Common Sources Of Stress Research Articles

Perceived Stress, Sources and Severity of Stress among medical undergraduates in a Pakistani Medical School

BackgroundRecently there is a growing concern about stress during undergraduate medical training. However, studies about the same are lacking from Pakistani medical schools. The objectives of our study were to assess perceived stress, sources of stress and their severity and to assess the determinants of stressed cases.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among undergraduate medical students of CMH Lahore Medical College, Pakistan during January to March 2009. Perceived stress was assessed using the perceived stress scale. A 33-item questionnaire was used to assess sources of stress and their severity.ResultsThe overall response rate was 80.5% (161 out of 200 students). The overall mean perceived stress was 30.84 (SD = 7.01) and was significantly higher among female students. By logistic regression analysis, stressed cases were associated with occurrence of psychosocial (OR 5.01, 95% CI 2.44-10.29) and academic related stressors (OR 3.17 95% CI 1.52-6.68). The most common sources of stress were related to academic and psychosocial concerns. 'High parental expectations', 'frequency of examinations', 'vastness of academic curriculum', 'sleeping difficulties', 'worrying about the future', 'loneliness', 'becoming a doctor', 'performance in periodic examinations' were the most frequently and severely occurring sources of stress. There was a negative but insignificant correlation between perceived stress and academic performance (r = -0.099, p > 0.05).ConclusionA higher level of perceived stress was reported by the students. The main stressors were related to academic and psychosocial domains. Further studies are required to test the association between stressed cases and gender, academic stressors and psychosocial stressors.

Sources of stress and coping styles among student-athletes in Jordan universities

This study explored the sources of stress and use of coping styles among Jordanian athletes. Fifty-six student-athletes from a university in Jordan participated in this study and completed a survey to examine their stress sources and associated coping styles. The results indicated that the most common sources of stress were injury and illness, pressures of competition, referee, conflict with the coach, and spectators. Athletes identified 16 coping strategies used to manage stress. Results suggest that interventions designed to reduce stress should seek to increase the use of avoidance and approach styles to cope with stress.

Model Minority at Risk: Expressed Needs of Mental Health by Asian American Young Adults

The objective of this study is to obtain and discuss in-depth information on mental health problems, including the status, barriers, and potential solutions in 1.5 and 2nd generation Asian American young adults. As a part of the Health Needs Assessment project, the researchers conducted two focus groups with 17 young adults (mainly 1.5 or 2nd generation) from eight Asian American communities (Asian Indian, Cambodian, Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese) in Montgomery County, Maryland. We developed a moderator's guide with open-ended questions and used it to collect qualitative data. Using a software, we organized and identified emergent themes by major categories. Participants reported a several common sources of stress that affect the mental health of Asian American young adults including: pressure to meet parental expectations of high academic achievement and live up to the "model minority" stereotype; difficulty of balancing two different cultures and communicating with parents; family obligations based on the strong family values; and discrimination or isolation due to racial or cultural background. Young Asian Americans tend not to seek professional help for their mental health problems; instead they use personal support networks-close friends, significant others, and religious community. Participants suggested that Asian cultural norms that do not consider mental problems important, and associated stigma of seeking professional care might undermine their mental health help seeking behavior. Our findings support a need for delivering culturally appropriate programs to raise awareness of mental health and cultural training for health providers to deliver culturally appropriate care.

Burnout Strategies for Librarians

ABSTRACT Recent research on job stress offers new insights into the burnout syndrome and its antithesis, job engagement. Common sources of stress and library-specific stress contribute to the incidence of burnout in libraries. The author offers personal experience and strategies for managing burnout on personal and organizational levels.

Keeping hospice palliative care volunteers on board: Dealing with issues of volunteer attrition, stress, and retention

This article explores the issues of hospice palliative care volunteer attrition and retention (i.e., why volunteers leave and how to keep them interested). In addition, common sources of stress for volunteers will be identified and suggestions for alleviating stress will be offered. Volunteers are special people; patients and families greatly appreciate the care and support they provide and the other staff members' (e.g., nurses) jobs are often made easier because of them. Thus, maintaining a committed group of volunteers is an extremely important task for volunteer coordinators. The literature reviewed in this article focused mostly on North American studies and was limited to research that specifically involved hospice palliative care volunteers as participants.

Psychological morbidity, sources of stress and coping strategies among undergraduate medical students of Nepal

BackgroundIn recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the issues of quality of life and stresses involved medical training as this may affect their learning and academic performance. However, such studies are lacking in medical schools of Nepal. Therefore, we carried out this study to assess the prevalence of psychological morbidity, sources and severity of stress and coping strategies among medical students in our integrated problem-stimulated undergraduate medical curriculum.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among the undergraduate medical students of Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal during the time period August, 2005 to December, 2006. The psychological morbidity was assessed using General Health Questionnaire. A 24-item questionnaire was used to assess sources of stress and their severity. Coping strategies adopted was assessed using brief COPE inventory.ResultsThe overall response rate was 75.8% (407 out of 525 students). The overall prevalence of psychological morbidity was 20.9% and was higher among students of basic sciences, Indian nationality and whose parents were medical doctors. By logistic regression analysis, GHQ-caseness was associated with occurrence of academic and health-related stressors. The most common sources of stress were related to academic and psychosocial concerns. The most important and severe sources of stress were staying in hostel, high parental expectations, vastness of syllabus, tests/exams, lack of time and facilities for entertainment. The students generally used active coping strategies and alcohol/drug was a least used coping strategy. The coping strategies commonly used by students in our institution were positive reframing, planning, acceptance, active coping, self-distraction and emotional support. The coping strategies showed variation by GHQ-caseness, year of study, gender and parents' occupation.ConclusionThe higher level of psychological morbidity warrants need for interventions like social and psychological support to improve the quality of life for these medical students. Student advisors and counselors may train students about stress management. There is also need to bring about academic changes in quality of teaching and evaluation system. A prospective study is necessary to study the association of psychological morbidity with demographic variables, sources of stress and coping strategies.

Stress and coping in hospice nursing staff. The impact of attachment styles

Previous research suggests that the attachment style developed during childhood informs adult attachment styles, which in turn affects adult relationships and responses to stress. This study considers the sources of stress in hospice nurses and addresses the potential impact of their attachment styles on stress and coping experiences. Adult attachment style, stress and coping were measured in 84 nurses recruited from five hospices. The results supported previous research regarding the most common sources of stress in this nursing group. The study found partial support for the hypothesis that nurses with insecure attachment styles experience more stress than securely attached nurses. Hospice nurses with a fearful or dismissing attachment style were found to be less likely to seek emotional social support as a means of coping with stress than hospice nurses with a secure or preoccupied attachment style. Supervision, support and career-long training for nurses in hospices are recommended. Further research is needed to clarify the involvement of attachment style in hospice nurse stress and coping experiences.

Trailer Loading Stress in Horses: Behavioral and Physiological Effects of Nonaversive Training (TTEAM)

Resistance in the horse to trailer loading is a common source of stress and injury to horses and their handlers. The objective of this study was to determine whether nonaversive training based on the Tellington-Touch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM; Tellington-Jones & Bruns, 1988) would decrease loading time and reduce stress during loading for horses with a history of reluctance to load. Ten horses described by their owners as "problem loaders" were subjected to pretraining and posttraining assessments of loading. Each assessment involved two 7-min loading attempts during which heart rate and saliva cortisol were measured. The training consisted of six 30-min sessions over a 2-week period during which the horse and owner participated in basic leading exercises with obstacles simulating aspects of trailering. Assessment showed heart rate and saliva cortisol increased significantly during loading as compared to baseline (p < .001 and p < .05, respectively). Reassessment after training showed a decrease in loading time (p < .02), reduced heart rate during loading (p < .002), and reduced saliva cortisol as compared to pretraining assessments. Seven "good loaders" also were subject to loading assessment for physiological comparison. Increases in heart rate during loading were significantly higher in the good loaders (p < .001). Nonaversive training simulating aspects of loading may effectively reduce loading time and stress during loading for horses with a history of resistance to trailer loading.

Staff stress in the children’s hospice: causes, effects and coping strategies

Although there are an increasing number of hospices opening around the country, the concept of the children's hospice is still relatively new. Although stress involved in giving palliative care to adults has been examined quite extensively, very little work has been done on the impact of caring for children in the hospice setting. This article is a literature review, examining the causes and effects of staff stress in the children's hospice, as well as the factors that enable staff to cope with working in this environment. It concludes that the main causes of stress are often related to conflicts within the staff group, communication problems and role conflict. Poor relationships with the child's family as well as the inability to relieve distressing symptoms the child may be experiencing have also been identified as common sources of stress. Teamwork, good communication and the home-like atmosphere of the hospice all contribute to enabling staff to deal with work stress. Staff support groups may be beneficial, but need to be run well, by someone experienced in leading such groups. Additionally, stress can be reduced by providing staff with the appropriate training and education and by encouraging them to take some responsibility for preventing and relieving stress themselves.

Stress and stress management at the workplace

Abstract Jobs provide an abundance of opportunities to experience personal satisfaction, growth and social acceptance. However, jobs also represent a common source of stress and can put a great deal of strain on our daily life. Stress can be caused by taxing demands at the workplace or by unfavorable conditions that accompany these challenges. On the other hand, the mere existence of a job can be considered a valuable resource, and the threat of losing it could be the most significant stressor. Challenge, threat, harm and loss are cognitive appraisals that are not only determined by the nature of aversive events or demands, but also by the available resources that can more or less protect the individual from stress or from its consequences. Coping competence and social support are seen as major resources that may buffer the experience of strain and help to readjust after the regular life course has been shattered. Longitudinal research is needed to identify the crucial variables that moderate or mediate b...

Child abuse and low fertility: theoretical perspectives

The relationship between child abuse and low fertility in developed countries is examined through a review of interrelationships between fertility theories and theories which try to explain child abusive behavior. [The author] alludes to the fact that in the course of modernization the socio-economic pressures which make the small family advantageous or inevitable have increased. Although it might have been possible to decrease the stress raised by unwanted children by using contraceptives more effectively this has not reduced the pressures which make parents consider fertility limitation as a necessity. Thus the increasing stress among parents has remained effective despite developments in the field of contraceptive technology. It is suggested that highly restrictive fertility behavior and simultaneously occurring child abuse [are] interlinked through common sources of stress and frustration in the family. (EXCERPT)

Sources of Competitive Stress in Young Female Athletes

This field study examined the intrapersonal and situational factors related to the stress experienced by 10- to 12-year-old girls participating in competitive youth soccer. Factors potentially related to competitive stress were assessed at preseason, midseason, pregame, and postgame periods. Competitive stress, measured by the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory for Children, was assessed 30 min. prior to and immediately following a competitive game. Results indicated that higher pregame stress was related to high competitive trait anxiety and basal state anxiety as well as low self-esteem and team performance expectancies. The situational factor of game outcome (win, tie, loss) was the predominant variable associated with stress exhibited after the game, with losers evidencing the highest and winners the lowest postgame stress. The most important intrapersonal factor related to postgame stress was the amount of fun experienced during the game. The findings were quite similar to previous field research with young male soccer players, indicating that both sexes seem to share common sources of stress.

Family mediation of stress

Serious and prolonged illness such as childhood leukemia is a common source of stress that poses major problems of adjustment, not only for the patient but also for family members. It is important to emphasize family as well as individual reactions in coping with stress since the family has a unique responsibility for mediating the reactions of its members.