Derogatis Stress Profile Research Articles

The Effects of Psychological Stress, Depression and Inadequate Coping Behaviors on the Progression of Periodontal Disease

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between periodontal diseases, psycho-neuro-immunologic variables like stress and depression by estimating salivary cortisol (CORT), salivary Chromogranin- A (CgA), and salivary C-reactive protein (CRP). Methodology: A total of 100 patients were included in the study and categorized into two groups which included 50 in control group (healthy individuals) and 50 recall periodontal patients. Psycho-neuro-immunologic variables like stress and depression were assessed through the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP) and Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). Periodontal parameters like plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment levels were recorded. Saliva samples were collected for estimation of stress markers such as cortisol, Chromogranin- A, and C-reactive protein. Results: Stress, depression and stress markers were correlated with measures of periodontal disease. In addition, oral care neglect during periods of stress and depression was associated with attachment loss and PD >5 mm. Stress markers and CRP levels were also significantly higher in subjects with stress patients when compared to healthy individuals. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that stress might be associated with periodontal disease through psychologic and behavioral mechanisms. Our result strengthens the suggested hypothesis of association between psychologic factors and markers of periodontal disease.

Comparative Evaluation of Salivary Cortisol Levels and Peripheral Blood Neutrophil Functions in Chronic Periodontitis Patients with and without Stress – A Case Control Study

Background and aim: Development of chronic periodontitis (CP) is related to the presence of periopathogenic bacteria and several other conditions including stress. In the successful management of chronic periodontitis, early detection of psychological stress plays a crucial role. Salivary cortisol is found to be associated with stress, however not many published evidence exists suggesting the association of stress and salivary cortisol levels in chronic periodontitis. Hence, this study was carried out with the aim to assess salivary cortisol levels and neutrophil functions in chronic periodontitis patients with and without stress. Materials and methods: Cortisol levels were determined using ELISA method from saliva samples collected, analysis of neutrophil functions such as chemotaxis, phagocytosis and intracellular killing was done using nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay, and stress was assessed using Derogatis Stress Profile scale in 60 participants. Study participants were categorized into two groups based on their periodontal condition, Group I: Healthy control (n=30) and Group II: Chronic periodontitis (CP) (n=30) with a probing depth of ≥ 4mm and Clinical attachment loss (CAL) AL >1mm. Results: The difference in mean stress score of the chronic periodontitis group (0.52 ± 0.12) and healthy control group (0.46 ± 0.08) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Salivary cortisol levels in the healthy (7.77 ± 5.48) and chronic periodontitis (8.77 ± 8.75) groups did not differ significantly. Neutrophil functions defects in the CP group (32.70 ± 12.15) and healthy group (20.33 ± 10.17) differed in a statistically significant manner. Conclusion: Statistically significant differences were observed in the stress levels, salivary cortisol levels and neutrophil functions between healthy and CP subjects with and without stress, thus demonstrating a possible link between CP and stress.

Effect of Low Intensity Dance Exercise: Hostility, Anxiety and Depression among Sedentary Overweight Women in Malaysia

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effect of a 12-week low intensity dance exercise intervention in the treatment of hostility subscale, anxiety subscale and depression subscale among overweight women working in Malaysia in an attempt of Sports for all. Forty subjects were recruited from both government and private sectors in Malaysia. Subjects were between the ages of 40 and 55 years, who have had a diagnosis of total stress score above the mean, were not enrolled in any exercise program or were physically inactive over the period of one year (sedentary) overweight (Body Mass Index above 25) and have had a cardiovascular endurance score below the mean. Subjects were randomly assigned to a 12-week low intensity dance exercise of Aero mass, an intervention or a conventional aerobics dance exercise as the control group. A pretest-posttest control research design was utilized. Both groups met for 50 minutes, three times a week (36 sessions). The Transactional Approach Multidimensional (Derogatis Stress Profile) examined the hostility, anxiety and depression response sub-scale. Statistical analysis included (group x time) repeated measures ANOVA to determine between and within group mean differences. The hypotheses of the study received significant support. There were statistically significant differences between*group effect (between treatment and control groups) on the combined dependent variables: F (4, 35) = 20.79, p < .01, eta square = .790. An inspection of the mean scores indicated that treatment group reported an improvement for Hostility sub-scale (M = 47.70, SD = 3.34), Anxiety sub-scale (M = 35.65, SD = 3.64) and for Depression sub-scale (M = 35.65, SD = 2.58). It is concluded that low intensity dance therapy exercise intervention of Aero mass had contributed greatly to the positive findings concerning physical health and psychological well-being among overweight women in Malaysia.

The Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP): quantification of psychological stress.

The Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP): quantification of psychological stress.

Assessing Stress among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students in University of Malaya

Health care students, particularly pharmacy students, are believed to experience a higher level of stress as compared to their age-matched peers. This cross-sectional study determined the sources and predictors of stress among 273 undergraduate pharmacy students at a Malaysian public university using the Derogatis Stress Profile instrument. The response rate was 100%. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the association between Grade Point Average (GPA) and stress levels. Paired and Independent t-tests as well as ANOVAs were used to compare the mean stress scores on various variables.Our findings showed that these students did not demonstrate significantly higher levels of stress than the general population, even though their perceived stress levels were significantly higher (mean=53.55 ± 7.87; p< 0.001). The most frequently reported stress was related to academic matters. Additionally, there was a weak, statistically significant negative correlation between stress level and GPA (r=-0.159, p=0.009) indicating that as stress levels increases, students’ GPA decreases. Second year students were found to be the most stressed although stress levels were not statistically different among students across the various academic years. Thus, targeted interventions such as redesigning the curricula may be an effective way of alleviating stress to provide a favourable learning environment for pharmacy students.

Relationship of Psychological and Physiological Variables in Long-Term Self-Monitored Data During Work Ability Rehabilitation Program

Individual wellness comprises both psychological and physiological wellbeing, which are interrelated. In long-term monitoring of wellness, both components should be included. Work-related stress and burnout are persistent problems in industrial countries. Early identification of work-related stress symptoms and early intervention could reduce individual suffering and improve the working productivity and creativity. The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between physiological and psychological variables measured at home by the users themselves or automatically. In all, 17 (3 males and 14 females, age 40-62) people participating in a work ability rehabilitation program (due to work overload) were monitored for three months. Physiological and behavioral variables (activity, bed occupancy, heart rate (HR) and respiration during night, HR during day, blood pressure, steps, weight, room illumination, and temperature) were measured with different unobtrusive wireless sensors. Daily self-assessment of stress, mood, and behaviors (exercise, sleep) were collected using a mobile phone diary. The daily self-assessment of stress and the Derogatis stress profile questionnaire were used as reference for stress status. Results show modest, but significant pooled overall correlations between self-assessed stress level, and physiological and behavioral variables (e.g., sleep length measured with wrist-worn activity monitor: rho = -0.22, p < 0.001, and variance of nightly bedroom illumination: rho = 0.13, p < 0.001). Strong, but sometimes conflicting correlations can be found at individual level, suggesting individual reactions to stress in daily life.

Validation of the Symptoms of Illness Checklist (SIC) as a Tool for Health Psychology Research

We developed the Symptoms of Illness Checklist (SIC) to study psychological influences on physical symptoms of illness. A total of 520 participants completed the SIC and, in some samples, the Salient Stressor Impact Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Daily Hassles and Uplifts Scale, Derogatis Stress Profile, Life Experiences Survey, and the Symptoms CheckList-90-R. The SIC's test-retest, internal reliability, and validity verified by physician ratings, were very good. SIC correlations with diverse stress measures were less inflated than those of other instruments indicating the SIC is a reliable and valid tool to study psychological influences on physical illness.

Patterns of stress in schizophrenia

Although it is widely recognized that stress plays a key role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, little is known regarding the particular types of stress patients experience. Less is known about the interplay among stressful events, personality mediators, and emotional responses. In this study, we investigated 10 stress dimensions in 29 patients with schizophrenia and 36 healthy volunteers using the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), and the relationship between these dimensions and symptoms in patients. Overall, patients had an approximate 0.75 standard deviation increase in stress compared with healthy volunteers. Significant increases in stress among patients compared with healthy volunteers were observed specifically in areas related to domestic environment, driven behavior, and depression, but not in health, attitude posture, time pressure, relaxation potential, role definition, hostility, or anxiety. More DSP-rated depression among patients correlated significantly with greater negative symptom severity. Patients with a shorter duration of antipsychotic drug exposure had significantly greater hostility than did patients with a longer duration of exposure, but did not differ in any other dimension. Continued investigation of domestic environmental stressors, driven behavior, and depression may be useful in identifying high-risk groups, and understanding symptom exacerbation and precipitants of relapse in patients already diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Effects of a Veterinary Student Leadership Program on Measures of Stress and Academic Performance

Assuming leadership roles in veterinary student governance or club activities could be considered an added stressor for students because of the impact on time available for personal and academic activities. The study reported here evaluated the effects of participation in a leadership program and leadership activity across two classes of veterinary students on measures of stress, using the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), and on veterinary school academic performance, measured as annual grade-point average (GPA) over a three-year period. Program participants and their classmates completed the DSP three times across the first three years of veterinary school. On average, participating students reported self-declared stress levels that were higher and measured DSP stress levels that were lower than those of the general population. Students were more likely to assume elected or appointed leadership roles while in their first three years of the veterinary degree program if they participated in the optional leadership program and demonstrated lower stress in several dimensions. Some increased stress, as measured in some of the DSP stress dimensions, had a small but statistically significant influence on professional school GPA. The study determined that the most important predictors of students' cumulative GPA across the three-year period were the GPA from the last 45 credits of pre-veterinary coursework and their quantitative GRE scores. The results of the study indicate that neither participation in the leadership program nor taking on leadership roles within veterinary school appeared to influence veterinary school academic performance or to increase stress.

Increased stress and smaller anterior hippocampal volume

Animal studies indicate that stress negatively impacts hippocampal structure; little is known, however, regarding the relationship between stress and hippocampal morphology in healthy humans. Twenty-one healthy adults underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging examinations and completed the Derogatis Stress Profile. Greater psychological stress at the time of the scan correlated significantly and more strongly with anterior than posterior hippocampal volume. These findings suggest that psychological stress may be associated with structural alterations in the anterior hippocampal formation and that this relationship may differ along the rostrocaudal axis of the hippocampus. Our results may also have implications for neuropsychiatric disorders that have implicated stress and hippocampal abnormalities in their pathogenesis.

Quality of Life and Stress Factors for Veterinary Medical Students

Psychological distress has been shown to affect the academic success, health, emotional well-being, and dropout rates of medical students. Although it can be assumed that stress has similar effects on veterinary students, there is a paucity of research pertaining to the psychological stressors and coping strategies of this group. This article focuses on selected non-academic areas (as identified through a survey of currently enrolled students) that can create significant stressors for veterinary students. Also assessed and discussed here are poor coping strategies (e.g., substance abuse) and gender differences in perceived stressors and coping strategies that emerged from the survey. Results suggest the need for veterinary programs to integrate academic and professional skills instruction with personal life balance training and access to psychological services.

Advice to Eat Fish and Mood: A Randomised Controlled Trial in Men with Angina

People with high intake of fish have lower reported rates of depression and a small trial in psychiatric patients suggested that fish oil supplements reduced episodes of depression and mania. As part of a factorial trial of interventions to reduce mortality in angina 452 men were randomised to advice to eat more fatty fish or no fish advice. Maxepa fish oil capsules were supplied to men who found the fish unpalatable. Fish intake and mood were assessed at baseline and six months. Most men (83%) had mood assessed using the Derogatis Stress Profile at baseline and follow-up. Self reported intake of fish was higher in the fish advice group at six months. There was, however, no difference in depression or anxiety in those allocated to receive fish advice. After controlling for baseline mood, the difference in depression score between those randomised to fish advice and those not was 1.29 (95% CI −0.29 to 2.88) and the difference in anxiety was 0.82 (95% CI −0.57 to 2.22) with positive differences indicating more depression or anxiety in those allocated to the fish arm. This trial provides no evidence that increased fatty fish intake in people without depressive symptoms has any substantial effect on mood.

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME: A WOMAN'S DILEMMA

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterized by fatigue with varying levels of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there are 2 to 5 million people in the United States who suffer from CFS and a disproportionate number are women. There are many theories of etiology of the condition and controversy has surrounded recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. CFS can mimic other diseases and women are doubly affected since many have comorbid conditions. While diagnoses and treatment are critical to the health of women, having the disease and coping with the symptoms may have a greater impact on their well-being and quality of life. The authors report qualitative data describing the experience of having CFS (N =22 ) and quantitative responses of 42 CFS sufferers reporting psychosocial factors. The psychosocial factors were measured by the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), Spielberger Trait-Anger Scale, Ways of Coping Survey, Profile of Moods States (POMS) Survey, and the Perceived Stress Scale. The findings indicate that CFS changes the lives of women who suffer with the disease and disrupts their relationships, careers, and perceptions of themselves.

Stress Profile of Clients Referred for Investigation of Food Allergy

Purpose: To determine whether client referrals to a clinic that specializes in the assessment and treatment of food intolerance might benefit from psychological interventions for management of stress, in addition to dietary manipulation. Design: A correlational design was employed, with stress status compared to published normative data. Materials and Methods: Stress status was assessed in 47 consecutive new patients in the Allergy Nutrition Clinic, referred for management of putative adverse reactions to foods. Stress was measured with the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP®). The scorer was blind to patient identity and clinical presentation. The DSP is a well-validated instrument that yields a Total Stress Score, and three ''Domain Scores'', comprised of emotional responses, environmental events and personality mediators. Further subscales are embedded within the Domain scales. Results: The results showed no elevation on any of the stress variables measured by the DSP in the subjects relative to the normati...

Stress and sleep patterns of college students.

The present study investigated the relationship between stress and sleep. A self-report measure was used to assess three domains: environmental events, personality mediators, and emotional responses. It was hypothesized that one or more of the domains would predict seven different aspects of sleep. 227 college students completed the Derogatis Stress Profile and the Sleep Questionnaire. Analysis indicated that scores on emotional response were the best predictor of five different sleep aspects: depth of sleep, difficulties in waking up, quality and latency of sleep, negative affect in dreams, and sleep irregularity. Presence of environmental events was the best predictor for the length of sleep only. It was concluded that research looking at the effects of stress on sleep must consider all three components of stress and that perhaps the emotional response to stress is the best predictor of sleep complaints.

Effects of social support, stress, and level of Illness on caregiving of children with AIDS

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to explore the relationship between social support, stressors, level of illness, and perceived caregiver burden in caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS. Instruments used were: (1) the Classification System for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in Children Under 13 Years of Age (1987), (2) the Daily Hassles Scale, (3) the Tilden Interpersonal Relationship Inventory (IPRI), (4) the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), and (5) the Caregiver Appraisal Scale. The sample was drawn from two medical centers in New Jersey. The 49 caregivers of children with perinatally acquired HIV were predominantly HIV-positive biological mothers of African American descent whose education ranged from 8th grade through college. One-half of the children were classified at the CDC P2 level. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The results of the DSP indicated subjects were slightly below the 70th percentile for anxiety, depression, hostility, and work stressors and that subjects' social support levels were in the upper end of the low support category. Stepwise regression indicated that depression and anxiety predicted 40% of the variance in caregiver burden (R2 = .399; F = 14,985; p = .000). Hostility and level of social support predicted 37% of the variance in caregiving impact (R2 = .37; F = 13.254; p = .000). Finally, social support predicted 17.5% of the variability in the caregivers' sense of caregiving competency (R2 = .175; F = 9.788; p = .003). The child's level of illness and HIV status of caregiver did not significantly predict variance in caregiving appraisal.

A prospective study of the psychological effects of rhinoplasty.

Fifty-three consecutive patients referred for rhinoplasty within the National Health Service by their General Practitioner were evaluated prospectively to determine the psychological impact of this procedure. The patients were independently assessed before surgery, and then 1 week and 4 months after the surgery using the Derogatis Stress Profile, a Self-Esteem Inventory, an Introspectiveness Inventory and a range of questions relating to their expectations of the surgery. Photographs were taken at their initial visit and at 4 months after surgery. These were rated at random order by 28 independent lay people. Pre-operatively, the surgeon also documented his objectives and later assessed how well he had achieved them. Surgical intervention had strong effects in improving self-esteem ratings. These effects became more marked from the first post-operative assessment to those at four months making it likely that this is a real effect of surgery.

Measuring depressive symptomatology of patients referred to a behavioral medicine clinic: Concordance of self-report measures

We measured depressive symptomatology of 134 outpatient veterans treated within a Behavioral Medicine Clinic utilizing three reliable instruments with depression subscales: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), and Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Results indicate that although the instruments correlate significantly, they differ in sensitivity to depression and are clinically discordant. The MMPI classified a substantially higher number of patients as depressed than either the DSP or SCL-90-R. The present study argues that the discrepancy in clinical concordance and sensitivity of the three depression scales has considerable implications for psychologists concerned with the assessment and treatment of depression.

Stress and family health

This study investigates the difference between perceived everyday individual stress and levels of family health. Subjects completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES III), the Derogatis Stress Profile, and a personal data form. Quota sampling of 121 subjects was used to obtain 25 subjects in each of three groups: balanced, mid-range, and extreme family types. Individuals identified as members of mid-range families reported less overall stress than balanced or extreme family members. Significant differences appeared between the balanced and mid-range groups. Balanced individual family members reported slightly higher levels of stress than extreme family members.

Psychosocial Stress in Marine Corps Officers

Stress research in military populations has largely been devoted to specialized situations "at risk" for high levels of stress, such as combat, recruit training, sea duty, as well as post-traumatic stress in veterans. Though the armed forces continue to train for war during peacetime, military personnel also carry out administrative, executive, and technical job functions not directly related to combat preparations. Little data exists researching stress experienced in military non-combat environments. A study was conducted assessing levels of stress of 900 Marine Corps officers assigned to various headquarters and stations. Randomly selected participants completed the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP). The study examined stress as a function of rank and the individual officer's perception of stress. Total stress levels of the subjects were compared to those used to norm the DSP.