Effects Of Psychosocial Stress Research Articles

The association between hair cortisol and burnout is moderated by age, psychosocial, and immunological markers

BackgroundExhaustion and depersonalization are the core symptoms of the occupational burnout. However, burnout is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but can occur in a milder to moderate form in otherwise healthy employees. In the last two decades hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were increasingly related to the cumulative effect of psychosocial stress at work. We analyzed data of the Dortmund Vital Study (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05155397) to explore the relationship of HCC and burnout symptoms. Moreover, we asked whether the HCC – burnout association was moderated by work ability, chronic stress, neuroticism, depressive symptoms, and stress-related immunological biomarkers such as T cell concentration, CD4/CD8 cell ratio, and proinflammatory cytokines TNF- α, IL-6, and IL-18. MethodsBurnout was assessed by the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) in 196 working adults aged between 20 and 65 years (mean age 42.2 years). Several self-reported variables and biomarkers were collected. ResultsThe results showed an association between HCC and the burnout measures. A series of moderator analyses revealed that the association between HCC and burnout symptoms was substantial for low work ability, high chronic stress level, high neuroticism level, and mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Immunological markers moderated the HCC – burnout association for high concentrations of T cells, low CD4/CD8 ratio and low IL-6, IL-18 and TNF-α concentrations. These interactions were moderated by age showing the largest impact in middle-aged to older individuals. ConclusionsThe present findings shed light on the complex interaction between burnout symptoms and work ability, chronic stress, personality, and the endocrinological and immunological responses across the working lifespan. These parameters should be considered when assessing the risk for developing burnout and validating the diagnosis of burnout. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05155397; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05155397

The effects of psychosocial stress on social and nonsocial decision making: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The effects of psychosocial stress on social and nonsocial decision making: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reducing neuroendocrine psychosocial stress response through socio-emotional dyadic but not mindfulness online training.

Stress-related diseases pose significant health risks and show wide prevalence. Empirical evidence suggests that contemplative practices, such as socio-emotional dyadic mental exercises, hold promise in mitigating the adverse effects of stress and promoting psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to investigate the differential effects of two online contemplative mental training programs on the psychosocial stress response: the first involved classic mindfulness practices, while the second incorporated a socio-emotional dyadic approach known as Affect Dyad. The study was conducted as part of the longitudinal CovSocial project's phase 2 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 140 individuals participated in the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), where the psychosocial stress response was assessed with cortisol saliva samples and subjective stress questionnaires in a cross-sectional design after the active training groups finished their intervention period. Participants were randomly assigned to the socio-emotional training group, mindfulness-based training group, or a control group that did not receive any training. Both training programs consisted of a ten-week intervention period with a daily 12-minute app-based mental training practice and weekly 2-hour online coaching sessions led by mental training teachers. Results showed that the socio-emotional Dyad group but not the mindfulness-based group exhibited significantly lower cortisol levels at 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes after the stressor as well as lower total cortisol output compared to the control group during the TSST, indicating a reduced hormonal stress response to a social stressor. Subjective markers did not show differences between the three groups. These findings indicate that the daily socio-emotional dyadic practice, which emphasizes non-judgmental and empathic listening as well as the acceptance of challenging emotions in the presence of others within one's daily life context, may serve as a protective factor against the adverse effects of psychosocial stress triggered by the fear of negative social judgments. Given the high prevalence of stress-related diseases, such online mental training programs based on dyadic practices may thus represent an efficient and scalable approach for stress reduction.

Pediatric Skills Lab: Strengthening Communication Skills for the Conversations with Psychologically burdened Families.

Pediatric Skills Lab: Strengthening Communication Skills for the Conversations with Psychologically burdened Families To identify psychosocially burdened families early and motivate them to seek further assistance is a central aspect of pediatric preventivemedicine.The aim of the feasibility study was to develop the Pediatric Skills Lab to promote methods for identifying and addressing psychosocially burdened families, and to evaluate it. Thirteen primary care pediatricians participated in two trials of the Pediatric Skills Lab, an interdisciplinary developed two-part digital training.They answered questions regarding their work with psychosocially burdened families and their satisfaction with the Pediatric Skills Lab. Overall, there was a high level of satisfaction reported with the Pediatric Skills Lab. Specifically, the presentation of results on the effects of psychosocial stressors, the practical exercises, and the exchange with colleagues during the interactive webinar were highly praised. Criticisms included, for example, the short duration of practical exercises and the lack of sufficient examples and live demonstrations. The Pediatric Skills Lab is a training concept tailored to meet the existing needs. With widespread implementation, it could enhance psychosocial care provision. Consideration should be given to extending the duration of the training to allow formore practical exercises. Future studies building upon this feasibility study should examine the effects of the training. Additionally, ways to integrate the Pediatric Skills Lab into existing curricula formedical education should be explored.

Reduced hepatic AdipoR2 by increased glucocorticoid mediates effect of psychosocial stress to elevate serum cholesterol

Understanding the effects of psychosocial stress on serum cholesterol may offer valuable insights into the relationship between psychological disorders and endocrine diseases. However, these effects and their underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated yet. Here we show that serum corticosterone, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are elevated in a mouse model of psychosocial stress. Furthermore, alterations occur in AdipoR2-mediated AMPK and PPARα signaling pathways in liver, accompanied by a decrease in LDL-C clearance and an increase in cholesterol synthesis. These changes are further verified in wild-type and AdipoR2 overexpression HepG2 cells incubated with cortisol and AdipoR agonist, and are finally confirmed by treating wild-type and hepatic-specific AdipoR2 overexpression mice with corticosterone. We conclude that increased glucocorticoid mediates the effects of psychosocial stress to elevate serum cholesterol by inhibiting AdipoR2-mediated AMPK and PPARα signaling to decrease LDL-C clearance and increase cholesterol synthesis in liver.

A novel antibody that neutralizes corticotropin-releasing factor attenuates the cardiovascular effects of chronic social defeat stress in mice

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide. While a myriad of genetic and environmental factors influence the development of CVD, there are several lines of evidence suggesting that psychological stress contributes to health disparities in CVD observed amongst different populations. Our lab seeks to understand the effects of psychosocial stress on cardiovascular health using a model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) in mice. In this paradigm, male C57BL/6 mice undergo brief daily defeat sessions and are housed in the same cage as the larger, more aggressive CD1 defeater mouse, separated by a polycarbonate divider that allows for continuous visual, auditory, and olfactory contact while preventing physical contact. We have previously demonstrated that this paradigm causes robust and persistent elevations in blood pressure, indices of chronic inflammation, elevations in plasma corticosterone and cardiac and adrenal hypertrophy. Social defeat also leads to robust activation of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neurons within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). In the present studies, we investigate whether we can alleviate some of the adverse effects of CSDS through targeting the HPA axis using CTRND05, a novel anti-CRF antibody. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to either CSDS or control (paired) housing. Following 14 days of CSDS or control housing, mice were treated with one injection of CTRND05 (25 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (IgG), followed by 14 more days of CSDS or control housing. A booster administration of CTRND05 (12.5 mg/kg, i.p.) was given 7 days after the initial dose. Adrenal weights were significantly reduced in pair housed mice treated with CTRND05 compared to pair housed mice treated with IgG, and there was a trend towards a reduction in adrenal weight of CSDS mice treated with CTRND05 in comparison with CSDS mice treated with IgG. There was also a trend for reduced basal corticosterone in CSDS mice treated with CTRND05. Importantly, while IgG treatment had no effect on the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of CSDS mice, treatment with CTRND05 significantly lowered the SBP of CSDS mice when compared with pre-treatment. These data suggest that targeting CRF may serve as a therapeutic tactic for treatment of stress-related hypertension. R35HL150750, R01HL136595. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

NK3R signalling in the posterodorsal medial amygdala is involved in stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion in female mice.

Psychosocial stress negatively impacts reproductive function by inhibiting pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is responsible in part for processing stress and modulating the reproductive axis. Activation of the neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) suppresses the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator, under hypoestrogenic conditions, and NK3R activity in the amygdala has been documented to play a role in stress and anxiety. We investigate whether NK3R activation in the MePD is involved in mediating the inhibitory effect of psychosocial stress on LH pulsatility in ovariectomised female mice. First, we administered senktide, an NK3R agonist, into the MePD and monitored the effect on pulsatile LH secretion. We then delivered SB222200, a selective NK3R antagonist, intra-MePD in the presence of predator odour, 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole (TMT) and examined the effect on LH pulses. Senktide administration into the MePD dose-dependently suppresses pulsatile LH secretion. Moreover, NK3R signalling in the MePD mediates TMT-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator, which we verified using a mathematical model. The model verifies our experimental findings: (i) predator odour exposure inhibits LH pulses, (ii) activation of NK3R in the MePD inhibits LH pulses and (iii) NK3R antagonism in the MePD blocks stressor-induced inhibition of LH pulse frequency in the absence of ovarian steroids. These results demonstrate for the first time that NK3R neurons in the MePD mediate psychosocial stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator.

Supplemental Material for The Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Social and Nonsocial Decision Making: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Supplemental Material for The Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Social and Nonsocial Decision Making: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Psychosocial Stress Modifies the Acute Cardiac Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution.

Previous studies have shown that exposure to black carbon (BC, a tracer of traffic-related air pollution) and psychosocial stress are both associated with adverse cardiac effects, but whether psychosocial stress could modify the cardiac effects of BC is unclear. To investigate the potential modifying effect of psychosocial stress on the associations between acute exposure to BC and typical cardiac health variables, real-time personal 24 h measurements were conducted in a repeated-measure study among adults with elevated blood pressure (high-risk group) and a panel study among normal adults (low-risk group) in China. Measured cardiac health variables included ST-segment depression events, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) variables. Perceived Stress Scale, State Anxiety Inventory and Self-rating Depression Scale were used to assess the recent psychosocial stress status of the participants, and a composite stress index was established based on these scales. Generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze the associations between BC exposure and cardiac health variables and potential effect modification by psychosocial stress. A total of 97 24 h measurements among 97 participants in the repeated-measure study and 202 24 h measurements among 87 participants in the panel study were included in the final analysis. Acute BC exposure was significantly associated with increased ST-segment depression events and heart rate and decreases in HRV in both studies. The marginal effects of acute BC exposure on most cardiac health variables generally tended to be amplified under higher vs low levels of psychosocial stress in both studies, with the composite stress index apparently modifying the associations of BC exposure with most ST-segment depression events and HRV variables. These findings suggest that psychosocial stress may increase the participants' cardiac susceptibility to BC exposure, which could be helpful for the identification of susceptible individuals in the context of traffic-related air pollution.

Effect of psychosocial stress during pregnancy against prostaglandin hormone levels in maternity

Stress is a mental health problem in pregnancy and affects the birthing process of breastfeeding. Stress can affect physiological processes in the body, including hormones in labor. This study evaluated the effects of stress during pregnancy on prostaglandin hormone levels in the mother during maternity. This research is an observational study using a prospective cohort approach. The number of samples in this study was 121 samples. Stress change data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank test and 1-way test ANOVA. The results showed there was a change in stress from first trimester to second trimester there were 23 respondents who experienced increased stress (p=0.000), second trimester to third trimester there were 102 respondents who experienced increased stress (p=0.000), and first trimester to third trimester there were 78 respondents who experienced increased stress (p=0.000). There were different prostaglandin levels based on stress levels. The mother's high stress that elevated prostaglandin levels. Stress can positively or negatively impact the processes in the mother's body, including in the delivery process effects of stress, especially on uterine contractions. Therefore, health workers can provide care by paying attention to the psychological aspects of the mother because psychological conditions can affect the processes in the mother's body.

Risk of psychosis in autism spectrum disorder individuals exposed to psychosocial stressors: A 9-year chart review study.

Psychosocial stressors have been suggested to precipitate psychotic episodes in patients with pre-existing psychosis and otherwise healthy subjects. However, such a risk has never been formally investigated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sixty-nine autistic adolescents hospitalized for psychotic/manic symptoms (PSY) and other mental health issues (NPSY) over a 9-year period were compared with reference to their previous exposure to psychosocial stressors. ASD diagnoses satisfied the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria. Psychotic/manic symptom assessment followed the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS). Psychosocial stressor exposure was collected separately at each admission. Preliminarily, univariate between-group comparisons were conducted. Then, a binomial model was adopted to investigate associations with previous exposure to psychosocial stressors. Results were reported with a change in AIC (ΔAIC). PSY patients presented with higher previous exposure to adverse life events (30.43% vs. 6.52%, OR = 6.079 [1.209, 40.926], p = 0.013) and school/work difficulties (30.43% vs. 8.70%, OR = 4.478 [0.984, 23.846], p = 0.034) than NPSY ones. Admissions for psychotic/manic symptoms occurred more likely in the context of family disturbances (OR = 2.275 [1.045, 5.045], p = 0.030) and adverse life events (OR = 3.489 [1.194, 11.161], p = 0.014). The fitted binomial model was found to be significant compared to the random effects model (ΔAIC = -1.962; χ2 10 = 21.96, p = 0.015), with the risk of presenting psychotic/manic symptoms being increased by family disturbances (z = +4.118) and school/work difficulties (z = +2.455). The results suggest a potential psychosis-inducing effect of psychosocial stressors in ASD, which has clinical and policy implications.

The effect of psychosocial stress on prenatal care among Hispanic immigrant women.

This article explores the effect of psychosocial stress on Hispanic immigrant women, including access to and use of prenatal care and birth outcomes. In addition to highlighting the health effects for this growing population, the article outlines strategies for clinicians to improve access to adequate prenatal care and to cultivate a supportive environment to promote use of prenatal services.

Acute stress impacts reaction times in older but not in young adults in a flanker task

Acute psychosocial stress effects on inhibition have been investigated in young adults, but little is known about these effects in older adults. The present study investigated effects of the Trier Social Stress Test on cognitive inhibition (i.e., ability to ignore distracting information) using a cross-over (stress vs. control) design in healthy young (N = 50; 18–30 years; Mage = 23.06) versus older adults (N = 50; 65–84 years; Mage = 71.12). Cognitive inhibition was measured by a letter flanker task and psychophysiological measures (cortisol, heart rate, subjective stress) validated the stress induction. The results showed that while stress impaired overall accuracy across age groups and sessions, stress (vs. control) made older adults’ faster in session 1 and slower in session 2. Given that session 2 effects were likely confounded by practice effects, these results suggest that acute psychosocial stress improved older adults’ RTs on a novel flanker task but impaired RTs on a practiced flanker task. That is, the interaction between stress and learning effects might negatively affect response execution when testing older adults on flanker tasks. If confirmed by future research, these results might have important implications especially in settings where repeated cognitive testing is performed under acute stress.

Acute Effects of Psychosocial Stress and Diesel Exhaust on Cardiovascular Health: Evidence from a Controlled Exposure Facility

Acute Effects of Psychosocial Stress and Diesel Exhaust on Cardiovascular Health: Evidence from a Controlled Exposure Facility

Stress-Induced Sensitization of Insula Activation Predicts Alcohol Craving and Alcohol Use in Alcohol Use Disorder

BackgroundStress and alcohol cues trigger alcohol consumption and relapse in alcohol use disorder. However, the neurobiological processes underlying their interaction are not well understood. Thus, we conducted a randomized, controlled neuroimaging study to investigate the effects of psychosocial stress on neural cue reactivity and addictive behaviors. MethodsNeural alcohol cue reactivity was assessed in 91 individuals with alcohol use disorder using a validated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task. Activation patterns were measured twice, at baseline and during a second fMRI session, prior to which participants were assigned to psychosocial stress (experimental condition) or a matched control condition or physical exercise (control conditions). Together with fMRI data, alcohol craving and cortisol levels were assessed, and alcohol use data were collected during a 12-month follow-up. Analyses tested the effects of psychosocial stress on neural cue reactivity and associations with cortisol levels, craving, and alcohol use. ResultsCompared with both control conditions, psychosocial stress elicited higher alcohol cue–induced activation in the left anterior insula (familywise error–corrected p < .05) and a stress- and cue-specific dynamic increase in insula activation over time (F22,968 = 2.143, p = .007), which was predicted by higher cortisol levels during the experimental intervention (r = 0.310, false discovery rate–corrected p = .016). Cue-induced insula activation was positively correlated with alcohol craving during fMRI (r = 0.262, false discovery rate–corrected p = .032) and alcohol use during follow-up (r = 0.218, false discovery rate–corrected p = .046). ConclusionsResults indicate a stress-induced sensitization of cue-induced activation in the left insula as a neurobiological correlate of the effects of psychosocial stress on alcohol craving and alcohol use in alcohol use disorder, which likely reflects changes in salience attribution and goal-directed behavior.

Methylomic signatures mediate the effect of psychosocial stress on coronary heart disease

Methylomic signatures mediate the effect of psychosocial stress on coronary heart disease

Impact of acute psychosocial stress on attentional control in humans. A study of evoked potentials and pupillary response

Psychosocial stress has increased considerably in our modern lifestyle, affecting global mental health. Deficits in attentional control are cardinal features of stress disorders and pathological anxiety. Studies suggest that changes in the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system could underlie the effects of stress on top-down attentional control. However, the impact of psychosocial stress on attentional processes and its underlying neural mechanisms are poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the effect of psychosocial stress on attentional processing and brain signatures. Evoked potentials and pupillary activity related to the oddball auditory paradigm were recorded before and after applying the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Electrocardiogram (ECG), salivary cortisol, and subjective anxiety/stress levels were measured at different experimental periods. The control group experienced the same physical and cognitive effort but without the psychosocial stress component. The results showed that stressed subjects exhibited decreased P3a and P3b amplitude, pupil phasic response, and correct responses. On the other hand, they displayed an increase in Mismatch Negativity (MMN). N1 amplitude after MIST only decreased in the control group. We found that differences in P3b amplitude between the first and second oddball were significantly correlated with pupillary dilation and salivary cortisol levels. Our results suggest that under social-evaluative threat, basal activity of the coeruleus-norepinephrine system increases, enhancing alertness and decreasing voluntary attentional resources for the cognitive task. These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological basis of attentional changes in pathologies associated with chronic psychosocial stress.

Impact of psychosocial stress COVID-19 on job satisfaction: Job stress and job insecurity as mediation variables

During a pandemic, the environment around employees is considered a virus carrier, which can endanger their lives. Employees also fear that they will carry the virus and infect their surroundings. This condition is called psychosocial stress. This study aims to prove empirically how psychosocial stress from the impact of COVID-19 can affect employee job satisfaction. Add the variables of job stress and job insecurity as the variables tested indirectly. This study uses a quantitative method with data from the snowball sampling technique on direct sales employees in Surabaya. Two hundred thirty seven samples are obtained. The findings show no direct effect between the psychosocial stress impact of COVID-19 on employee job satisfaction. However, adding indirect test variables, namely job insecurity and job stress, shows significant results. That is, explains that the characteristics of employees in Surabaya agree that they feel the effects of psychosocial stress due to COVID-19. However, these conditions do not affect whether they are satisfied or not at work. Nevertheless, when they feel insecure about their job, and there is stress from work, they feel unsatisfied. The findings of this research provide a theoretical contribution to managing employee stress management in the current turbulent times.

Adult age differences in the psychophysiological response to acute stress

Age-related differences in the psychophysiology of the acute stress response are poorly understood given the limited number of studies and the high heterogeneity of findings. The present study contributes by investigating age differences in both the psychological and physiological responses to acute stress in a sample of healthy younger (N = 50; 18–30; Mage = 23.06; SD = 2.90) and older adults (N = 50; 65–84; Mage = 71.12; SD = 5.02). Specifically, the effects of psychosocial stress (i.e., age-adapted Trier Social Stress Test) were investigated at numerous timepoints throughout the stress response phases (i.e., baseline, anticipation, reactivity, recovery) on cortisol, heart rate, subjective stress, and anticipatory appraisal of the stressful situation. The study was conducted in a between-subject (younger vs. older) cross-over (stress vs. control) design. Results revealed age-related differences in both physiological and psychological variables: older adults had overall lower salivary cortisol levels in the stress and control conditions and lower stress-induced cortisol increase (i.e., AUCi). In addition, older adults’ cortisol reactivity was delayed compared to younger adults. Older adults showed a lower heart rate response in the stress condition while no age differences were observed in the control condition. Finally, older adults reported less subjective stress and a less negative stress appraisal during the anticipation phase than younger adults, which could potentially explain lower physiological reactivity in this age group. Results are discussed in relation to the existing literature, potential underlying mechanisms, and future directions for the field.

Effect of psychosocial stress and coping strategies on non-surgical periodontal therapy in patients with generalized stage III/IV periodontitis: a longitudinal intervention study

ObjectivesThe aim of this longitudinal intervention study was to assess the impact of psychosocial stress and coping response strategies on the clinical outcomes in periodontitis patients treated with non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT).Materials and methodsAfter the administration of psychological questionnaires, patients diagnosed with generalized stage III–IV periodontitis were categorized into different groups depending on their stress levels (10-item perceived stress level (PSS-10)) and coping response strategies (coping responses inventory (CRI)). Clinical data were collected 1 week before and 3 months after the completion of NSPT.ResultsOf the 90 patients included at baseline, 27 presented major and 63 minor stress levels, while 40 had avoidance and 50 approach coping behavior. All clinical parameters were similar at the baseline across different categories. At re-evaluation, full-mouth bleeding score (FMBS), mean probing pocket depth (PPD), and number of residual pathological pockets were significantly superior in groups with higher stress levels (p <0.001, p =0.001, and p =0.020, respectively), while higher full-mouth plaque scores (FMPS) and FMBS were found in patients with avoidance coping strategies (p =0.009 and p <0.001, respectively). When jointly evaluated, an added detrimental effect of coping styles on allostatic load was observed. Multivariate analysis confirmed a significant effect of stress levels and coping strategies on final FMBS, but not of coping on mean PPD.ConclusionPsychosocial stress and avoidance coping strategy seem to negatively influence the clinical outcomes of NSPT at short term (NCT04739475; 9/1/2017).Practical implicationsBased on these findings, patients reflecting these psychological profiles should be considered at greater risk for poor NSPT response and may benefit from complementary stress management strategies.