Effects Of Recent Life Events Research Articles

The moderating role of hair cortisol in the association of early and recent stress with stress-related phenotypes.

BackgroundIncreased hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) have been found in clinical samples of schizophrenia, first episode psychosis and clinical risk for psychosis, but evidence of such is scarce in schizotypy. High HCC are supposed to reflect elevated chronic stress. However, HCC were not directly associated with adversity measures and stress-related phenotypes in previous research. This study tested whether HCC moderated the association between a comprehensive range of psychosocial stressors with several stress-related phenotypes in a sample of nonclinical young adults. It was expected that stressors, either distal (i.e., early-life) or recent, would be associated with subclinical features, particularly for those with elevated HCC, reflecting the effects of a potential biological sensitization to stress.MethodsThe sample comprised 132 nonclinical young adults belonging to the Barcelona Longitudinal Investigation of Schizotypy Study (BLISS). Participants completed a questionnaire of childhood adversity and two complementary measures of recent life events, tapping threatening vs. more general life events. Both the frequency and subjective impact (positive vs. negative) of general life events were also assessed. Psychotic (i.e., schizotypy, suspiciousness) and non-psychotic (i.e., depression, anxiety) subclinical features as well as appraisals of perceived stress were examined. Hierarchical linear regressions and simple slope analyses were computed.ResultsHCC moderated the effects of both early and recent stress on suspiciousness as well as the effects of recent life events on perceived stress, such that those with higher HCC presented increased suspiciousness and perceived stress at higher levels of stress exposure. Positive, but not negative, recent life events were associated with decreased perceived stress and depression, and these associations were moderated by low HCC, indicating a buffering effect for those with a non-impaired HPA axis.ConclusionIn line with the neural diathesis-stress model, results highlight the role of the interplay between the HPA axis and exposure to stressful experiences in exacerbating psychosis features and extend evidence to the nonclinical expression of the psychosis continuum. In addition, findings support the protective effect of positive experiences in decreasing stress appraisals and affective disturbances, which is consistent with emerging research about the relevance of positive factors in reducing the likelihood of psychopathological outcomes.

Steeling or Sensitizing? A Longitudinal Examination of How Ongoing Accumulation of Negative Life Events Affects Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults.

ObjectivesTo examine whether (a) as people age, accumulation of negative events increases (“sensitizing”) or decreases (“steeling”) the detrimental effects of subsequent events on depressive symptoms, and (b) how particular psychosocial factors are associated with the strength of these steeling or sensitizing effects.MethodWe used data from 6 measurement waves from 2,069 adults aged 55–84 (M = 68.0) at baseline in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We included 18 different life events across the life course. Using hybrid multilevel models, we tested whether the effects of proximate life events (<3 years) on depressive symptoms (measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale) were moderated by previous cumulative events (childhood until previous measurement wave). Additionally, we tested whether education, mastery, emotional support, neuroticism, having strong faith, and loneliness were associated with the strength of steeling/sensitizing effects.ResultsCumulative and proximate life events were independently associated with more depressive symptoms. Interaction effects indicated that the more cumulative life events, the weaker the effects of recent life events, suggesting a “steeling” effect. Unexpectedly, 3-way interaction effects showed that higher mastery and lower neuroticism were associated with weaker steeling effects. These effects were predominantly attributable to within-person changes rather than to fixed between-person differences. Results from analyses with event severity scores were similar.ConclusionsAs a population, older adults appear to become more resilient against new stressors as they accumulate experience in dealing with negative life events. Findings on mastery tentatively suggest that accepting limits to one’s own control over life circumstances may foster a steeling effect.

IPT: From Humble Origins as ‘High Contact Therapy’ to International Adoption

IPT: From Humble Origins as ‘High Contact Therapy’ to International Adoption

Changes in spiritual well-being and psychological outcomes in ovarian cancer survivors.

Because of the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer and concomitant distress, understanding contributors to positive well-being is critical. This study examines spiritual growth as a domain of posttraumatic growth and its contribution to longitudinal emotional outcomes in ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer patients (N=241) completed measures assessing spirituality (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being-12; subscales: faith, meaning, and peace), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), cancer-specific anxiety (Impact of Event Scale), and total mood disturbance (TMD; Profile of Mood States) prior to surgery and 1-year postsurgery. Stressful life events in the year after diagnosis were measured at 1-year postsurgery. Regressions examined the association between changes in spirituality and depression, anxiety, and TMD at 1-year postsurgery. Additionally, spiritual change was examined as a moderator of the effect of recent life events on mood. Increases in peace were related to lower depression (β=-.40, P<.001), anxiety (β=-.20, P=.004), and TMD (β=-.41, P<.001) at 1year. Changes in meaning and faith were unrelated to all outcomes. Additionally, changes in peace moderated the effect of stressful life events on depression (β=-.14, P=.027), anxiety (β=-.16, P=.05), and TMD (β=-.17, P=.01), such that those with a high number of life events paired with a decrease in peace experienced the worst psychological outcomes at 1year. These findings suggest that the quality of peace may be the most adaptive facet of spiritual growth in cancer patients. Furthermore, changes in peace appear to moderate the effect of life events on psychological well-being.

Stressful life events and leukocyte telomere attrition in adulthood: a prospective population-based cohort study.

Telomere attrition might be one of the mechanisms through which psychosocial stress leads to somatic disease. To date it is unknown if exposure to adverse life events in adulthood is associated with telomere shortening prospectively. In the current study we investigated whether life events are associated with shortening of telomere length (TL). Participants were 1094 adults (mean age 53.1, range 33-79 years) from the PREVEND cohort. Data were collected at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up visits after 4 years (T2) and 6 years (T3). Life events were assessed with an adjusted version of the List of Threatening Events (LTE). TL was measured by monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR at T1, T2, and T3. A linear mixed model was used to assess the effect of recent life events on TL prospectively. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess whether the lifetime life events score or the score of life events experienced before the age of 12 predicted TL cross-sectionally. All final models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, presence of chronic diseases, frequency of sports, smoking status, and level of education. Recent life events significantly predicted telomere attrition prospectively (B = -0.031, p = 0.007). We were not able to demonstrate a significant cross-sectional relationship between the lifetime LTE score and TL. Nor did we find exposure to adverse life events before the age of 12 to be associated with TL in adulthood. Exposure to recent adverse life events in adulthood is associated with telomere attrition prospectively.

Mediators of the relationship between life events and memory functioning in a community sample of adults.

The present study examines the association of frequency and severity of life events with memory functioning in a community sample of adults. We tested the hypothesis that stress-related cognitive interference mediated the effects of recent life events on cognition, in addition to examining the potential roles of fatigue, sleep disturbances, and depression. The sample consisted of 310 adults (age range 19-83) who received a battery of cognitive tests assessing their primary memory, episodic memory, and working memory. Individuals rated how stressful previous life events were when they occurred, as well as how stressful the events were for them currently. Ratings of current, but not past severity were negatively associated with working memory performance. Both stress-related cognitive interference and depressive symptoms independently mediated this association. These findings highlight the importance of intrusive and avoidant thinking as a potential focus of psychosocial treatment for remediating stress-related memory dysfunction.

Psychological distress among healthy women with family histories of breast cancer: effects of recent life events

The experience of breast cancer in a close family member can be a major life stressor for many women as evidenced by various psychosocial and biological indicators. However, existing studies have found considerable variability in the levels of psychological distress among women with family histories of breast cancer (FHBC). Based on cognitive processing models, we examined moderating effects of recent life events on the impact of having a family member with breast cancer and psychological distress. Specifically, we hypothesized that negative recent life events would be associated with greater psychological distress and that positive recent life events would be associated with less psychological distress, and these patterns will be more prominent among women with FHBC than women without FHBC. Women with (FHBC+, N = 59) and women without (FHBC-, N = 94) FHBC completed measures of recent life events, cancer-specific distress (intrusion and avoidance) and general distress. Results indicated that among FHBC+ women, negative life events were associated with higher levels of breast cancer-specific intrusion and positive life events were associated with lower levels of breast cancer-specific avoidance. These results support the application of cognitive processing models for understanding variability in women's psychological adjustment to their FHBC. Psychological interventions designed to facilitate coping with negative life events and to increase the occurrence of positive events may be warranted.

Life events, social support, and immune response in elderly individuals.

One hundred ninety-two elderly men and women were investigated to determine the effects of recent life events, psychological adjustment, and social support on lymphocyte count, controlling for nutritional status, age, education, income, and the presence of lymphocyte-altering drugs. Effects of specific recent life events were found. For elderly males, recent sexual dysfunction lowers lymphocyte count, while psychological adjustment and percentage kin in the intimate network elevates it. For elderly females, the experience of either family or legal problems elevates lymphocyte count as does frequent interaction with members of the intimate network. These results suggest that life events have very different effects on elderly men and women's immune systems. Social support has direct but mediating effects on lymphocyte count for both genders.

Coping with recent life events: the interplay of personal and collective resources.

The importance of personal and collective resources in coping with recent life events was studied among 230 kibbutz members. The sense of coherence, a global life orientation that detects the ability to avoid stressors and to choose appropriate coping strategies and resources, represented personal resources. Collective resources, embedded in the social system to which one belongs, were measured by membership in a religious kibbutz, the kibbutz being viewed as a powerful, collective-coping resource by itself. Physical well-being, psychological distress, and functional limitations were used as outcome measures. Both types of resources have a salutogenic effect, but sense of coherence appears to be a better resource for avoiding the effect of recent life events and for moderating psychological distress and functional limitation after experiencing such events. The two types of resources have no additive effect, nor do they compensate for each other. Only one significant interaction was found, suggesting that the combination of the two resources is useful in avoiding functional limitation. It is also suggested that collective resources have a slight positive effect on personal resources, which, in turn, take over and become most valuable in coping with recent life events. When stress affects social functioning, these same personal resources facilitate the mobilization of whatever collective resources are available.

Recent Life Events, Religiosity, and Health: An Individual or Collective Effect

While recent life events (RLE) cause ill health and psychological distress, religiosity is positively associated with health. The adverse effect of RLE on health is usually explained in terms of stress theory; the positive religiosity-health association is explained by the nature of the religious network, or by the effect of religiosity on the internal environment of the individual. Using data collected from a sample (n = 230) of two Israeli kibbutzim, one religious and one non-religious, with similar ecology, demography, and social structure, the stress-deterrent effect of religiosity is studied. Self-administered questionnaires, including a list of RLE, five health measures, and five religiosity measures, were randomly distributed. Our findings show that whereas RLE adversely relate to health, belonging to a religious community counterbalances the negative health consequences of RLE. Individual religiosity (private praying, theodicity, and religious commitment) do not have the same stress-deterrent effect.