Bodily Reactions Research Articles

Occupational Injuries Among Construction Workers by Age and Related Economic Loss: Findings From Ohio Workers' Compensation, USA: 2007–2017

BackgroundThis study examined age-group differences in the rate, severity, and cost of injuries among construction workers to support evidence-based worker safety and health interventions in the construction industry. MethodsOhio workers' compensation claims for construction workers were used to estimate claim rates and costs by age group. We analyzed claims data auto-coded into five event/exposure categories: transportation incidents; slips, trips, and falls (STFs); exposure to harmful substances and environments; contact with objects and equipment (COB); overexertion and bodily reaction. American Community Survey data were used to determine the percentage of workers in each age group. ResultsFrom 2007–2017, among 72,416 accepted injury claims for ∼166,000 construction full-time equivalent (FTE) per year, nearly half were caused by COB, followed by STFs (20%) and overexertion (20%). Claim rates related to COB and exposure to harmful substances and environments were highest among those 18–24 years old, with claim rates of 313.5 and 25.9 per 10,000 FTE, respectively. STFs increased with age, with the highest claim rates for those 55–64 years old (94.2 claims per 10,000 FTE). Overexertion claim rates increased and then declined with age, with the highest claim rate for those 35–44 years old (87.3 per 10,000 FTE). While younger workers had higher injury rates, older workers had higher proportions of lost-time claims and higher costs per claim. The total cost per FTE was highest for those 45–54 years old ($1,122 per FTE). ConclusionThe variation in rates of injury types by age suggests that age-specific prevention strategies may be useful.

Impact of Chronic Stress on Human Body, Immunity and Wellbeing

Abstract: Every internal or external stimulant which is concerned with natural bodily reaction is labeled as stress. Stress favors a broad variety of diseases including hypertension, diabetes, irregular sleep patterns, superior plasma cortisols, obesity, cardiac diseases, cancer and depression. Stress happens in three stages - alarming (initial stage when body encounters stress and asks for the adrenaline rush), resisting (body secretes stress hormones and elevates blood sugar level to handle the problem) and exhausting stage (final stage when body utilized all its resources to carry a prolonged fight or flight response).This paper studies the impact of acute and chronic stressors on the human body- immunity and well-being. The sample of the study consisted of 40 people of age group 25-55. Stress was measured through a self administered questionnaire while immunity and well-being of the person is assessed by the Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ) and the Core Questionnaire for Wellbeing (WEMWBS).

Distance and proximity: the spectatorship of trauma and film viewing in postmillennial Hong Kong

ABSTRACT We are all spectators of the times to varying extents. With the commencement of the twenty-first century, our spectator experience began to transform, becoming more scattered, divergent, and unsettled in response to technological advancement and the decline of consensus around social values, cultural meanings, and political agendas in the face of changes. In post-handover Hong Kong, a breach of meaning has been cumulatively caused by divided opinions on priorities (e.g. economic, democratic) and intensified by the contested narratives around history, identity, and reality. In the aftermath of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) Movement, a discursive construction of authority and legitimation has taken place in legislative affairs, a renewed school curriculum, and official speeches, among other organized patterns of action. Against this backdrop, this paper will focus on the spectatorship of trauma that has been generated by community screenings and documentary filmmaking. Two case studies will be presented in terms of their distance (distant vis-à-vis immersive) from the epicentre of these traumatic events. The first case study will explore the spectatorship of visual trauma, in which authoritarian experiences were transmitted through social movement-themed documentaries (e.g. Ukraine’s Winter on Fire) and drama films (e.g. South Korea’s 1987 and A Taxi Driver) that gained popularity and stirred up noise in Hong Kong in the lead-up to 2019. The second case study will explore traumatic responses through bodily reactions to pain and suffering as captured in post-2019 Hong Kong cinema. On the whole, the paper will demonstrate how viewing experiences embody shared and individualized responses (e.g. resistance, resilience, retreat) and how understanding spectatorship allows us to discern the social sentiments, cultural implications, and affects generated at a particular time.

Prevalence and potency of trauma reminders 8.5 years after a terrorist attack

ABSTRACT Background: Empirical knowledge about the prevalence and potency of reminders several years post-trauma, and how experiences with reminders relate to mental health and functioning, is scarce. Objective: The aim of this study was threefold: (1) systematically describe the type and frequency of trauma reminders experienced by survivors 8.5 years after a terrorist attack; (2) explore the intensity and duration of reactions evoked by various reminders; and (3) examine whether experiences with trauma reminders are associated with psychological distress and level of functioning almost a decade post-trauma. Method: 289 survivors (51.2% females, M age = 27.7, SD = 4.6) of the 2011 massacre on Utøya island, Norway, were interviewed 8.5 years post-terror. Participants were presented with a list of ten potential trauma reminders and asked to rate how frequently they had experienced each one in the past month, and the intensity and duration of the reactions evoked. Current posttraumatic reactions were measured using the UCLA PTSD-RI and the HSCL-8. Associations between experiences with reminders, psychological distress, and functioning, were analysed by linear regressions. Results: At 8.5 years post-terror, approximately 90% of the participants had experienced trauma reminders within the past month (35.6% often or very often). Almost 30% had become distressed, afraid, sad, or experienced bodily reactions to a great or very great extent. The vast majority reported that the reactions only lasted for a few minutes or hours. Frequency of exposure to reminders, and the intensity of the reactions evoked, were significantly associated with psychological distress. Frequency of exposure to trauma reminders was negatively related to the survivors’ level of functioning. Conclusions: Trauma reminders can still be a central source of psychological distress and impaired functioning among survivors almost a decade post-trauma. While everyone who is directly exposed to a terrorist attack does not need psychotherapy, most would probably benefit from psychoeducation about reminders.

Mandatory and recommended immunizations. Contraindications to vaccination and adverse reaction to vaccination in the context of liability for failure to vaccinate a minor (Article 115 § 2 of the Code of Offenses.)

Introduction: the issue of immunizations constantly raises discussion. Undoubtedly, they are an effective preventive measure and play a key role in protecting public health. However, the public still holds the view that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine causes autism, despite numerous studies refuting its effect on the development of autism. Adverse vaccine reactions are also a cause of concern, although they are most often a mild bodily reaction.
 The purpose of the study: was to analyze the research problem, which is, in principle, the exclusion of liability of a person having custody of a minor for the offense of failing to vaccinate him/her with mandatory immunization in the presence of a contraindication to vaccination. The law on compulsory vaccination is discussed, taking into account the occurrence of a medical reason for non-vaccination. The scope of the subject of vaccination, adverse reaction to vaccination and contraindications to vaccination are presented.
 Materials and methods: databases such as PubMed and Legal Information Systems (LEX and Legalis) were searched. They relied on the Immunization Program in effect in 2023 and current criminal and medical literature and court decisions.
 Results: there is a collision of goods of an individual nature in the form of restriction of the right to self-determination, manifested in the obsolescence of the obligation to obtain the patient's consent to undergo a qualifying examination and immunization, with a good of a supra-individual nature in the form of public health security by ensuring the highest possible level of collective immunity.
 Conclusions: it is important to find a balance between the right to decide about the health of one's child and the duty to take care of public health, in order to ensure optimal results for both individuals and society as a whole.

Occupational Injuries and Illnesses among Paramedicine Clinicians: Analyses of US Department of Labor Data (2010 - 2020).

Paramedicine clinicians (PCs) in the United States (US) respond to 40 million calls for assistance every year. Their fatality rates are high and their rates of nonfatal injuries are higher than other emergency services personnel, and much higher than the average rate for all US workers. The objectives of this paper are to: describe current occupational injuries among PCs; determine changes in risks over time; and calculate differences in risks compared to other occupational groups. This retrospective open cohort study of nonfatal injuries among PCs used 2010 through 2020 data from the US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics; some data were unavailable for some years. The rates and relative risks (RRs) of injuries were calculated and compared against those of registered nurses (RNs), fire fighters (FFs), and all US workers. The annual average number of injuries was: 4,234 over-exertion and bodily reaction (eg, motion-related injuries); 3,935 sprains, strains, and tears; 2,000 back injuries; 580 transportation-related injuries; and over 400 violence-related injuries. In this cohort, women had an injury rate that was 50% higher than for men. In 2020, the overall rate of injuries among PCs was more than four-times higher, and the rate of back injuries more than seven-times higher than the national average for all US workers. The rate of violence-related injury was approximately six-times higher for PCs compared to all US workers, seven-times higher than the rate for FFs, and 60% higher than for RNs. The clinicians had a rate of transportation injuries that was 3.6-times higher than the national average for all workers and 2.3-times higher than for FFs. Their overall rate of cases varied between 290 per 10,000 workers in 2018 and 546 per 10,000 workers in 2022. Paramedicine clinicians are a critical component of the health, disaster, emergency services, and public health infrastructures, but they have risks that are different than other professionals.This analysis provides greater insight into the injuries and risks for these clinicians. The findings reveal the critical need for support for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-specific research to develop evidence-based risk-reduction interventions. These risk-reduction efforts will require an enhanced data system that accurately and reliably tracks and identifies injuries and illnesses among PCs.

Psychological outcomes of the systematic interventions based on the stress-induced situation, affective, bodily, and cognitive reactions framework for patients with lung cancer: A randomized clinical trial

BackgroundPsychological distress is a multi-factorial unpleasant experience of a psychological, social, spiritual, and/or physical nature that may interfere with one's ability to cope effectively with cancer, physical symptoms and treatment. Psychological distress is common and affects the prognosis of cancer patients. Lung cancer accounted for 11.4 % of all new cancer cases and 18 % of all cancer mortality for 36 cancers in 185 countries. The prevalence of distress among Chinese lung cancer patients ranged from 10.1 % to 61.29 %. However, the existing intervention studies on the psychological distress in lung cancer patients are limited and intervention results may be different. ObjectivesTo explore the psychological outcomes of a nurse-led systematic intervention program based on the stress-induced situation, affective, bodily, and cognitive reactions framework for patients with lung cancer undergoing operation at anxiety and depression. DesignA randomized clinical trial. SettingThoracic surgery ward in a tertiary hospital in China. ParticipantsLung cancer patients undergoing surgery. MethodsThis is a 12-month longitudinal randomized controlled study in a tertiary hospital in China. A total of 240 lung cancer patients were randomly divided into either the control group or the intervention group. The nurse-led systematic intervention contents include psychological education, intervention measures based on the stress-induced situation, affective, bodily, and cognitive reactions framework, issuance of daily lifestyle cards, and regular follow-ups. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Fatigue Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used for the baseline assessment within 48 h upon admission. The same assessment was performed respectively at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention started. The effects of the systematic interventions on depression, anxiety, fatigue, and life satisfaction were tested by a linear mixed effects model. ResultsOverall time-by-group interaction effects were significantly different with regard to anxiety, depression, and fatigue after controlling for the covariates, while a significant time-by-group interaction effect was not found for life satisfaction. Changes for anxiety and depression scores at 6 and 12 months after initiation of the intervention were significantly greater in the intervention group compared with those in the control group (t = 3.046, p = 0.002, t = 3.190, p = 0.001; t = 3.735, p = 0.000, t = 2.979, p = 0.002), whereas scores for fatigue were significantly higher in the intervention group at 6 and 12 months (t = −3.096, p = 0.002, t = −2.784, p = 0.005). ConclusionThe systematic intervention program based on the stress-induced situation, affective, bodily, and cognitive reactions framework may effectively relieve anxiety, depression, and fatigue in lung cancer patients undergoing surgery. RegistrationThis study was registered on December 22, 2019 with the registration number ChiCTR1900028487, and the date of first recruitment was Jan 5, 2020.

Body genres, embodiment and engagement: Second Person in Audio Storytelling

In the article, “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre and Excess” (1991), Linda Williams defines as body genres the film genres that are based on stimulating certain physical reactions in the bodies of spectators. These are fear (horror), sexual arousal (pornography), and tears (melodrama). All three genres share, “an apparent lack of proper aesthetic distance, a sense of over-involvement in sensation and emotion. We feel manipulated,” by them. The bodies of whoever watches these films are involved in an “involuntary mimicry” of the body on the screen. During a talk at the 2016 Third Coast Conference, radio producer Eleanor McDowall inquired about the equivalent of body genres in audio storytelling (radio, podcast, and other forms of audio narratives). What are those sound works that engage the bodies of their listeners, not by merely talking about bodily reactions, but by actually provoking them?

(092) What is Sexuality?: Moving Toward Inclusive and Comprehensive Measurement

Abstract Introduction Sexuality is complex and multifaceted, broadly composed of psychological, physiological, interpersonal, identity, and social/political phenomena. The term “sexuality” is used inconsistently in the literature, both in how it is defined by researchers and in how it is measured. Some researchers define sexuality in a narrow, heteronormative, and genital-focused way that negates the subjective experiences of individuals, in turn, affecting how the construct is measured (i.e., measuring sexual function exclusively, overlooking measures of pleasure, self-esteem, and satisfaction). This limited view of sexuality ignores many of the psychosocial and resilience factors that are integral to the construct and results in non-representative measurement tools, especially for equity-seeking groups (i.e., transgender and non-binary (TNB) or intersex individuals provided measures that presume binary anatomy). In order to develop more accurate measurement tools, a comprehensive and inclusive definition of sexuality is warranted. Objective This cross-sectional exploratory survey is the first to formally characterize and define sexuality by assessing how members of the public describe the construct through open-ended questions. Recruitment strategies were aimed towards equity-seeking groups (i.e., sexual and gender minorities, BIPOC, and consensual non-monogamous populations) to ensure the lived experiences of these diverse communities were represented in the definition. Methods A total of 456 individuals (Mage = 28.50, SD = 9.57) identifying as Man (N = 172), Woman (N = 191), Non-Binary (N = 72), Transgender (N = 43), Other (N = 13) were recruited for an online survey asking them to first define sexuality, and then to identify biological, behavioural, psychological, and social components of sexuality. Analyses included a thematic analysis of several open-ended questions. Results Results from a thematic analysis resulted in the following definition of sexuality; Sexuality is a multifaceted concept that is uniquely experienced and expressed. It encompasses a broad range of psychological, physiological, behavioural, and social elements which are experienced to varying degrees. Sexuality is primarily psychological, reflecting one’s emotions, mental state, attractions, desires, fantasies, and identity. Psychological elements of sexuality give meaning to and are expressed via physiological and behavioural elements including objective and subjective bodily reactions, various physical behaviours, and different types of sexual activity. Sexuality is also a social concept, reflected in people’s interactions, relationships, and connections to others. Sexuality is influenced by one’s society and culture, both historically and in present day. Specifically, experiences with norms, taboos, social scripts, and stigma influence one’s sexuality. Conclusions An inclusive definition of sexuality provided by the general public emphasized the importance of psychological components, as well as various physiological, behavioural, and social elements. This demonstrates that the subjective experiences of sexuality are integral to its definition. Therefore, our next step is to generate a comprehensive measure of sexuality that accounts for how diverse people feel about their sexuality. Disclosure No

Getting the body back on track – Understanding the phenomenon of mobilisation when conscious and mechanically ventilated patients are mobilised in the intensive care unit

ObjectiveTo gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of mobilisation when conscious and mechanically ventilated patients are mobilised in the intensive care unit. DesignA qualitative study with a phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach. Data were generated in three intensive care units from September 2019 to March 2020. Participant observations of twelve conscious mechanically ventilated patients, thirty-five nurses and four physiotherapists were performed. Furthermore, seven semi-structured patient interviews were conducted, both on the ward and after discharge. FindingsMobilisation during mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit followed a trajectory from a failing body to a growing sense of independence in getting the body back on track. Three themes were revealed: ‘Challenging to move a failing body’, ‘Ambiguity of both resistance and willingness in the process of strengthen the body’, and ‘An ongoing effort in getting the body back on track’. ConclusionsMobilisation when conscious and mechanically ventilated included support of the living body by physical prompts and ongoing bodily guidance. Resistance and willingness regarding mobilisation were found to be a way of coping with bodily reactions of comfort or discomfort, embedded in a need to feel bodily control. The trajectory of mobilisation promoted a sense of agency, as mobilisation activities at different stages during the intensive care unit stay supported the patients in becoming more active collaborators in getting the body back on track. Implications for Clinical PracticeOngoing bodily guidance provided by healthcare professionals can promote bodily control and support conscious and mechanically ventilated patients in active participation in mobilisation. Furthermore, understanding the ambiguity of patients’ reactions caused by loss of bodily control provides a potential to prepare mechanically ventilated patients for and assist them with mobilisation. In particular, the first mobilisation in the intensive care unit seems to influence the success of future mobilisation, as the body remembers negative experiences.

The Meaning of the Physical Environment in Child and Adolescent Therapy: A Qualitative Study of the Outdoor Care Retreat

Research on common factors in therapy largely focuses on qualities in the therapist, relationship, or client, with little attention to the meaning of the physical environment. This study contributes to the literature on common factors, aiming for a qualitative in-depth analysis of the ways place, nature, and natural materials affect therapy with hospitalized chronically ill children. The study compares the experience of therapy in the Outdoor Care Retreat (OCR)—an architect-designed cabin in a natural setting behind the Oslo University Hospital in Norway—with therapy in a traditional hospital setting. The findings are based on two group interviews with seven leaders, six individual interviews with therapists (psychologists, social workers, and medical doctors), and four individual interviews with parents of hospitalized chronically ill children. The qualitative data were analyzed according to reflexive thematic analysis and categorized into eight main themes. The (1) affordances of the OCR positively influenced the therapy. The analysis yielded examples of positive influence from the natural setting and materials on both child and therapist, in terms of (2) natural bodily reactions, (3) multifaceted role activation, (4) situations of opportunities, (5) restorative emotional reactions, (6) stronger alliance, and (7) valuable expectations. The subthemes demonstrate which mechanisms were in play, and how these contribute to (8) therapeutic flow in a holding environment. The case study demonstrates the value of considering place and nature for therapy with children. A model of the meaning of the physical environment in therapy is proposed, to be tested in further research.

Brightness illusions evoke pupil constriction preceded by a primary visual cortex response in rats.

The mind affects the body via central nervous system (CNS) control of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). In humans, one striking illustration of the "mind-body" connection is that illusions, subjectively perceived as bright, drive pupil constriction. The CNS network driving this pupil response is unknown and requires an animal model for investigation. However, the pupil response to this illusion has long been thought to occur only in humans. Here, we report that the same brightness illusion that evokes pupil constriction in humans also does so in rats. We surveyed the role of most of rat cortex in this "mind-body" connection by recording cortex-wide EEG. These recordings revealed that, compared to a luminance-matched control stimulus, the illusion of brightness for a specific stimulus color and size, evoked a larger response in primary visual cortex (V1) and not in secondary visual, parietal, or frontal cortex. The response preceded pupil constriction suggesting a potential causal role of V1 on the pupil. Our results provide evidence that this "mind-body" connection is not confined to humans and that V1 may be part of a mammalian CNS network for bodily reactions to illusions.

Modern Lexicographic Interpretation of Psychic Vocabulary: A Standard Explanatory Dictionary

This article describes the lexicography of psychic vocabulary in a diachronic aspect. For a long time, synonymic chains were the most common way of its interpretation, examples being a more recent lexicographic invention. However, both methods are concept-oriented. Unfortunately, neither of them solved the problems of a dictionary aimed at intercultural relations. The current globalization and informatization triggered non-traditional interpretations that describe not the concept, but a prototypical situation, which is associated with it. This study introduces several principles of interpreting the psychic vocabulary. These principles relate to the language, semantics, parameters, and structure of the semanteme. The approach is based on the connection between language and perception. For instance, the psychic vocabulary encodes the reaction of the heart as an organ ( love, rage, serenity, peace, disgust ). Therefore, the psychic vocabulary is different from the abstract vocabulary (good, evil, justice, democracy ), which does not encode bodily reactions. The author believes that the seme ‘heart’ is implicitly present in the semantic structure of the psychic vocabulary. Scientific literature features the lexeme of heart in comparative, conceptual, and metaphorical aspects, but not as an implicit component. Thus, the denotative space of the psychic vocabulary is a complex cognitive construct structured as ‘assessment / reaction of the heart / desire’, represented by the archisemes of feelings, emotions, and states. Words united by these archisemes demonstrate different valency, word-building, and pragmatic properties. In terms of the structure of the psychic polysemy, feelings and traits have the potential to develop the meaning of states, and words that denote physiological states generate figurative meanings of mental states.

Metaxy, Forms, and Healing: A Neoplatonic-Augustinian Approach to the Integration of Catholicism and Depth Psychology

In the last decade, the Catholic Church increasingly has been open to psychology, yet depth psychology still is foreign to it and often not accepted. Likewise, few depth psychologists are open to Catholicism. This article attempts to rectify this situation in an investigation of the integration between the two. It does so by drawing on the philosophical assumptions from the Neoplatonic-Augustinian tradition. I define depth psychology as the examination of a realm, lying behind, around, or within the surface of one's life, consisting of patterns, figures, and landscapes affecting one's thoughts, emotions, bodily reactions, and behaviors, but of which one is unaware, relating to the universal, enduring figures in classic literature. I discuss the relationship of universal figures and landscapes to the “intermediate” region between spirit and matter, metaxy, through following Diotima in Plato's Symposium and some of Simone Weil's work. I relate metaxy to both Forms and the material, human world as communication, a circuit. I discuss where I depart from the Platonic sense of emanation and descent with exclusive derivation upon Forms. I illustrate this concept with St. Augustine's conversion. I further explore the “betweenness” of metaxy with the works of prominent Catholics, St. Pope John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict, and Josef Pieper.

Love, the Moon, and the Body: George MacDonald's "The Light Princess" and "Little Daylight" as Reflections on the Embodied Mind

Abstract: In George MacDonald's "The Light Princess," the connection between states of mind and bodily reactions is represented and explored, with a particular focus on the meaning of lightness and heaviness in relation to love and emotions—which the form of the tale itself mirrors by alternating comedy and tragedy. Likewise, "Little Daylight" offers innovative meditations on the female body, its changes, and its interrelation with the mind's states. Both stories are inspired by the traditional tale "Sleeping Beauty," but they propose a very different take on the unconscious sleep of mind and body portrayed in the original story by concentrating instead on their complex and dynamic intertwinement. This article aims to elucidate and analyze the provocative representations of the two princesses' embodied minds in George MacDonald's unconventional and ingenious fairy tales.

Bodily skills in a virtual environment (on the material of Cybersports)

The aim of this article is to show what role the players' bodily practices play in cybersports, given that the competition takes place in a virtual environment. The role of players' bodily practices is revealed within two general frameworks related to the concept of sport, namely, sport as a demonstration of mastery of some physical or/and intellectual skills. It is shown that in order to clarify the role of player bodies in cybersports, it is necessary to make a distinction between two optics of counterfactual thinking. On the one hand, counterfactuality is part of the gaming in cybersport, which allows planning and evaluating strategy. On the other hand, it is part of the player's need to respond quickly to hypothetical events in the virtual world. These actions are not the exact similarities of bodily reactions in the conditions of the physical world, since they are produced through the control of game controllers, which are extensions into the virtual world. The author concludes that the counterfactuals turns out to be directly embedded in the bodily practices of the player, forcing the latter to find a balance between the quick reactions hypotheticality of what is happening on the screen.

On Emotion: Exchanges Between Neurosciences and Literary Studies

Taking into consideration an intellectual atmosphere attentive to the interchanges between embodied cognition and literature, the objective of this paper is to introduce definitions, mechanisms, and functionalities of bodily reactions to human existence and the production of knowledge based mainly on the investigations of the Portuguese neuroscientist Antonio Damasio. He has published several books and is one of the most influential researchers on the reciprocity among body, brain, mind, and situated experiences. By analyzing his investigations, it becomes possible to develop theoretical and analytical repertoires capable of contemplating emotion resulting from contact with literary fictions as relevant to their understanding.

Chronic pelvic pain sufferers’ experiences of Norwegian psychomotor physiotherapy: a qualitative study on an embodied approach to pain

Purpose Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a multifaceted condition, and many women live with CPP without receiving any explanation for their complex symptoms. A multimodal approach including physiotherapy is the recommended treatment. To increase the limited knowledge of what is beneficial in physiotherapy, this article aims to explore women’s experiences of Norwegian psychomotor physiotherapy (NPMP) as treatment for CPP. Method This qualitative study is based on in-depth interviews with eight women undergoing CPP. The concept of embodiment underpins the entire research project, and the analysis of the participants’ experiences builds on a phenomenological approach. Results and conclusion Three final themes embrace the participants’ experiences of change after NPMP treatment: experiencing their body in new ways, letting go of tension, and understanding their symptoms. Through treatment, the participants moved from keeping bodily sensations at a distance towards increased bodily self-awareness. They realised that their state of tension was linked to their emotional life and stress was revealed as a trigger of bodily reactions they related to their symptoms. Positive bodily sensations were essential for the participants to let signals from their body guide their actions in a change process.

A Review of Psychological Stress among Students and Its Assessment Using Salivary Biomarkers.

Numerous psychoneuroimmune factors participate in complex bodily reactions to psychological stress, and some of them can be easily and non-invasively measured in saliva (cortisol, alpha-amylase, proinflammatory cytokines). Cortisol plays a crucial role in the stress response; thus, stressful events (academic examinations, cardiac surgery, dental procedures) are accompanied by an increase in cortisol levels. (A correlation between cortisol blood levels and salivary values has already been confirmed, particularly during stress). Academic stress is defined as everyday stress among students that has an impact on aspects of their psychological and physiological well-being. For example, exams are considered one of the most acute stressful experiences for students. The strength of the association between academic self-efficacy, psychological stress, and anxiety depends on a variety of factors: the type of academic challenge (e.g., oral exam), the presence of an audience, etc. Higher stress levels were predominantly recorded among younger students, primarily regarding their academic tasks and concerns (grades, exams, competing with peers for grades, fear of failing the academic year, etc.). The measurement of stress levels during academic stress can improve our understanding of the character and influence of stressful events in populations of students, preventing adverse reactions to long-term stress, such as a decreased immune response and increased anxiety.

Discussion Panel Examining the Perpetual Issue of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) – Challenges, Gaps, and Opportunities

According to Injury Facts® data reported annually by the National Safety Council (NSC), overexertion and bodily reactions have consistently been the leading cause of nonfatal injury or illness events involving days away from work. Data from NSC, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index and peer-reviewed research clearly emphasize the gravity of risk factors related to the worker, work, and workplace on MSD development. The NSC began a major initiative last year with a goal to examine the factors that influence MSDs systematically. With the support of a major industry partner, it formed an international advisory council consisting of stakeholders from industry, academic, and research communities. The invited panel of experts, all members of this advisory council, will present their views on challenges, gaps, and opportunities to mitigate MSDs. These panelists will also discuss various research, translation, and work practice related to MSDs.