and emotional reactions to stressful intercultural situations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Zee, K; van Oudenhoven, JP; de Grijs, E

2004-01-01

The present study examined individual differences in appraisal of and affective reactions to intercultural situations. A sample of 160 students filled out the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) and participated in an experiment in which they received a description of an intercultural

High shear stress relates to intraplaque haemorrhage in asymptomatic carotid plaques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuenter, A.; Selwaness, M.; Arias Lorza, A.

2016-01-01

estimating equations analysis, adjusting for age, sex and carotid wall thickness. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 93 atherosclerotic carotid arteries of 74 participants. In plaques with higher maximum shear stresses, IPH was more often present (OR per unit increase in maximum shear stress (log......BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Carotid artery plaques with vulnerable plaque components are related to a higher risk of cerebrovascular accidents. It is unknown which factors drive vulnerable plaque development. Shear stress, the frictional force of blood at the vessel wall, is known to influence plaque...... formation. We evaluated the association between shear stress and plaque components (intraplaque haemorrhage (IPH), lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) and/or calcifications) in relatively small carotid artery plaques in asymptomatic persons. METHODS: Participants (n = 74) from the population-based Rotterdam...

Combatting Race-Related Stress in the Classroom

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Sehgal, Priya; Jeffries, Julia; Rappaport, Nancy

2018-01-01

In a time marked by racial divides, the authors of this article argue that teachers are on the front lines of identifying and responding to race-related stress in the classroom. They provide suggestions for how teachers can educate themselves about students' racialized experiences and respond appropriately to support students' mental health.

Determinants of stress for staff in a neonatal intensive care unit.

OpenAIRE

Astbury, J; Yu, V Y

1982-01-01

Components of stress for 22 paediatric consultants and 29 nursing sisters working in neonatal intensive care units were studied. Ten situations were rated for their intensity of stress and their frequency of occurrence. For intensity of stress, significantly more paediatric consultants rated the competing demands of personal life versus work as highly stressful, than did nursing sisters. For frequency of stress, significantly more paediatric consultants rated 4 situations as frequently occurr...

Organizational options for preventing work-related stress in knowledge work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ipsen, Christine; Jensen, Per Langaa

2012-01-01

Recent studies point to work-related stress as an increasing problem for knowledge workers. However, the working life in knowledge-intensive companies is often described as good and stimulating. The aim of this study is to explore the organizational options for preventing work-related problems...... in knowledge work. This calls for a study of the characteristics of knowledge work, stress management interventions and an in-depth analysis of the organizational factors causing frustrations and work-related problems in relation to knowledge work. In a qualitative study, 27 respondents were interviewed....... They represented different stakeholders in five Danish knowledge-intensive companies, which comprised two consultancies and three engineering consulting companies. The study shows that knowledge work comprises a paradox, since the same work-related or organizational issues could be experienced as both...

Allometric trajectories and "stress"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anfodillo, Tommaso; Petit, Giai; Sterck, Frank; Lechthaler, Silvia; Olson, Mark E.

2016-01-01

The term "stress" is an important but vague term in plant biology. We show situations in which thinking in terms of "stress" is profitably replaced by quantifying distance from functionally optimal scaling relationships between plant parts. These relationships include, for example, the

Gender as a Moderator of the Relation between Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Symptoms for African Americans

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Tawanda M.; Laseter, Adrian; Asiamah, David

2009-01-01

The present study tested gender as a moderator of the relationship between race-related stress and mental health symptoms among African American adults. Because African American women are exposed to stressors associated with race and gender, we hypothesized that African American women would have higher levels of race-related stress and more severe…

Stress-oriented driver assistance system for electric vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Athanasiou, Georgia; Tsotoulidis, Savvas; Mitronikas, Epaminondas; Lymberopoulos, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

Stress is physiological and physical reaction that appears in highly demanding situations and affects human's perception and reaction capability. Occurrence of stress events within highly dynamic road environment could lead to life-threatening situation. With the perspective of safety and comfort driving provision to anxious drivers, in this paper a stress-oriented Driver Assistance System (DAS) is proposed. The DAS deployed on Electric Vehicle. This novel DAS customizes driving command signal in respect to road context, when stress is detected. The effectiveness of this novel DAS is verified by simulation in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment.

Stress among employees in psychiatric nursing

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Urška Nemec

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Evidence suggests that stressful situations are frequent in the field of psychiatry and that professionals working in this speciality are more prone to stress. Stressful situations may be compounded by ignoring the principles and strategies of therapeutic communication in all interactions with patients. The purpose of the research was to determine the presence of stress among the nursing team members. Methods: The research is based on a quantitative methodology; the data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The sample consisted of 73 nurses working in a special social welfare institution (n = 37 and in a psychiatric hospital (n = 36. The survey was conducted in the first half of the year 2016. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used. Results: The list of stress factors most frequently reported by the participants include low pay (n = 40, 55 %, poor interpersonal relationships in the workplace (n = 23, 32 %, and the sense of insecurity due to unpredictable behaviour of patients (n = 32, 44 %. One fifth of the respondents are regularly subjected to patient physical violence and psychological abuse in the workplace (n = 14, 19 % and a large majority (n = 53, 72.5 % are frequently exposed to dangerous situations. The respondents are not fully aware of the crucial importance of therapeutic communication with the patients (n = 38, 52 %. Discussion and conclusion: It is impossible to completely avoid stressful situations in psychiatric settings. Psychiatric nurses should possess good communication skills and the ability to develop good interpersonal relationships.

Induction of oxidative stress related responses in Arabidopsis thaliana after uranium exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhoudt, N.

2009-01-01

Uranium contamination in the environment has resulted from releases linked with nuclear fuel cycle activities and from industries extracting and processing materials containing naturally occurring radionuclides (for example phosphate industry). Uranium toxicity effects are predominantly studied on man and animal species, but little information is available for plants. If phytomanagement of uranium contaminated soils is considered, biological effects on the vegetation have to be investigated. Information on the contamination impact can also be used for risk assessment and derivation of clean-up standards. Plants can experience oxidative stress when they are exposed to environmental stress situations (for example exposure to heavy metals). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in both stressed and unstressed cells potentially leading to cellular damage. Consequently, plants have developed an antioxidative defence system comprising ROS-scavenging enzymes (e.g. SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalase) and metabolites (e.g. ascorbate, glutathione). Previous results showed that uranium exposure can cause an imbalance between the oxidative and antioxidative capacities of the plant cells. The present study aimed to analyse biological effects induced in Arabidopsis thaliana after bioaccumulation of uranium and to define possible dose-effect relationships. Subtle effects on the antioxidative defence system (enzymes, metabolites viewed as early responses for individual disturbances (growth, nutrient profile) were analysed

Multifunctional aspects of allopregnanolone in stress and related disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Bali, Anjana; Jaggi, Amteshwar Singh

2014-01-03

Allopregnanolone (3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one) is a major cholesterol-derived neurosteroid in the central nervous system and is synthesized from progesterone by steroidogenic enzymes, 5α-reductase (the rate-limiting enzyme) and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The pathophysiological role of allopregnanolone in neuropsychiatric disorders has been highlighted in several investigations. The changes in neuroactive steroid levels are detected in stress and stress-related disorders including anxiety, panic and depression. The changes in allopregnanolone in response to acute stressor tend to restore the homeostasis by dampening the hyper-activated HPA axis. However, long standing stressors leading to development of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety are associated with decrease in the allopregnanolone levels. GABAA receptor complex has been considered as the primary target of allopregnanolone and majority of its inhibitory actions are mediated through GABA potentiation or direct activation of GABA currents. The role of progesterone receptors in producing the late actions of allopregnanolone particularly in lordosis facilitation has also been described. Moreover, recent studies have also described the involvement of other multiple targets including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glutamate, dopamine, opioids, oxytocin, and calcium channels. The present review discusses the various aspects of allopregnanolone in stress and stress-related disorders including anxiety, depression and panic. © 2013.

Prevalence and clinical features of sports-related lumbosacral stress injuries in the young.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Hideto; Murakami, Mototsune; Nishizawa, Kazuya

2017-05-01

Stress injuries (stress fractures and stress reactions) of the lumbosacral region are one of the causes of sports-related lower back pain in young individuals. These injuries can be detected by bone marrow edema lesion on MRI. However, little is known about the prevalence and clinical features of early stage lumbosacral stress injuries. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of lumbosacral stress injuries. A total of 312 patients (under 18 years of age) who complained of sports-related lower back pain that had lasted for ≥7 days underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. We reviewed patients' records retrospectively. MRI showed that 33.0% of the patients had lumbar stress injuries and 1.6% had sacral stress injuries. Lumbar stress injuries were more common in males than in females and were found in 30% of 13- to 18-year-old patients. About 50% of the patients that participated in soccer or track and field were diagnosed with lumbar stress injuries. No clinical patterns in the frequencies of sacral stress injuries were detected due to the low number of patients that suffered this type of injury. Plain radiography is rarely able to detect the early stage lesions associated with lumbosacral stress injuries, but such lesions can be detected in the caudal-ventral region of the pars interarticularis on sagittal computed tomography scans. Thirty-three percent of young patients that complained of sports-related lower back pain for ≥7 days had lumbar stress injuries, while 1.6% of them had sacral stress injuries. Clinicians should be aware of the existence of these injuries. MRI is useful for diagnosing lumbosacral stress injuries.

Stress: Specific Life Events in the Teaching Profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Martray, Carl R.; Adams, Ronald D.

This study examined the greatest stressors in teaching situations that affect teachers, and how these events vary for groups of elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers. The list of possibly stressful situations was taken from the Teaching Events Stress Inventory (TESI), developed by Cichon and Koff in 1978. Data were collected from…

Stress and gender in relation to self-esteem of university business ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Stress and gender in relation to self-esteem of university business students. ... gender completed standardized measures of traditional student stress scale and self esteem. The 2x3 (ANOVA) was ... AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE ...

Examining within- and across-day relationships between transient and chronic stress and parent food-related parenting practices in a racially/ethnically diverse and immigrant population : Stress types and food-related parenting practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Berge, Jerica M; Tate, Allan; Trofholz, Amanda; Fertig, Angela; Crow, Scott; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Miner, Michael

2018-01-16

Although prior research suggests that stress may play a role in parent's use of food-related parenting practices, it is unclear whether certain types of stress (e.g., transient, chronic) result in different food-related parenting practices. Identifying whether and how transient (i.e., momentary; parent/child conflict) and chronic (i.e., long-term; unemployment >6 months) sources of stress are related to parent food-related parenting practices is important with regard to childhood obesity. This is particularly important within racially/ethnically diverse parents who may be more likely to experience both types of stress and who have higher levels of obesity and related health problems. The current study examined the association between transient and chronic stressors and food-related parenting practices in a racially/ethnically diverse and immigrant sample. The current study is a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Parents (mean age = 35; 95% mothers) of children ages 5-7 years old (n = 61) from six racial/ethnic groups (African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Hmong, Somali, White) participated in this ten-day in-home observation with families. Transient stressors, specifically interpersonal conflicts, had significant within-day effects on engaging in more unhealthful food-related parenting practices the same evening with across-day effects weakening by day three. In contrast, financial transient stressors had stronger across-day effects. Chronic stressors, including stressful life events were not consistently associated with more unhealthful food-related parenting practices. Transient sources of stress were significantly associated with food-related parenting practices in racially/ethnically diverse and immigrant households. Chronic stressors were not consistently associated with food-related parenting practices. Future research and interventions may want to assess for transient sources of stress in

Oxidative stress participates in age-related changes in rat lumbar intervertebral discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Gang; Lu, Huading; Chen, Mingjuan; Yao, Hui; Zhao, Huiqing

2014-01-01

Aging is a major factor associated with lumber intervertebral disc degeneration, and oxidative stress is known to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. In this study, we investigated oxidative stress in intervertebral discs of Wistar rats in three different age groups: youth, adult, and geriatric. Age-related intervertebral disc changes were examined by histological analysis. In addition, oxidative stress was evaluated by assessing nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs). Intervertebral disc, but not serum, NO concentrations significantly differed between the three groups. Serum and intervertebral disc SOD activity gradually decreased with age. Furthermore, both serum and intervertebral disc MDA and AOPP levels gradually increased with age. Our studies suggest that oxidative stress is associated with age-related intervertebral disc changes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational Stress and Quality of Life in Nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Moraes da Silva

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract To reduce the work related to stress and the psychosocial risk is not only an imperative question, but also moral. This epistemological study aims to verify the presence of the occupational stress and quality of life related to health in nursing professionals. We used three questionnaires: (a Socio Demographic Questionnaire, (b Job Strain Scale, and (c Item Short Form Health Survey. Statistical analysis was performed between the questionnaires, analysis of variance (ANOVA and simple and multiple linear regression. It was found that 60.8% of the participants see the high demand of work, 71.8% high control on the developed activity and 85.5% low social support. Related to eight dominant of quality of life, the most damaged are: pain (µ = 61.87 and vitality (µ = 62.25. It was concluded that although in most sample experiences an intermediary risk situation to stress, the quality of life showed a damaged.

Adolescents Coping with Poverty-Related Family Stress: Prospective Predictors of Coping and Psychological Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Wadsworth, Martha E.; Berger, Lauren E.

2006-01-01

Examined prospective associations among poverty-related family stress, coping, involuntary stress reactivity, and psychological symptoms in a sample of 79 rural, low-income adolescents. Poverty-related family stress predicted adolescents' anxious/depressed and aggressive behavior 8 months later, controlling for prior symptoms. Coping interacted…

Individual differences in anxiety responses to stressful situations : A three-mode component analysis model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Mechelen, Iven; Kiers, Henk A.L.

1999-01-01

The three-mode component analysis model is discussed as a tool for a contextualized study of personality. When applied to person x situation x response data, the model includes sets of latent dimensions for persons, situations, and responses as well as a so-called core array, which may be considered

THRESHOLD OF SIGNIFICANCE IN STRESS MANAGEMENT

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Elena RUSE

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Stress management is the individual's ability to handle any situation, external conditions, to match the demands of the external environment. The researchers revealed several stages in the stress response. A first phase was called ‘‘alert reaction'' or ‘‘immediate reaction to stress‘‘, phase in which there are physiological modifications and manifestations that occur under psychological aspect. Adaptation phase is the phase in which the reactions from the first phase diminishes or disappears. Exhaustion phase is related to the diversity of stress factors and time and may exceed the resources of the human body to adapt. Influencing factors may be: limited, cognitive, perceptual, and a priori. But there is a threshold of significance in stress management. Once the reaction to external stimuli occurs, awareness is needed. The capability effect occurs, any side effect goes away and comes out the ''I AM'' effect.

Job-Related Stress and Depression in Orphanage and Preschool Caregivers in Ukraine

Science.gov (United States)

Raskin, Maryna; Kotake, Chie; Easterbrooks, M. Ann; Ebert, Marina; Miller, Laurie C.

2015-01-01

Emotional well-being of child care providers is important to the welfare of their young charges. Elevated depression and job-related stress may affect caregivers' ability to establish empathic connections with children. This study examined work conditions, job-related stress, and depression in 51 orphanage workers and 69 preschool teachers in…

Work Related Stress: Application of a Special Study to the General Business Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Denise M.; And Others

There has been much recent attention given to stress and the negative side effects associated with excessive stress. Employers need to recognize the effect that stress can have on the productivity and attitudes of their employees. To examine work-related stress and to develop stress management strategies, a study was conducted of flight attendants…

An efficient chronic unpredictable stress protocol to induce stress-related responses in C57BL/6 mice

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Susana eMonteiro

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Exposure to chronic stress can have broad effects on health ranging from increased predisposition for neuropsychiatric disorders to deregulation of immune responses. The chronic unpredictable stress (CUS protocol has been widely used to study the impact of stress exposure in several animal models and consists in the random, intermittent and unpredictable exposure to a variety of stressors during several weeks. CUS has consistently been shown to induce behavioral and immunological alterations typical of the chronic stress response. Unfortunately C57BL/6 mice, one of the most widely used mouse strains, due to the great variety of genetically modified lines, seem to be resistant to the commonly used 4-week-long CUS protocol. The definition of an alternative CUS protocol allowing the use of C57BL/6 mice in chronic stress experiments is a need. Here we show that by extending the CUS protocol to 8 weeks is possible to induce a chronic stress response in C57BL/6 mice, as revealed by abrogated body weight gain, increased adrenals weight and an overactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis with increased levels of serum corticosterone. Moreover, we also observed stress-associated behavioral alterations, including the potentiation of anxious-like and depressive-like behaviors and a reduction of exploratory behavior, as well as subtle stress-related changes in the cell population of the thymus and of the spleen.The present protocol for C57BL/6 mice consistently triggers the spectrum of CUS-induced changes observed in rats and, thus, will be highly useful to researchers that need to use this particular mouse strain as an animal model of neuropsychiatric disorders and/or immune deregulation related to chronic unpredictable stress.

Cardiovascular disease-related parameters and oxidative stress in SHROB rats, a model for metabolic syndrome.

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Eunice Molinar-Toribio

Full Text Available SHROB rats have been suggested as a model for metabolic syndrome (MetS as a situation prior to the onset of CVD or type-2 diabetes, but information on descriptive biochemical parameters for this model is limited. Here, we extensively evaluate parameters related to CVD and oxidative stress (OS in SHROB rats. SHROB rats were monitored for 15 weeks and compared to a control group of Wistar rats. Body weight was recorded weekly. At the end of the study, parameters related to CVD and OS were evaluated in plasma, urine and different organs. SHROB rats presented statistically significant differences from Wistar rats in CVD risk factors: total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apoA1, apoB100, abdominal fat, insulin, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, ICAM-1 and PAI-1. In adipose tissue, liver and brain, the endogenous antioxidant systems were activated, yet there was no significant oxidative damage to lipids (MDA or proteins (carbonylation. We conclude that SHROB rats present significant alterations in parameters related to inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, thrombotic activity, insulin resistance and OS measured in plasma as well as enhanced redox defence systems in vital organs that will be useful as markers of MetS and CVD for nutrition interventions.

Psychological, situational and application-related determinants of the intention to self-test: a factorial survey among students.

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Kuecuekbalaban, Pinar; Rostalski, Tim; Schmidt, Silke; Muehlan, Holger

2017-07-10

The Internet enables an unprecedented opportunity to access a broad range of self-tests (e.g. testing for HIV, cancer, hepatitis B/C), which can be conducted by lay consumers without the help of a health professional. However, there is only little knowledge about the determinants of the use of self-tests. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to use a self-test (ST), compared to being tested by a health professional at home (HPH) or at a doctor's office (HPD), (2) to examine the applicability of social-cognitive health behaviour theories on self-testing, and (3) to explore the advantages of integrating technological affinity into social-cognitive health behaviour models to predict self-testing. In a factorial survey, 1248 vignettes were rated by 208 students. The core concepts of social-cognitive health behaviour theories, technological affinity, and different situational and application-related characteristics were investigated. Intention to ST was only predicted by the medical expertise of the tested person, while HPH and HPD were also associated with the application purpose of the test and the presence of an emotionally supporting person. Perceived severity and outcome-expectancy significantly predicted intention to self-test. Technological enthusiastic people had a higher intention to use a self-test. Intention to ST, HPH and HPD were predicted by different situational and application-related characteristics. Social-cognitive health behaviour theories can be applied to predict self-testing and do not need to be extended by technological affinity.

Stress-related sickness absence and return to labour market in Sweden.

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Engström, Lars-Gunnar; Janson, Staffan

2007-03-15

To analyse factors influencing chances of returning to work after long-term sickness absence with a stress-related psychiatric diagnosis. Primary focus is on employer- and occupational categories as explanatory variables. Data was collected from the regional social insurance office in the county of Värmland for 911 individuals, all with stress-related sickness absences during November in the year 2000. Logistic regressions were carried out on outcome states from long-term sickness absence on two follow-up occasions after two and three years. The results indicate that the employer- and occupational categories only had a minor effect on return to work after the long-term sickness absence. Age and health-related factors together with time factors seem to be more relevant in explaining return to work. The findings suggest that individual labour market position, as occupation, employer, branch etc, seems to be less important than expected in explaining return to work from sickness absence due to stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Second language social networks and communication-related acculturative stress: The role of interconnectedness

OpenAIRE

Marina M Doucerain; Raheleh eShiri Varnaamkhaasti; Norman eSegalowitz; Norman eSegalowitz; Andrew G Ryder; Andrew G Ryder

2015-01-01

Although a substantial amount of cross-cultural psychology research has investigated acculturative stress in general, little attention has been devoted specifically to communication-related acculturative stress. In line with the view that cross-cultural adaptation and second language (L2) learning are social and interpersonal phenomena, the present study examines the hypothesis that migrants' L2 social network size and interconnectedness predict communication-related acculturative stress. The...

[The effect of work-related stress on the occurrence of increased blood pressure].

Science.gov (United States)

Budaj, A; Cybulski, J; Kułakowski, P; Makowska, E; Rezler, J; Lange, J; Gorzkowska, J; Abramowski, S

In 546 officials the arterial blood pressure was measured twice at the beginning and at the end of a working day, filling also an inquiry form. As hypertension systolic BP over 160 mm Hg (21.3 kPa) or more, and diastolic BP 96 mm Hg (12.7 kPa) or more were accepted. In 90 subjects (16.5%) above normal pressure values were found. Hypertension had been diagnosed previously in 50 subjects in this group (55.5%) but only 13 of them (26%) were treated systematically. Excessive stress of work was complained of by 62.6% of the subjects. Increased blood pressure was found significantly more frequently in the group perceiving excessive stress of work (19.9%) as compared to those not experiencing this stress (10.8%, p less than 0.1). In the group in managerial posts these proportions were 24.8% and 14.4% respectively (p less than 0.1). Blood pressure rise to abnormal levels during the working day occurred also significantly more frequently in the group experiencing it this was noted only in 1.6% of cases (p less than 0.5). The knowledge of own hypertension was very low in this group. These results indicate the necessity of increasing prophylactic measures in the form of greater frequency of control measurements of the blood pressure, better health education, and limitation of stress situations in working environment.

An efficient chronic unpredictable stress protocol to induce stress-related responses in C57BL/6 mice.

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Monteiro, Susana; Roque, Susana; de Sá-Calçada, Daniela; Sousa, Nuno; Correia-Neves, Margarida; Cerqueira, João José

2015-01-01

Exposure to chronic stress can have broad effects on health ranging from increased predisposition for neuropsychiatric disorders to deregulation of immune responses. The chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol has been widely used to study the impact of stress exposure in several animal models and consists in the random, intermittent, and unpredictable exposure to a variety of stressors during several weeks. CUS has consistently been shown to induce behavioral and immunological alterations typical of the chronic stress-response. Unfortunately C57BL/6 mice, one of the most widely used mouse strains, due to the great variety of genetically modified lines, seem to be resistant to the commonly used 4-week-long CUS protocol. The definition of an alternative CUS protocol allowing the use of C57BL/6 mice in chronic stress experiments is a need. Here, we show that by extending the CUS protocol to 8 weeks is possible to induce a chronic stress-response in C57BL/6 mice, as revealed by abrogated body weight gain, increased adrenals weight, and an overactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with increased levels of serum corticosterone. Moreover, we also observed stress-associated behavioral alterations, including the potentiation of anxious-like and depressive-like behaviors and a reduction of exploratory behavior, as well as subtle stress-related changes in the cell population of the thymus and of the spleen. The present protocol for C57BL/6 mice consistently triggers the spectrum of CUS-induced changes observed in rats and, thus, will be highly useful to researchers that need to use this particular mouse strain as an animal model of neuropsychiatric disorders and/or immune deregulation related to CUS.

CANONICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN BASIC AND MOTOR - SITUATIONAL-MOTOR SKILLS IN SPORT GAMES

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Bećir Šabotić

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to establish the correlation between the predictor-basic motor and situational-motor tests in sports games. On the sample of 62 subjects of the first year of high school was carried out measurements which covered 12 basic and 6 motor variables and situational tests in volleyball and basketball.Based on the results of the canonical correlation analysis, it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between the predictor variables and a set of criterion variables, situational-motor tests basketball and volleyball. These results are logical given the structure of movements from basketball and volleyball that require a high level of coordination and speed.

Stress among School-Going Adolescents in Relation to Psychological Hardiness

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Singh, Raminder

2016-01-01

The present study was designed to investigate the stress among school-going adolescents in relation to psychological hardiness and also to study the gender and locale-wise differences in various dimensions and components of stress. The study was conducted over a sample of 200 (100 rural and 100 urban) adolescents studying in 10+1 and 10+2 classes…

Stressor specificity of central neuroendocrine responses: implications for stress-related disorders.

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Pacák, K; Palkovits, M

2001-08-01

Despite the fact that many research articles have been written about stress and stress-related diseases, no scientifically accepted definition of stress exists. Selye introduced and popularized stress as a medical and scientific idea. He did not deny the existence of stressor-specific response patterns; however, he emphasized that such responses did not constitute stress, only the shared nonspecific component. In this review we focus mainly on the similarities and differences between the neuroendocrine responses (especially the sympathoadrenal and the sympathoneuronal systems and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis) among various stressors and a strategy for testing Selye's doctrine of nonspecificity. In our experiments, we used five different stressors: immobilization, hemorrhage, cold exposure, pain, or hypoglycemia. With the exception of immobilization stress, these stressors also differed in their intensities. Our results showed marked heterogeneity of neuroendocrine responses to various stressors and that each stressor has a neurochemical "signature." By examining changes of Fos immunoreactivity in various brain regions upon exposure to different stressors, we also attempted to map central stressor-specific neuroendocrine pathways. We believe the existence of stressor-specific pathways and circuits is a clear step forward in the study of the pathogenesis of stress-related disorders and their proper treatment. Finally, we define stress as a state of threatened homeostasis (physical or perceived treat to homeostasis). During stress, an adaptive compensatory specific response of the organism is activated to sustain homeostasis. The adaptive response reflects the activation of specific central circuits and is genetically and constitutionally programmed and constantly modulated by environmental factors.

On the relation of earthquake stress drop and ground motion variability

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Oth, Adrien; Miyake, Hiroe; Bindi, Dino

2017-07-01

One of the key parameters for earthquake source physics is stress drop since it can be directly linked to the spectral level of ground motion. Stress drop estimates from moment corner frequency analysis have been shown to be extremely variable, and this to a much larger degree than expected from the between-event ground motion variability. This discrepancy raises the question whether classically determined stress drop variability is too large, which would have significant consequences for seismic hazard analysis. We use a large high-quality data set from Japan with well-studied stress drop data to address this issue. Nonparametric and parametric reference ground motion models are derived, and the relation of between-event residuals for Japan Meteorological Agency equivalent seismic intensity and peak ground acceleration with stress drop is analyzed for crustal earthquakes. We find a clear correlation of the between-event residuals with stress drops estimates; however, while the island of Kyushu is characterized by substantially larger stress drops than Honshu, the between-event residuals do not reflect this observation, leading to the appearance of two event families with different stress drop levels yet similar range of between-event residuals. Both the within-family and between-family stress drop variations are larger than expected from the ground motion between-event variability. A systematic common analysis of these parameters holds the potential to provide important constraints on the relative robustness of different groups of data in the different parameter spaces and to improve our understanding on how much of the observed source parameter variability is likely to be true source physics variability.

Effects of work-related stress on work ability index among refinery workers.

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Habibi, Ehsanollah; Dehghan, Habibollah; Safari, Shahram; Mahaki, Behzad; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2014-01-01

Work-related stress is one of the basic problems in industrial also top 10 work-related health problems and it is increasingly implicated in the development a number of problems such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal diseases, early retirement to employees. On the other hand, early retirement to employees from the workplace has increased on the problems of today's industries. Hereof, improving work ability is one of the most effective ways to enhance the ability and preventing disability and early retirement. The aim of This study is determine the relationship between job stress score and work ability index (WAI) at the refinery workers. This is a cross-sectional study in which 171 workers from a refinery in isfahan in 2012 who were working in different occupational groups participated. Based on appropriate assignment sampling, 33 office workers, 69 operational workers, and 69 maintenance workers, respectively, were invited to participate in this study. Two questionnaires including work related-stress and WAI were filled in. Finally, the information was analyzed using the SPSS-20 and statistic tests namely, analysis of covariance Kruskal-Wallis test. Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA and t-test. Data analysis revealed that 86% and 14% of participants had moderate and severe stress respectively. Average score of stress and standard deviation was 158.7 ± 17.3 that was in extreme stress range. Average score and standard deviation of WAI questionnaire were 37.18 and 3.86 respectively. That placed in a good range. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that WAI score had significant reversed relationship with a score of stress. According to the results, mean stress score among refinery worker was high and one fator that affect work abiity was high stress, hence training on communication skills and safe working environment in order to decreses stress, enhance the work ability of workers.

Involvement of oxidative stress in SAMP10 mice with age-related neurodegeneration.

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Wang, Jun; Lei, Hongtao; Hou, Jincai; Liu, Jianxun

2015-05-01

Age-related changes in the brain tissue are reflected in many aspects. We sought to determine the morphology, Nissl bodies, behavioral appearance and oxidative stress in the brain using SAMP10 mice, a substrain of the senescence-accelerated mouse. SAMP10 mice groups divided by different ages (3, 5, 8 and 14 months) were compared with those of control groups with the above corresponding ages. Cortical thickness, Nissl bodies, behavioral appearance and oxidative stress were evaluated through image software, thionine staining, step-down test and colorimetry, respectively. The weight and cortical thickness of the brain in SAMP10 mice significantly reduced from 8 months of age. The results showed that the number of Nissl bodies decreased or Nissl bodies shrank with dark staining in histology. The same result appeared in a step-down test. As the SAMP10 mice grew older, the oxidative stress-related markers superoxide dismutase decreased and malondialdehyde increased after 8 months. Glutathione peroxidase activities showed no age-related changes. The changes of brain morphology and productions of oxidative stress in the brain tissue might contribute to the behavioral abnormality. Deceleration of age-related production of oxidative stress might be expected to be a potent strategy for anti-aging interventions.

The effects of aromatherapy in relieving symptoms related to job stress among nurses.

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Chen, Miao-Chuan; Fang, Shu-Hui; Fang, Li

2015-02-01

Workplace-related stress has become today's most serious occupational hazard. Aromatherapy is a simple, convenient and non-invasive method of stress relief. There is little research regarding the efficacy of aromatherapy by means of inhaling essential oil in reducing workplace stress-related symptoms among nurses. Therefore, this study was to examine the effectiveness of lavender oil inhalation in reducing job stress-related symptoms among nurses. The 53 nurses in the experimental group pinned small bottles containing 3% lavender oil on the clothes of their right chests, whereas 57 participants in the control group pinned bottles with no lavender oil. Aromatherapy was shown to be effective in the reduction of the number of stress symptoms for 3 or 4 days. The stress symptoms of the experimental group decreased from 6.1 to 2.8 after aromatherapy was carried out (P = 0.126, 0.159, 0.035 and 0.026). This represented a significant decrease in stress, whereas the stress symptoms in the control group increased from 5.6 to 5.8. Hospital staff managers are still encouraged to include aromatherapy concepts and techniques in the continuing education of nursing staff. Concurrently, future research should focus on the possible side effects of aromatherapy to assure safety. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Daily stress interacts with trait dissociation to predict sleep-related experiences in young adults.

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Soffer-Dudek, Nirit; Shahar, Golan

2011-08-01

Building on the previously documented effects of stress and dissociation on sleep and dreaming, we examined their interactive role in general sleep-related experiences (GSEs; e.g., nightmares, falling dreams, hypnagogic hallucinations; see Watson, 2001). Stress, sleep quality, and GSEs were assessed daily for 14 days among young adults. Baseline assessment included life stress, sleep quality, psychopathology, dissociation, and related dimensions. Multilevel analyses indicated that daily stress brings about GSEs among highly dissociative young adults. Additionally, baseline trait dissociation predicted within-subject elevation in GSEs when daily stress was high. Flawed sleep-wake transitions, previously linked to dissociation and sleep-related experiences, might account for this effect. © 2011 American Psychological Association

Stress potentiates decision biases: A stress induced deliberation-to-intuition (SIDI model

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Rongjun Yu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Humans often make decisions in stressful situations, for example when the stakes are high and the potential consequences severe, or when the clock is ticking and the task demand is overwhelming. In response, a whole train of biological responses to stress has evolved to allow organisms to make a fight-or-flight response. When under stress, fast and effortless heuristics may dominate over slow and demanding deliberation in making decisions under uncertainty. Here, I review evidence from behavioral studies and neuroimaging research on decision making under stress and propose that stress elicits a switch from an analytic reasoning system to intuitive processes, and predict that this switch is associated with diminished activity in the prefrontal executive control regions and exaggerated activity in subcortical reactive emotion brain areas. Previous studies have shown that when stressed, individuals tend to make more habitual responses than goal-directed choices, be less likely to adjust their initial judgment, and rely more on gut feelings in social situations. It is possible that stress influences the arbitration between the emotion responses in subcortical regions and deliberative processes in the prefrontal cortex, so that final decisions are based on unexamined innate responses. Future research may further test this ‘stress induced deliberation-to-intuition’ (SIDI model and examine its underlying neural mechanisms.

Migraine: is it related to hormonal disturbances or stress?

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Parashar R

2014-10-01

and the χ2 test to compare anxiety- or depression-related stress among the migraine and nonmigraine groups. Results: Significantly higher values of prolactin were observed in cases (mean ± standard deviation, 152.7 mIU/L±30.5 compared to controls (76.1 mIU/L±8.7, with a P-value <0.001. There was no statistically significant difference observed in levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (P=0.081, estrogen (P=0.086, luteinizing hormone (P=0.091, or follicle-stimulating hormone (P=0.478. Also, anxiety with stress or depression with stress was significantly higher among the migraine group than the controls (P=0.002. Odds of any stress in migraine were higher in the migraine group than in the nonmigraine group (odds ratio 12, 95% confidence interval 2.7–53.33. Conclusion: Migraine, particularly without aura, in women is mainly associated with stress-related anxiety or depression, and are more susceptible to stress in the premenstrual period. Keywords: migraine, menstruation, stress

Using activity-related behavioural features towards more effective automatic stress detection.

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Dimitris Giakoumis

Full Text Available This paper introduces activity-related behavioural features that can be automatically extracted from a computer system, with the aim to increase the effectiveness of automatic stress detection. The proposed features are based on processing of appropriate video and accelerometer recordings taken from the monitored subjects. For the purposes of the present study, an experiment was conducted that utilized a stress-induction protocol based on the stroop colour word test. Video, accelerometer and biosignal (Electrocardiogram and Galvanic Skin Response recordings were collected from nineteen participants. Then, an explorative study was conducted by following a methodology mainly based on spatiotemporal descriptors (Motion History Images that are extracted from video sequences. A large set of activity-related behavioural features, potentially useful for automatic stress detection, were proposed and examined. Experimental evaluation showed that several of these behavioural features significantly correlate to self-reported stress. Moreover, it was found that the use of the proposed features can significantly enhance the performance of typical automatic stress detection systems, commonly based on biosignal processing.

Effect of yoga on academic performance in relation to stress

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Kauts Amit

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Academic performance is concerned with the quantity and quality of learning attained in a subject or group of subjects after a long period of instruction. Excessive stress hampers students′ performance. Improvement in academic performance and alertness has been reported in several yogic studies. Aims and Objectives: The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of yoga on academic performance in relation to stress. Materials and Methods: The study started with 800 adolescent students; 159 high-stress students and 142 low-stress students were selected on the basis of scores obtained through Stress Battery. Experimental group and control group were given pre test in three subjects, i.e., Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. A yoga module consisting of yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation, and a value orientation program was administered on experimental group for 7 weeks. The experimental and control groups were post-tested for their performance on the three subjects mentioned above. Results: The results show that the students, who practiced yoga performed better in academics. The study further shows that low-stress students performed better than high-stress students, meaning thereby that stress affects the students′ performance.

Work Related Stress, Burnout, Job Satisfaction and General Health of Nurses

OpenAIRE

Khamisa, Natasha; Oldenburg, Brian; Peltzer, Karl; Ilic, Dragan

2015-01-01

Gaps in research focusing on work related stress, burnout, job satisfaction and general health of nurses is evident within developing contexts like South Africa. This study identified the relationship between work related stress, burnout, job satisfaction and general health of nurses. A total of 1200 nurses from four hospitals were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study (75% response rate). Participants completed five questionnaires and multiple linear regression analysis was us...

Gender-related aspects of transmasculine people's vocal situations: insights from a qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts.

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Azul, David

2016-11-01

Transmasculine people assigned female gender at birth but who do not identify with this classification have traditionally received little consideration in the voice literature. Existing analyses tend to be focused on evaluating speaker voice characteristics, whereas other factors that contribute to the production of vocal gender have remained underexplored. Most studies rely on researcher-centred perspectives, whereas very little is known about how transmasculine people themselves experience and make sense of their vocal situations. To explore how participants described their subjective gender positionings; which gender attributions they wished to receive from others; which gender they self-attributed to their voices; which gender attributions they had received from others; and how far participants were satisfied with the gender-related aspects of their vocal situations. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 14 German-speaking transmasculine people served as the original data corpus. Sections in which participants described the gender-related aspects of their vocal situations and that were relevant to the current research objectives were selected and explored using qualitative content analysis. The analysis revealed diverse accounts pertaining to the factors that contribute to the production of vocal gender for individual participants and variable levels of satisfaction with vocal gender presentation and attribution. Transmasculine people need to be regarded as a heterogeneous population and clinical practice needs to follow a client-centred, individualized approach. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Toward a Research Agenda for the Study of Situation Perceptions: A Variance Componential Framework.

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Rauthmann, John; Sherman, Ryne

2018-04-01

Situation perception represents the fulcrum of a "psychology of situations" because situation ratings are ubiquitous. However, no systematic research program exists so far, particularly because two competing traditions have not been integrated: Objectivist views stress situations' consensually shared meanings (social reality), and subjectivist views idiosyncratic meanings (personal reality). A componential framework can disentangle social from personal reality in situation perceptions: When multiple perceivers (P) rate multiple situations (S) on multiple situation characteristics (C), variance in those ratings can be decomposed according to S × C, P × S, and P × C breakdowns. Six grand questions of situation perception research are spawned from these decompositions: complexity, similarity, assimilation, consensus, uniqueness, and accuracy. Analyses of real data are provided to exemplify our ideas, along with customizable R codes for all methods. A componential framework allows novel and unique insights into different questions surrounding situation perceptions and provides a coherent research agenda.

Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?

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Evalotte Mörelius

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Nurses often experience work-related stress. High stress can negatively affect job satisfaction and lead to emotional exhaustion with risk of burnout. Aim. To analyse possible differences in biological stress markers, psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being between nurses working in two different departments. Methods. Stress was evaluated in nurses working in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU (n=33 and nurses working in a child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient ward (CAP (n=14 using salivary cortisol and HbA1c. Salivary cortisol was measured three times a day on two consecutive days during two one-week periods, seven weeks apart (= 12 samples/person. Psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being were measured once. Results. NICU nurses had better social support and more self-determination. CAP nurses had a lower salivary cortisol quotient, poorer general health, and higher client-related burnout scores. Conclusion. When comparing these nurses with existing norm data for Sweden, as a group their scores reflect less work-related stress than Swedes overall. However, the comparison between NICU and CAP nurses indicates a less healthy work situation for CAP nurses. Relevance to Clinical Practice. Healthcare managers need to acknowledge the less healthy work situation CAP nurses experience in order to provide optimal support and promote good health.

Keep your eyes open: dispositional vigilance moderates the relationship between operational police stress and stress symptoms.

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Kubiak, Jeanette; Krick, Annika; Egloff, Boris

2017-09-01

Vigilant coping is characterized by a deep processing of threat-related information. In many cases, vigilant coping increases stress symptoms, whereas avoidant coping decreases negative affect. However, vigilance may be beneficial when stress-eliciting situations involve a risk of injury or escalation as is usually the case in police operations. We investigated the roles of vigilance and cognitive avoidance in police operations in a cross-sectional survey. The participants were 137 students (104 men, M age  = 28.54, SD = 8.04) from the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences; 76 of them were already police officers (work experience: M = 12.59 years), and 61 were police officer candidates who had completed a 3- to 6-month police internship. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey and reported their operational stress, dispositional vigilance and cognitive avoidance in police operations, and stress symptoms. We found that vigilance was negatively associated with stress symptoms and moderated the relationship between operational stress and stress symptoms. Cognitive avoidance, on the other hand, just missed the level of statistical significance in our test of whether it was positively associated with stress symptoms. Our findings demonstrate that vigilance may protect against the negative consequences of stress in police operations.

Stress in doctors and dentists who teach.

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Rutter, Harry; Herzberg, Joe; Paice, Elisabeth

2002-06-01

To explore the relationship between a teaching role and stress in doctors and dentists who teach. Medline, PubMed, BIDS database for social sciences literature, and the ERIC database for educational literature were searched using the key words 'stress' or 'burnout' with the terms doctor, physician, dentist, teacher, lecturer, academic staff, and university staff. Other books and journals known to the authors were also used. Many studies have shown high levels of stress in doctors, dentists, teachers, and lecturers. A large number of factors are implicated, including low autonomy, work overload, and lack of congruence between power and responsibility. Doctors and dentists who take on a teaching role in addition to their clinical role may increase their levels of stress, but there is also evidence that this dual role may reduce job-related stress. Working as a doctor or dentist may entail higher levels of stress than are experienced by the general population. In some situations adding in the role of teacher reduces this stress, but more research is needed to explain this finding.

Perfectionism in school teachers: Relations with stress appraisal, coping styles,and burnout

OpenAIRE

Stoeber, Joachim; Rennert, Dirk

2008-01-01

Many school teachers suffer from stress and burnout, and perfectionism is a personality characteristic that has been associated with increased stress, maladaptive coping, and burnout. Recent findings, however, show that perfectionism has both positive and negative facets. To investigate how these facets are related to stress, coping, and burnout in teachers, a sample of 118 secondary school teachers completed multidimensional measures of perfectionism, stress appraisals, coping styles, and bu...

Adult age differences in prospective memory in the laboratory: are they related to higher stress levels in the elderly?

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Ihle, Andreas; Kliegel, Matthias; Hering, Alexandra; Ballhausen, Nicola; Lagner, Prune; Benusch, Julia; Cichon, Anja; Zergiebel, Annekathrin; Oris, Michel; Schnitzspahn, Katharina M

2014-01-01

To explain age deficits found in laboratory-based prospective memory (PM) tasks, it has recently been suggested that the testing situation per se may be more stressful for older adults, thereby impairing their performance. To test this assumption, subjective and physiological stress levels were assessed at several times during the experiment in 33 younger and 29 older adults. In addition, half of participants were randomized in a condition where they completed a relaxation intervention before performing a time-based PM task. Results confirmed the age deficit in laboratory PM. Subjective and physiological stress levels showed no age difference and no detrimental association with PM. The intervention successfully reduced stress levels in both age groups but had no effect on PM or the age deficit. In conclusion, data suggest that age deficits usually observed in laboratory PM may not be due to higher stress levels in the older adults.

Relieving stress. A short-term support group for home attendants.

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Blaine, M

2000-01-01

Home attendants (HAs) work in relative isolation, burdened by conflicting demands. This article details an eight-session support group for HAs, designed to explore its effects on their work life. Meeting for hour-and-a-half sessions with no fixed agenda, the group offered members an opportunity to communicate with others in similar situations. Participants reported that the group experience helped relieve stress and made them feel less alone. Other benefits included gaining strategies for coping with difficult situations and learning to set boundaries. Further investigation into the effectiveness of similar groups is suggested.

Cardiac reactivity and preserved performance under stress: two sides of the same coin?

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Pattyn, Nathalie; Mairesse, Olivier; Cortoos, Aisha; Morais, José; Soetens, Eric; Roelands, Bart; van den Nest, Annick; Kolinsky, Régine

2014-07-01

In the present experiment, cognitive control under stress was investigated using a real-life paradigm, namely an evaluation flight for military student pilots. The magnitude of cognitive interference on color-word, numerical and emotional Stroop paradigms was studied during a baseline recording and right before the test flight. Cardio-respiratory parameters were simultaneously assessed during rest and the performance of the Stroop tasks. Cognitive data suggested a different speed/accuracy trade-off under stress, and no modulation of the interference effect for color words or numerical stimuli. However, we observed a major increase in error rates for specific emotional stimuli related to the evaluation situation in the stress condition. The increase in cognitive interference from emotional stimuli, expressed as an increase in error rates, was correlated to the decreased cardiac reactivity to challenge in the stress situation. This relationship is discussed in the framework of Sanders' (1983) model of stress and performance. In terms of future research, this link warrants a fruitful lead to be followed for investigating the causal mechanism of performance decrements under the influence of stress. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Practical Considerations for Thermal Stresses Induced by Surface Heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, James P.

2003-01-01

Rapid surface heating can induce large stresses in solids. A relatively simple model, assuming full constraint in two dimensions and no constraint in the third dimension, can adequately model stresses in a wide variety of situations. This paper derives this simple model, and supports it with criteria for its validity. Phenomena that are considered include non-zero penetration depths for the heat deposition, spatial non-uniformity in the surface heating, and elastic waves. Models for each of these cases, using simplified geometries, are used to develop quantitative limits for their applicability

Managing Stress and Burnout among Helpers in Rural Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, John C.

Individuals who work in the helping professions (physicians, counselors, nurses, pastors, and social workers) often work with individuals in stressful crisis situations. In addition to working in high stress situations, helpers in rural areas also suffer from isolation from support networks and peers that are available to urban helpers. This…

A patient with stress-related onset and exacerbations of Graves disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Vita, Roberto; Lapa, Daniela; Vita, Giuseppe; Trimarchi, Francesco; Benvenga, Salvatore

2009-01-01

An 18-year-old, nonsmoking woman presented to her general practitioner with a 1-week history of weakness, fatigue, palpitations, nervousness, tremors, insomnia, heat intolerance, and sudden enlargement of a thyroid goiter that had been detected 2 years earlier. The patient's symptoms had started shortly after she experienced emotional stress. Diagnostic work-up disclosed an avid radioactive iodine uptake by the goiter. On ultrasound examination, the thyroid gland was enlarged with a diffusely hypoechogenic structure and intense vascularization. Thyroid scintigraphy with (131)I; ultrasonography of the thyroid gland; and measurements of serum free T(3), free T(4), TSH levels and thyroid autoantibodies, including autoantibodies against thyroglobulin (TgAb), thyroperoxidase (TPOAb) and TSH receptor (TRAb). Graves disease, with stress-related onset and subsequent stress-related exacerbations. The patient was treated with methimazole to normalize levels of thyroid hormone and thyroid autoantibodies, and with bromazepam to help her cope with stress. The daily dose of methimazole was kept low during pregnancy. Over the 4 year period when the patient was taking methimazole, exacerbations of hyperthyroidism occurred twice: during her first pregnancy and 9 months after her first delivery. On all three occasions, symptoms were preceded by stressful life events. Further exacerbations were avoided by starting bromazepam treatment soon after the patient experienced stressful events.

Identity related to living situation in six individuals with congenital quadriplegia.

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Robey, Kenneth L

2008-01-01

This study was a preliminary examination of structural aspects of identity, particularly identity associated with living situation, in individuals who have quadriplegia due to cerebral palsy. A hierarchical classes algorithm (HICLAS) was used to construct idiographic 'identity structure' models for three individuals who are living in an inpatient hospital setting and for three individuals living in community-based group residences. Indices derived from the models indicate that the identity 'myself as one who has a disability' was structurally superordinate (i.e., resided at a high hierarchical level) for all six participants, suggesting a high level of importance of this identity in participants' sense of self. The models also indicate that while identity associated with one's particular living situation was superordinate for persons living in the hospital, it was not for persons living in community residences. While conclusions based on this small sample are necessarily limited, the data suggest that identity associated with living situation might differ in structural centrality, and presumably subjective importance, for persons living in inpatient versus community-based settings.

Nucleoli and stress granules: connecting distant relatives.

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Mahboubi, Hicham; Stochaj, Ursula

2014-10-01

Nucleoli and cytoplasmic stress granules (SGs) are subcellular compartments that modulate the response to endogenous and environmental signals to control cell survival. In our opinion, nucleoli and SGs are functionally linked; they are distant relatives that combine forces when cellular homeostasis is threatened. Several lines of evidence support this idea; nucleoli and SGs share molecular building blocks, are regulated by common signaling pathways and communicate when vital cellular functions become compromised. Together, nucleoli and SGs orchestrate physiological responses that are directly relevant to stress and human health. As both compartments have established roles in neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and virus infections, we propose that these conditions will benefit from therapeutic interventions that target simultaneously nucleoli and SGs. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Humor Use Moderates the Relation of Stressful Life Events With Psychological Distress.

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Fritz, Heidi L; Russek, Leslie N; Dillon, Melissa M

2017-06-01

Three studies examined humor and adjustment to stressful events. In Study 1, patients with fibromyalgia syndrome ( N = 22) reported on mental and physical adjustment, social interaction, and reappraisal of their illness. Dispositional humor was associated with reduced distress and fewer physical symptoms. Study 2 ( N = 109) examined undergraduates' reports of stressful events. Dispositional, self-enhancing, affiliative, and self-defeating humor showed direct effects on distress, which were mediated by social interaction and reappraisal. Moreover, dispositional and aggressive humor showed stress-buffering effects. Study 3 ( N = 105) examined undergraduates' adjustment to the September 11, 2001, attacks at 1 and 3 months postattack. At T1, affiliative humor showed a stress-buffering effect on distress. Social interaction mediated the relation of self-enhancing humor with reduced T1 distress, and mediated relations of aggressive and self-defeating humor with greater distress. Relations of T1 dispositional and self-defeating humor to changes in T2 distress were mediated by reappraisal.

Work-related post-traumatic stress reactions: the hidden dimension.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, B Z

1987-01-01

A variety of occupational health hazards can cause employees to experience feelings of victimization and to develop work-related post-traumatic stress responses. The author presents assessment guidelines developed in work with people suffering from toxic exposures to help identify factors that can place employees at high risk for such stress responses. These guidelines can be adapted to evaluate employee reactions to any type of occupational injury. Clinicians also need to move beyond individual treatment approaches to address workplace and policy interventions.

Emotional Intelligence Relates to Well-Being: Evidence from the Situational Judgment Test of Emotional Management.

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Burrus, Jeremy; Betancourt, Anthony; Holtzman, Steven; Minsky, Jennifer; MacCann, Carolyn; Roberts, Richard D

2012-07-01

This research was conducted to examine whether people high in emotional intelligence (EI) have greater well-being than people low in EI. The Situational Test of Emotion Management, Scales of Psychological Well-being, and Day Reconstruction Method were completed by 131 college students. Responses to the Situational Test of Emotion Management were strongly related to eudaimonic well-being as measured by responses on the Scales of Psychological Well-being (r=.54). Furthermore, the ability to manage emotions was related to hedonic well-being, correlating with both the frequency of experienced positive affect and the frequency of experienced negative affect, as measured by the Day Reconstruction Method. Two aspects of these results suggest a relationship between EI and well-being. First, the observed relationship between ability EI and psychological well-being is the largest reported in the literature to date. Second, this study is the first use of the Day Reconstruction Method to examine the relationship between well-being and EI. Results are discussed in terms of the potential for training emotion management to enhance well-being. Methodological advances for future research are also suggested. © 2012 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being © 2012 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

Oxidative Stress in Oral Diseases: Understanding Its Relation with Other Systemic Diseases

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Jaya Kumar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Oxidative stress occurs in diabetes, various cancers, liver diseases, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation, and other degenerative diseases related to the nervous system. The free radicals have deleterious effect on various organs of the body. This is due to lipid peroxidation and irreversible protein modification that leads to cellular apoptosis or programmed cell death. During recent years, there is a rise in the oral diseases related to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress in oral disease is related to other systemic diseases in the body such as periodontitis, cardiovascular, pancreatic, gastric, and liver diseases. In the present review, we discuss the various pathways that mediate oxidative cellular damage. Numerous pathways mediate oxidative cellular damage and these include caspase pathway, PERK/NRF2 pathway, NADPH oxidase 4 pathways and JNK/mitogen-activated protein (MAP kinase pathway. We also discuss the role of inflammatory markers, lipid peroxidation, and role of oxygen species linked to oxidative stress. Knowledge of different pathways, role of inflammatory markers, and importance of low-density lipoprotein, fibrinogen, creatinine, nitric oxide, nitrates, and highly sensitive C-reactive proteins may be helpful in understanding the pathogenesis and plan better treatment for oral diseases which involve oxidative stress.

Perspectives on Stress, Parenting, and Children's Obesity-Related Behaviors in Black Families.

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, Elizabeth P; Kazak, Anne; Kumanyika, Shiriki; Lewis, Lisa; Barg, Frances K

2016-12-01

Objective In an effort to develop targets for childhood obesity interventions in non-Hispanic-Black (Black) families, this study examined parental perceptions of stress and identified potential links among parental stress and children's eating patterns, physical activity, and screen-time. Method Thirty-three self-identified Black parents or grandparents of a child aged 3 to 7 years were recruited from a large, urban Black church to participate in semistructured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Parents/grandparents described a pathway between how stress affected them personally and their child's eating, structured (sports/dance) and unstructured (free-play) physical activity, and screen-time usage, as well as strategies to prevent this association. Five themes emerged: stress affects parent behaviors related to food and physical activity variably; try to be healthy even with stress; parent/grandparent stress eating and parenting; stress influences family cooking, food choices, and child free-play; and screen-time use to decrease parent stress. Negative parent/grandparent response to their personal stress adversely influenced food purchases and parenting related to child eating, free-play, and screen-time. Children of parents/grandparents who ate high-fat/high-sugar foods when stressed requested these foods. In addition to structured physical activity, cooking ahead and keeping food in the house were perceived to guard against the effects of stress except during parent cravings. Parent/child screen-time helped decrease parent stress. Conclusion Parents/grandparents responded variably to stress which affected the child eating environment, free-play, and screen-time. Family-based interventions to decrease obesity in Black children should consider how stress influences parents. Targeting parent cravings and coping strategies that utilize structure in eating and physical activity may be useful

Second language social networks and communication-related acculturative stress: The role of interconnectedness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina M Doucerain

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Although a substantial amount of cross-cultural psychology research has investigated acculturative stress in general, little attention has been devoted specifically to communication-related acculturative stress. In line with the view that cross-cultural adaptation and second language (L2 learning are social and interpersonal phenomena, the present study examines the hypothesis that migrants' L2 social network size and interconnectedness predict communication-related acculturative stress. The main idea underlying this hypothesis is that L2 social networks play an important role in fostering social and cultural aspects of communicative competence. Specifically, higher interconnectedness may reflect greater access to unmodified natural cultural representations and L2 communication practices, thus fostering communicative competence through observational learning. As such, structural aspects of migrants' L2 social networks may be protective against acculturative stress arising from chronic communication difficulties. Results from a study of first generation migrant students (N=100 support this idea by showing that both inclusiveness and density of the participants' L2 network account for unique variance in communication-related acculturative stress but not in general acculturative stress. These results support the idea that research on cross-cultural adaptation would benefit from disentangling the various facets of acculturative stress and that the structure of migrants' L2 network matters for language related outcomes. Finally, this study contributes to an emerging body of work that attempts to integrate cultural/cross-cultural research on acculturation and research on intercultural communication and second language learning.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Bereaved Relatives of Cancer Patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elklit, Ask; Reinholt, N.; Nielsen, Louise Hjort

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and predictors of PTSD in individuals who experienced the loss of a close relative to cancer. A total of 251 bereaved relatives ages 14 to 76 (M = 41.3, SD = 16.8) were recruited at a counseling service for cancer patients...

Some stress-related issues in tokamak fusion reactor first walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majumdar, S.; Pai, B.; Ryder, R.H.

1987-01-01

Recent design studies of a tokamak fusion power reactor and of various blankets have envisioned surface heat fluxes on the first wall ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 MW/m 2 , and end-of-life irradiation fluences ranging from 100 dpa for the austenitic stainless steels to as high as 250 dpa for postulated vanadium alloys. Some tokamak blankets, particularly those using helium or liquid metal as coolant/breeder, may have to operate at relatively high coolant pressures so that the first wall may be subjected to high primary stress in addition to high secondary stresses such as thermal stresses or stresses due to constrained swelling. The present paper focusses on the various problems that may arise in the first wall because of stress and high neutron fluence, and discusses some of the design solutions that have been proposed to overcome these problems

Work-related stress is associated with impaired neuropsychological test performance: a clinical cross-sectional study.

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Eskildsen, Anita; Andersen, Lars Peter; Pedersen, Anders Degn; Vandborg, Sanne Kjær; Andersen, Johan Hviid

2015-01-01

Patients on sick leave due to work-related stress often complain about impaired concentration and memory. However, it is undetermined how widespread these impairments are, and which cognitive domains are most long-term stress sensitive. Previous studies show inconsistent results and are difficult to synthesize. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether patients with work-related stress complaints have cognitive impairments compared to a matched control group without stress. Our secondary aim was to examine whether the level of self-reported perceived stress is associated with neuropsychological test performance. We used a broad neuropsychological test battery to assess 59 outpatients with work-related stress complaints (without major depression) and 59 healthy controls. We matched the patients and controls pairwise by sex, age and educational level. Compared to controls, patients generally showed mildly reduced performance across all the measured domains of the neuropsychological test battery. However, only three comparisons reached statistical significance (p working memory. There were no statistical significant associations between self-reported perceived stress level and neuropsychological test performance. In conclusion, we recommend that cognitive functions should be considered when evaluating patients with work-related stress complaints, especially when given advice regarding return to work. Since this study had a cross-sectional design, it is still uncertain whether the impairments are permanent. Further study is required to establish causal links between work-related stress and cognitive deficits.

Behavior of Personality Type Toward Stress and Job Performance: A Study of Healthcare Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasmin Janjhua

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The present paper has examined the sources of stress among the healthcare professionals and the difference between responses of personality type A and type B healthcare professionals toward stressful situations. Further, the difference in the performance of both the personality types has been studied. The relationship between stress and performance among the healthcare professionals in general and with respect to personality type A and type B healthcare professionals in particular has also been investigated. Methods: A total of 160 healthcare professionals of Post Graduate Institute (PGI, Chandigarh, were subjects of this study. Results: Identification with patients, deterioration and complication in the patient condition, and job criticism emerged to be the sources of stress. Significant difference between personality type A and personality type B professionals′ response pertaining to identification with the patients only has been reported. However, type A individuals showed slightly higher inclination as compared to type B individuals on majority of stressful situations. It was further noted that type A individuals had scored higher on almost all the performance indicators as compared to personality type B individuals. The mean difference between the personality types was found to be significant for two performance dimensions, i.e., relationship with colleagues, and teaching and training. Conclusions: The stressful situation relationship with patients was found to have significantly negative impact on the performance factors such as good clinical care and rapport with patients. Daily work was also found to be negatively related to good medical practice.

Behavior of personality type toward stress and job performance: a study of healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Janjhua, Yasmin; Chandrakanta

2012-07-01

The present paper has examined the sources of stress among the healthcare professionals and the difference between responses of personality type A and type B healthcare professionals toward stressful situations. Further, the difference in the performance of both the personality types has been studied. The relationship between stress and performance among the healthcare professionals in general and with respect to personality type A and type B healthcare professionals in particular has also been investigated. A total of 160 healthcare professionals of Post Graduate Institute (PGI), Chandigarh, were subjects of this study. Identification with patients, deterioration and complication in the patient condition, and job criticism emerged to be the sources of stress. Significant difference between personality type A and personality type B professionals' response pertaining to identification with the patients only has been reported. However, type A individuals showed slightly higher inclination as compared to type B individuals on majority of stressful situations. It was further noted that type A individuals had scored higher on almost all the performance indicators as compared to personality type B individuals. The mean difference between the personality types was found to be significant for two performance dimensions, i.e., relationship with colleagues, and teaching and training. The stressful situation relationship with patients was found to have significantly negative impact on the performance factors such as good clinical care and rapport with patients. Daily work was also found to be negatively related to good medical practice.