Association Of Stressful Life Events Research Articles

The longitudinal association of stressful life events with depression remission among SHARP trial participants with depression and hypertension or diabetes in Malawi.

Depressive disorders are leading contributors to morbidity in low- and middle-income countries and are particularly prevalent among people with non-communicable diseases (NCD). Stressful life events (SLEs) are risk factors for, and can help identify those at risk of, severe depressive illness requiring more aggressive treatment. Yet, research on the impact of SLEs on the trajectory of depressive symptoms among NCD patients indicated for depression treatment is lacking, especially in low resource settings. This study aims to estimate the longitudinal association of SLEs at baseline with depression remission achievement at three, six, and 12 months among adults with either hypertension or diabetes and comorbid depression identified as being eligible for depression treatment. Participants were recruited from 10 NCD clinics in Malawi from May 2019-December 2021. SLEs were measured by the Life Events Survey and depression remission was defined as achieving a Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) score <5 at follow-up. The study population (n = 737) consisted predominately of females aged 50 or higher with primary education and current employment. At baseline, participants reported a mean of 3.5 SLEs in the prior three months with 90% reporting ≥1 SLE. After adjustment, each additional SLE was associated with a lower probability of achieving depression remission at three months (cumulative incidence ratio (CIR) 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.90, 0.98, p = 0.002), six months (0.95; 0.92, 0.98, p = 0.002) and 12 months (0.96; 0.94, 0.99, p = 0.011). Re-expressed per 3-unit change, the probability of achieving depression remission at three, six, and 12 months was 0.82, 0.86, and 0.89 times lower per 3 SLEs (the median number of SLEs). Among NCD patients identified as eligible for depression treatment, recent SLEs at baseline were associated with lower probability of achieving depression remission at three, six, and 12 months. Findings suggest that interventions addressing SLEs during integrated NCD and depression care interventions (e.g., teaching and practicing SLE coping strategies) may improve success of depression treatment among adult patient populations in low-resource settings and may help identify those at risk of severe and treatment resistant depression.

Association of Stressful Life Events With Oral Health Among Japanese Workers.

Psychological stress can cause various mental and physical health problems. The previous results on stress and oral health are inconsistent, possibly because of the narrow stress measurements. We aimed to examine the association between a broader range of stressful life events and oral health among workers. This cross-sectional study analyzed anonymous individual data from a national survey in Japan. Data on stressful life events, oral health problems which are one or more of tooth pain, gum swelling/bleeding, and difficulty chewing, and covariates were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire. Covariates used included gender, age group, and disease under treatment. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between stressful life events and oral health problems. We then estimated the causal treatment effects of stress using the augmented inverse-probability weighting (AIPW) method. Among the 274,881 subjects, 152,850 men (55.6%) and 122,031 women (44.4%) with a mean age of 47.0 (standard deviation, 14.4) years, 4.0% reported oral health problems, with a prevalence of 2.1% among those without any stress. The prevalence increased with stress score, reaching 15.4% for those with the maximum stress score. The adjusted odds ratio of this group compared to those without any stress was 9.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.2-10.3). The estimated prevalence of oral health problems by the AIPW analysis was 2.2% (95% CI, 2.1-2.3%) for those without any stress and 14.4% (95% CI, 12.1-16.7%) for those with the maximum stress scores. There was a clear dose-response association between stressful life events and oral health problems.

Stressful life events and low back pain in older men: A cross-sectional and prospective analysis using data from the MrOS study.

Stressful life events, such as loss of a partner, loss of a pet or financial problems, are more common with increasing age and may impact the experience of pain. The aim of the current study is to determine the cross-sectional and prospective association between stressful life events and low back pain reporting in the Osteoporotic Fracture in Men Study, a cohort of older men aged ≥65 years. At a study visit (March 2005-May 2006), 5149 men reported whether they had experienced a stressful life event or low back pain in the prior 12 months. Following that visit, data on low back pain patients were gathered through triannual questionnaires every 4 months for 1 year. Multivariable logistic regression analyses estimated the association of stressful life events with recent past low back pain or future low back pain. N = 2930, (57%) men reported at least one stressful life event. The presence of a stressful life event was associated with greater odds of any low back pain (OR = 1.42 [1.26-1.59]) and activity-limiting low back pain (OR = 1.74 [1.50-2.01]) in the same period and of any low back pain (OR = 1.56 [1.39-1.74]) and frequent low back pain (OR = 1.80 [1.55-2.08]) in the following year. In this cohort of men, the presence of stressful life events increased the likelihood of reporting past and future low back pain. Stressful life events such as accident or illness to a partner are common in later life and may impact the experience of pain. We present cross-sectional and prospective data highlighting a consistent association between stressful life events and low back pain in older men. Further, there is evidence to suggest that this relationship is upregulated by an individual's living situation. This information may be used to strengthen a biopsychosocial perspective of an individual's pain experience.

Longitudinal Associations of Stressful Life Events with Non-suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Effect of Depressive Symptoms

Objective. Little is known about the mechanism between stressful life events and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in Chinese adolescents. This study was to investigate the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the association between stressful life events and NSSI among Chinese adolescents. Methods. This study included a total of 7072 adolescents who participated in the one-year follow-up of Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to evaluate stressful life events, depressive symptoms, NSSI, and other variables in November-December 2015. One year later, a follow-up investigation was performed to evaluate participants’ depressive symptoms and NSSI. Logistic regression and mediation analysis were used to examine the relationship between stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and NSSI. Results. Of the sample, half were females and mean age was 14.58 ± 1.46 . At baseline and one-year follow-up, the rate of NSSI was 19.4% and 8.8%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that stressful life events and depressive symptoms were positively associated with NSSI. Mediation analysis showed that depressive symptoms accounted for 17.70% of the relation between high stressful life events and NSSI at one-year follow-up after controlling for covariates. Limitation. All variables were collected based on self-report. Conclusions. The relationship between stressful life events and NSSI appears to be partially mediated by depressive symptoms. It is necessary to evaluate and intervene against depressive symptoms related to life stress for the prevention of NSSI.

Association of stressful life events with cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship of stressful life events (SLEs) with the risk of cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 316 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged >45 years were recruited in this study, and data on demographics, medical history, lifestyle characteristics and SLEs were collected. The cognitive status of patients was evaluated with a battery of cognitive function scales. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the risk and protective factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants, including 217 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with MCI and 99 patients without MCI, were enrolled in the current study. Among the SLEs, the death of an offspring or parent (odds ratio [OR] 1.994, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.017-3.908) was a risk factor for MCI after adjustment for age and education level. In the subgroup of participants aged <60 years, the death of an offspring or parent (OR 2.731, 95% CI 1.119-6.665) and financial difficulty (OR 22.205, 95% CI 4.365-112.966) were risk factors for the development of MCI, whereas high working pressure (OR 0.154, 95% CI 0.048-0.495) and career changes (OR 0.324, 95% CI 0.124-0.847) were protective factors for MCI. These data suggested that SLEs were associated with cognitive function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Adverse life events, such as the death of an offspring or parent, were risk factors for cognitive impairment, whereas high work pressure in middle-aged people was a protective factor against cognitive impairment.

Associations of stressful life events with subthreshold depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder: The moderating role of gender

BackgroundStressful life events (SLEs) are high-risk factors for subthreshold depressive symptoms (SDS) and major depressive disorder (MDD). This study sought to assess the association of SLEs with SDS and MDD, with a focus on gender effects. MethodsA total of 4132 participants were recruited from 34 primary health care settings. The Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ) was used to measure SLEs that participants had experienced in the past time. The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess SDS, and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatry Interview (MINI) depression module was used to assess the diagnosis of MDD by trained psychiatrists. ResultsIn our sample (N = 4132), exposure to any SLEs was more common in individuals with SDS and MDD than in non-depressed population, and the proportion of emotional abuse was relatively high (SDS: 10.6 %; MDD: 33.9 %). After adjusting for control variables, people who experienced SLEs were at a higher risk of SDS and MDD. For males, those experiencing only one event were not at a higher risk of SDS (P = 0.061). For individuals who had experienced multiple SLEs, the association between SLEs and SDS was stronger in females than males. However, the association between SLEs and MDD was stronger in males than females. LimitationsThe cross-sectional study design and self-reported SLEs. ConclusionsSLEs were associated with the increased risks of SDS and MDD. The associations of SLEs with SDS were more robust for females than males. In contrast, the association between SLEs and MDD was stronger in males than females.

The cross-sectional association of stressful life events with depression severity among patients with hypertension and diabetes in Malawi.

Depressive disorders are a leading cause of global morbidity and remain disproportionately high in low- and middle-income settings. Stressful life events (SLEs) are known risk factors for depressive episodes and worsened depressive severity, yet are under-researched in comparison to other depression risk factors. As depression is often comorbid with hypertension, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), research into this relationship among patients with NCDs is particularly relevant to increasing opportunities for integrated depression and NCD care. This study aims to estimate the cross-sectional association between SLEs in the three months preceding baseline interviews and baseline depressive severity among patients with at least mild depressive symptoms who are seeking NCD care at 10 NCD clinics across Malawi. SLEs were measured by the Life Events Survey and depressive severity (mild vs. moderate to severe) was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The study population (n = 708) was predominately currently employed, grand multiparous (5-8 children) women with a primary education level. Two thirds (63%) had mild depression while 26%, 8%, and 3% had moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression, respectively. Nearly all participants (94%) reported at least one recent SLE, with the most common reported SLEs being financial stress (48%), relationship changes (45%), death of a family member or friend (41%), or serious illness of a family member or friend (39%). Divorce/separation, estrangement from a family member, losing source of income, and major new health problems were significant predictors of greater (moderate or severe) depressive severity compared to mild severity. Having a major new health problem or experiencing divorce/separation resulted in particularly high risk of more severe depression. After adjustment, each additional SLE was associated with a 9% increased risk of moderate or worse depressive severity compared to mild depressive severity (RR: 1.09; (95% CI: 1.05, 1.13), p<0.0001). Among patients with NCDs with at least mild depressive symptoms, SLEs in the prior 3 months were associated with greater depressive severity. While many SLEs may not be preventable, this research suggests that assessment of SLEs and teaching of positive coping strategies when experiencing SLEs may play an important role in integrated NCD and depression treatment models.

The longitudinal association between chronic stress and (visceral) obesity over seven years in the general population: The Hoorn Studies

We aimed to study the mediating role of diet quality, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol intake in the association of stressful life events with visceral obesity over a seven-year period and assessed effect modification by sex and SES. In total, 2416 participants with a mean age of 56.1 (±7.3) years, of which 51.4% were women, and 12.5% had a lower educational level from the Hoorn studies were followed for seven years. Stress was measured with a 'Serious Life Events' questionnaire, which was summed into a total score (range zero to ten events) and stratified to account for nonlinearity. Changes in visceral obesity were assessed by changes in BMI (kg/m2) and waist circumference (cm) in seven years. We used the product of coefficient approach to assess mediation of the following lifestyle factors: diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol intake. We analyzed associations between stressful life events and change in BMI and waist circumference with linear regression models. Within the low education group, we observed a significant association between ≥3 stressful life events and a change in BMI (0.60 kg/m2 (CI: 0.05, 1.14)) and waist circumference (2.23 cm (CI: 0.19, 4.48)), compared to experiencing no events. For both BMI and waist circumference, no significant associations were observed when experiencing 1 or 2 events. In the moderate to high education group, we observed only statistically significant associations for waist circumference when experiencing ≥3 stressful life events (0.86 cm (CI: 0.05, 1.41)) and not for the other event groups. Our mediation analyses showed that the proportion mediated by smoking was 13.2%, while the other lifestyle factors showed no mediating effect. Multiple stressful life events are associated with an increase in waist circumference and BMI in those with lower education. Smoking might play a mediating role in this association.

The cross-sectional association of stressful life events with depression severity among patients with hypertension and diabetes in Malawi

The cross-sectional association of stressful life events with depression severity among patients with hypertension and diabetes in Malawi

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Introduction:Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental illness which leads to serious struggles and challenges. The neurobiology of BD has complex underpinnings of gene–environment interactions. One such environmental factor, stressful life events (SLEs) can have adverse impacts on the course and prognosis of BD, however this is underexplored.Aims and objectives:1) To estimate the frequency of SLEs in patients with BD-current episode depression2) To study the association of severity of depression with SLE, sociodemographic and illness related factors.Methods:This is a cross sectional study done on 100 consecutive patients diagnosed to have BD-current episode of depression (ICD10), attending Psychiatry OPD & IPD at Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiruvalla. Semi-structured proforma, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were used.Results:About 73% of patients reported SLEs–of which 65 had mild/moderate and 8 had severe stress. Statistically significant association was found between stressful life events and ‘very severe’ depressive episode. Having a middle socio-economic status, past suicide attempt, 1st episode as depression and presence of dyslipidaemia also showed statistically significant association with severity of depression.Conclusion & Recommendations:Understanding the association of stressful life events and BD will help in predicting further relapses and complications like suicide. It will aid in developing adequate therapeutic measures, thereby helping in both symptom reduction and improving quality of life in patients.

Association of Stressful Life Events with Dementia in North Indian Populations.

Chronic stress is known to be associated with dementia. This study looked for major stressors and their associations with dementia in the elderly demented population. Case group consisted of 60 subjects (age group 55-75 years; M:F = 7:3) with postscreening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's type dementia. Control group consisted of two subgroups: related (N = 60) and not-related (N = 60) subjects screened and confirmed not to be suffering from cognitive impairment. Sociodemographic variables were collected using a personal data sheet. The severity of cognitive impairment was assessed using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale. Subjects with a CDR score of range 0.5-1 were included in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's type dementia. Stressful life events were evaluated using the Presumptive Stressful Life Event Scale (PSLES). A present stress level of caregivers was evaluated using Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). Assessed stress level scores were compared and validated with serum and plasma levels of cortisol and ACTH respectively. Different groups exhibited distinct PSLES and DASS scores with statistical significance. It was also observed that Cortisol and ACTH levels were elevated in case group as compared with that of both sub-group controls. The outcome measures of this study projected that neural degeneration leading to mild cognitive impairment and dementia may be due to accumulative cortisol hormone associated with stressful life events.

Association of stress management skills and stressful life events with allergy risk: a case-control study in southern China

BackgroundPsychosocial stress and stressful life events are known to aggravate allergic diseases. Less is known about the impact of stress management skills on allergies. Here we sought to determine whether stress management skills are associated with the allergies and to assess the combined effects of stress management skills and stressful events on allergy risk.MethodsA survey on risk factors for self-reported allergic diseases was carried out among 28,144 southern Chinese people; 14 stressful life events and 8 stress management skills were retrospectively recorded in a case-control setting with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Multiplicative and additive interactions between stressful events and stress management skills were evaluated.ResultsStressful events significantly increased allergy risk. The odds ratio (OR) for allergies was 1.65 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.41–1.93) for those reporting one or two stressful events and 3.10 (95% CI, 2.55–3.79) for those reporting more than three stressful events compared to participants without stressful events. Stress management skills were adversely associated with allergic risk for people experiencing stressful events (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53–0.97) when adjusted demographically, particularly “concentrate on pleasant thoughts at bedtime” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51–0.89), “pace myself to prevent tiredness” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54–0.83), “get enough sleep” (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32–0.72) and “take some time for relaxation each day” (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37–0.80). But in people without stressful events, no association was observed. There was a significant linear trend for allergy risk from good stress management skills with no stressful events to poor stress management skills with stressful events (P < 0.001), with significant interaction in additive models (P = 0.006).ConclusionsThere are independent and antagonistic combined associations of stressful life events and stress management skills with allergy risk. The data supports the use of stress management skills in managing allergic disease among people with stressful life events.

Relationship between stressful life events and cyberbullying perpetration: Roles of fatalism and self-compassion

Few studies have documented the relationship between stressful life events and cyberbullying perpetration, and the mechanisms connecting this link are unknown. Thus, the current study tested the association of stressful life events with cyberbullying perpetration and explored this influencing mechanism further with fatalism and self-compassion tested as a mediator and a moderator respectively. A sample of 1104 Chinese adolescents (50.72% males; mean age = 13.11) volunteered for this study. The results revealed that exposure to stressful life events was positively related to cyberbullying perpetration, and fatalism played a mediation role in this relationship. The moderated mediation model revealed that stronger self-compassion weakened and even interrupted the direct associations of stressful life events with fatalism and cyberbullying perpetration, and further weakened and even interrupted the indirect relationship between stressful life events and cyberbullying perpetration via fatalism. That is, adolescents low in self-compassion were more likely to build fatalistic beliefs and engage in cyberbullying perpetration when they experienced high levels of stressful life events; whereas, stressful life events were not related to increased risk of cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents high in self-compassion.

The association of stressful life events on weight loss efforts among African American breast cancer survivors.

This study examined whether stressful life events were associated with weight loss, central adiposity, and health behavior changes of African American breast cancer survivors (AABCS) participating in a weight loss intervention. We conducted a secondary-data analyses of Moving Forward, a weight loss efficacy trial for AABCS conducted in 2011-2014. Two-hundred forty-six eligible women were randomized to a 6-month interventionist-guided (IG) or self-guided (SG) weight loss intervention. Data was collected on height, weight, self-reported diet, and self-reported physical activity. Stress (e.g., financial, legal, employment, relationships, safety, prejudice) was measured using an abbreviated version of the Crisis in Family Systems (CRISYS) urban life stress measure. Generalized linear models stratified by group examined the degree to which stress was associated with weight loss or changes in central adiposity, physical activity, and diet during the intervention (Months 1-6) or maintenance (Months 7 to 12) phases. Participants reported a median of 3.0 life stressors (range 0 to 22) mostly relating to relationships, safety concerns, and financial problems. In the IG group during the intervention phase, exposure to life stressors was not associated with weight loss (p = 0.15) or change in central adiposity (p = 0.69), physical activity (p = 0.15), or diet (p = 0.26). We found similar associations for the maintenance phase and in the SG group. Despite facing stress across a myriad of domains (e.g., relationships, safety, finances), AABCS were successful at initiating and maintaining behaviors to achieve weight loss, reductions in central adiposity, and behavioral changes. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted that include more strategies to address the challenges that AABCS face, to determine whether AABCS in particular might benefit from interventions that address barriers (e.g., stress management) to weight loss. Such strategies are critical for improving quality of life and lowering the risk of cancer recurrence.

Association Between Stressful Life Events and Female Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Their Role in Disease Activity: A Retrospective Case-Control Study in China.

PurposePrevious evidence has shown that psychological stress can trigger the onset of autoimmune disease. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of stressful life events preceding the onset of symptoms in female primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) in China compared to controls and the possible associations of stressful life events with disease activity.Patients and MethodsThis was a hospital-based retrospective case–control study. Sixty-seven consecutive female pSS patients and an equal number of age-matched (± 3 years) healthy controls were recruited for assessment using the related Stressful Life Events Scale. The pSS disease activity was measured by the EULAR Sjogren’s syndrome disease activity index. Data were analyzed by SPSS, version 23, using chi-square, univariate logistic regression, multiple logistic regression, and partial correlation.ResultsA higher number of negative stressful life events before disease onset in pSS patients compared with healthy controls suggest that these play a role in increasing the risk of disease occurrence (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.87–3.58, p < 0.05). The number of positive life events did not differ between the two groups. Both the number and severity of the negative stressful life events were also significantly correlated with disease activity.ConclusionPatients with pSS experienced more negative stressful life events in the year preceding the onset of symptoms than controls. Negative stressful life events before symptom onset may be risk factors for pSS and may affect pSS disease activity.

Stressful Life Events and Inflammation in Midlife: Comparing Associations With suPAR, CRP, and IL-6

Stressful life events are associated with poorer health, but the physiological mechanisms of this association are unclear. One mechanism that might play a role in this association is systemic inflammation. Using participants (n=828) from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, we studied the association of stressful life events and inflammation from age 32 to 45. Inflammation was assessed using C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and suPAR. We examined associations between stressful life events and systemic inflammation, as well as whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) moderated these associations. More adult stressful life events were associated with greater suPAR at age 38 (r = 0.12, p < .001) and age 45 (r = 0.19, p < .001). CRP and IL-6 did not evidence consistent associations at age 38 and 45. An increase in suPAR from age 38 to 45 was associated with more stressful life events in the interim, β = 0.10, p = .001. SuPAR at age 45 was independently associated with both childhood ACEs, β = 0.20, p < .001, and adult stressful life events, β = 0.18, p < .001. ACEs significantly moderated the association of stressful life events and suPAR at age 45, β = 0.12, p = .001, such that people with more childhood ACEs evidenced a stronger association between stressful life events and inflammation in midlife. These results were robust to controlling for clinical (sex, body mass, smoking) and childhood covariates (childhood IQ, SES, self-control). Systemic inflammation is one mechanism through which stressful life events could impact health.

Threats to Belonging—Stressful Life Events and Mental Health Symptoms in Aging Men—A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Objectives: Stressful life events, especially relationship events, are frequent in adult life. We investigated the impact of a variety of stressful life events on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility.Methods: We analyzed data from a large prospective cohort study of men (n = 1,437) in the Boston area (assessed in 1985, 1988, and 1991). Main outcomes were measures of depression, anxiety and hostility symptoms. We used the Elders Life Stress Inventory (ELSI) to measure stressful life events in the past 12 months and examine their association with symptoms of depression, anxiety and hostility. First, we analyzed the association of stressful life events with symptom changes; second, we categorized stressful life events into finance/work, health, relationships, loss, living situations events; and third, we estimated the specific association between relationship events and depression, anxiety and hostility symptoms using multilevel models.Results: The most frequent stressful life events were health, relationship, and financial events. Depression, anxiety, and hostility symptoms were relatively stable among men who did not experience these life events. However, those who reported life events in the past 12 months had a greater increase in symptoms of depression (+0.05; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.10) and of hostility (+0.05; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.09) than those who did not. Additionally, we found a significant decrease in hostility (−0.05; 95% CI: −0.08 to −0.01) in those experiencing no life events.Conclusion: Relationship events were more important than any other type of events, and were significantly associated with increased depression and hostility in aging men. Although the effects were small, the results point to a need to understand better the impact of relationships on psychopathology in the aging population.

Relation of Promoter Methylation of the Oxytocin Gene to Stressful Life Events and Depression Severity.

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide associated with trauma, sociality, and depression. Despite the widely accepted assumption of OT playing a role in the etiology of mood and anxiety disorders, associations between stressful life events, depression, and epigenetic regulation of the gene coding for OT (OXT) have not yet been investigated. We therefore aimed to examine the interrelations of stressful life events, depression severity, and methylation of the promoter region of OXT in a sample of N= 146 inpatients suffering from major depression. We found significant negative associations of stressful life events with mean methylation status as well as with methylation status of single CpG sites in the promoter region of OXT. There was no association between depression severity and OXT methylation. However, there were significant sex differences in methylation status of OXT with women showing higher methylation rates than men, putatively suggesting that in depression OXT is less activated in females compared to males. These results speak against an association of OXT methylation and depression severity, but support the assumption of a dysregulation of the OT system due to life stress. Our findings further emphasize the importance of including sex as an important factor in the investigation of the interrelations between OXT, stress, and depression.

The association between stressful life events and perceived quality of life among women attending infertility treatments: the moderating role of coping strategies and perceived couple\u2019s dyadic adjustment

BackgroundResearch highlighted that Stressful Life Events have high incidence among infertile patients and significant impact on physical and medical parameters related to reproductive functions, but their potential role among factors influencing the infertile patients’ perception of fertility-related Quality of Life (QoL) has not been explored. The present study aims to investigate the associations of Stressful Life Events (Stressful events in the family of origin, In family pre-existing pregnancy difficulties, Health problems in childhood) with perceived fertility-related QoL in women attending infertility treatments, examining the potential moderating role of adopted coping strategies and perceived couple’s dyadic adjustment.MethodsA questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographics and Infertility-related characteristics, Stress-inducing events in the couples’ lives Questionnaire (FLS), Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced (COPE), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and Core and Treatment subscales of Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) was administered to 266 women attending infertility treatments. A descriptive correlational design with cross-sectional comparison was used. Results Logistic Regression Analyses after adjusting for socio-demographic and infertility-related characteristics revealed that women who reported Stressful events in the family of origin and In family pre-existing pregnancy difficulties were more likely to report lower levels of perceived Core QoL, while women who reported Health problems in childhood were more likely to report lower levels of perceived Treatment QoL. Couple’s dyadic adjustment and specific coping strategies were significantly associated with perceived Core and Treatment QoL and they also significantly moderated the associations between stressful life events and perceived QoL.ConclusionsData provided original evidence on the strong association between stressful life events and perceived fertility-related QoL also highlighting individual and couples’ resources to define counselling interventions with women attending infertility treatments.

Longitudinal associations of stressful life events and social support deficits with later functioning in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Social factors for functioning in ACS

BackgroundIn this study we investigated associations between stressful life events (SLEs) and social support deficit (SSD), which we evaluated within 2 weeks of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) episode, and changes in functioning, disability, and quality of life (QOL) over a 1-year follow-up period. MethodIn total, 1152 patients were recruited at baseline within 2 weeks of an ACS episode, and 828 were followed up for 1 year thereafter. The occurrence of SLEs was identified at baseline using the “List of Threatening Events”, and the participants were categorized into absent or present SLE groups. The SSD was evaluated using the Social Support Scale and was dichotomatized into low or high SSD groups. We measured social and occupational functioning, disability, and quality of life (QoL) at both examinations. The associations between the baseline SLE and SSD with functional changes over 1 year were estimated using repeated-measures analyses of covariance with relevant covariates. ResultsThe presence of SLEs and high SSD at baseline independently predicted worsening of functional disability and QoL over the 1-year follow-up period, after adjustment. Moreover, the coexistence of both present SLE and high SSD indicates negative effects that are more severe on functional outcomes. ConclusionsSLEs and SSD at an early phase of ACS predicted chronically poorer functioning and QoL outcomes. Preventive and therapeutic efforts should include strategies to identify and manage psychosocial risk factors in ACS patients.