Impact Of Stressful Situations Research Articles

Neuropsychological aspects of stress manifestation

Modern life, unfortunately, is not devoid of stressful situations. This article explores how stress affects various cognitive functions, making us more vulnerable. Memory, attention, decision-making, inhibition, and abstract thinking are just some aspects of the effects of stress. Studies show that prolonged or repeated stress can weaken the immune system, increasing inflammation and even destroying neurons in the hippocampus responsible for memory. Maturation of the frontal cortex, which is accompanied by an increase in gray matter volume and the number of synapses, can be disrupted by stress, leading to cognitive decline. Recent research on the impact of stressful situations on psychological and physical health is characterized by a wide range of methodological approaches and a variety of sources. Sapolsky R. highlights the impact of stress on memory-related processes, as well as on the formation of certain parts of the brain. In the work of D. Nakazawa, we get acquainted with neural development and the natural processes associated with this development. Thus, the latest research and publications in the field of stress psychology are an important contribution to our understanding of this complex problem and the development of practical recommendations for overcoming the negative effects of stress. Sleep is crucial for restoring energy and consolidating memory, but it also becomes a victim of stress. Lack of sleep and deterioration in its quality make us more vulnerable to the negative effects of stress. Children who have experienced stress risk losing even more neurons than their peers, as the natural neuronal pruning at puberty can be intensified. Chronic stress can lead to neurotic reactions, psychophysiological symptoms, and psychosomatic illnesses. This emphasizes the importance of nervous system rehabilitation and neuropsychological interventions.

Psychological aspects of veterans' professional integration: challenges and strategies

The full-scale war in Ukraine has led to the emergence of new challenges that were previously unknown to our society. One of these challenges is the professional integration of war veterans. Promoting the employment of war veterans should be a key part of the strategy of transition from military career to civilian life. Professional integration in the future will, on the one hand, contribute to the ability of war veterans to meet their needs and self-realise in various spheres of public life, and on the other hand, contribute to the restoration and development of Ukraine as a whole and a particular community in particular. The protracted nature of Russia's armed aggression is leading to an increase in the number of Ukrainian defenders who will soon have the status of "war veterans". Military operations are worsening demographic indicators, and the number of disabled people of working age is growing. These realities in Ukraine make it inevitable that there will be significant losses of labour force and a deterioration in its quality. The article explores the complex psychological aspects that arise in the process of professional integration of war veterans. It examines the key challenges that veterans face when returning to civilian life and the labour market, and suggests strategies and approaches to overcome these obstacles. The authors analyse the psychological consequences of military service and the impact of stressful situations on veterans' mental health. They consider the issue of adaptation to new living conditions, including changes in work, social interactions and family relationships. In addition, the article highlights the importance of psychological support and psychotherapeutic methods for veterans during the transition to civilian life. It suggests various strategies that contribute to successful integration, such as vocational training, psychological counselling and social support. The article aims to raise awareness and understanding of the psychological challenges faced by war veterans during professional integration and provide specific recommendations for their successful overcoming.

DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN TODAY'S CONDITIONS

The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of physical education in institutions of higher education in the conditions of martial law and distance learning. The main problems that arise during the organization of the educational process in physical education with the use of remote technologies are revealed. The effectiveness of the influence of physical exercises in the conditions of distance learning was studied, as well as the impact of stressful situations on the effectiveness of assimilation of educational material was revealed. Ways of improving physical education classes in institutions of higher education through the introduction of innovative technologies, increasing motivation for physical culture and health activities are proposed.

COVERAGE OF ISSUES THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON HEALTH AND COUNTERMEASURES IN A PUBLIC HEALTH CURRICULUM

Aim: substantiation of educational content on the impact of stress on health and countermeasures in a public health curriculum.
 Materials and methods: bibliographic, information and analytical methods and content analysis were used in the work. The study was carried out as part of the research work of the Bogomolets National Medical University on the topic «Medical and social substantiation of the optimization of the healthcare organization in the context of the public healthcare system development» (state registration number 0120U100807).
 Sources of information included scientific literature on the research topic, strategic and policy documents of WHO and WHO / Europe, including the WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework for the Public Health Workforce in the European Region, the Health 2020: the European policy for health and well-being, the European Action Plan for Strengthening Public Health Capacities and Services, educational standards for the preparation of Masters in Medicine and Public Health, an exemplary curriculum of the discipline «social medicine, public health» for the preparation of Masters of Medicine.
 Results. A study of scientific sources of literature has shown the growing influence of psychological factors, including stress, on the formation of population health and the need for countermeasures, which requires, among other things, the training of health care professionals able to determine the impact of stresses on public health, assess their prevalence, justify countermeasures.
 Justification of educational content on these issues was carried out on the basis of an analysis of the provisions of educational standards for the training of masters of health, an exemplary curriculum "social medicine, public health" for training masters of medicine, WHO documents, including the WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework for the Public Health Workforce in the European Region, the Health 2020: the European policy for health and well-being, the European Action Plan for Strengthening Public Health Capacities and Services etc.
 Learning content includes a statement of the purpose of the lesson on the topic «Stresses and Conflicts, mechanisms of protecting people from stress actions», its rationale, a list of basic concepts, educational target tasks, pre-classroom training issues, basic theoretical questions, typical examples of solving specific situational tasks, a list of recommended literature. The theoretical part of the lesson includes versatile questions of the prevalence of stressful situations in society, their causes, types and signs of stress, the impact of stressful situations on the health of the population, types of conflicts, their consequences, causes of conflicts, phases of their deployment and methods of settlement, measures to protect people from stress, psychoprophylaxis, strategies and measures to counter the negative impact of stress on public health.
 Conclusions. Training of Masters of Health Care in countering the negative effects of stressful situations on health will contribute to improving the preventive component in health care, reducing the global burden of disease caused by stressful situations, maintaining and strengthening the health of the population.

Abstract P2055: Incremental Impact of Stressful Situations in Stage 1 vs. Stage 2 Hypertensives: Insights From a Large Digital BP Management Service and Registry

Stressful conditions induce an increase in BP levels. It is often difficult to systematically record BP levels under those conditions. The current availability of digital data collection platforms may provide new insights on the changes of BP level under multiple conditions on a large scale. This study leverages the 298,621 BP values of 8992 subjects (2702 females, 48.8 ±13.4 y) consecutively accrued on a digital platform. This is a software-as-a-service (SAAS) platform for BP management leveraging innovative proprietary AI expert systems algorithms providing to patients progressive interpretation of the evolution of their BP and delivering highly personalized lifestyle interventions. Users access the service via App (iOS and Android). This service fosters the Class IA indication for HBPM of the 2017 AHA Hypertension Guidelines. Upon BP data entry (through connected devices, the smartphone health app, or manual entry after extensive validation) users are required to indicate any additional condition at the time of BP measurement including work, after exercising, during intense stress, during headache. Overall, in all subjects, we observed a significantly higher systolic +10.3±0.4mmHg and diastolic +5.1±0.3mmHg BP vs rest (Mean±SEM;95% C.I.) [9.4-11.25, p< 0,0001 and 5.1-11.25, p< 0,001; respectively]. Out of 8992 subjects, 1986 subscribed the lifestyle intervention program after self-declaring their usual BP range. Thus, according to the AHA Hypertension Guidelines, 325 subjects declared normal BP (Group N) values, while 1641 were normotensives (Group H). We analyzed the BP changes during stress in both normotensive and hypertensives, and we observed significant increase of both systolic (N: +6.7±0.7; [2.99-10.4] p=0.0004; H: +10.2±1.4 [7.49-12.9] p<0.0001) and diastolic BPs (N: +2.2±0.3; [2.99-10.4] p=0.0004; H: +6.0±0.3 [7.49-12.9] p<0.0001). These data support the notion of a more intense response to stress in hypertensives. These insights are useful for an appropriate and personalized treatment strategy in hypertensives. A digital SAAS platform is a strong adjunctive tool for a better management of hypertension.

Force, Stress, and Decision-Making Within the Belgian Police: the Impact of Stressful Situations on Police Decision-Making

Stress and fear are inevitable aspects of the police job and may have a large impact on police officers’ decision-making process. Many studies have explored how stress and fear may influence assessments of police officers, especially with regard to the use of force. This article aims to contribute to this research domain by reporting the findings from two empirical studies among Belgian police officers: a quantitative study of police officers’ attitudes towards and experiences with the use of force and a qualitative study on the influence of stress and emotions on officers’ decision-making and assessment abilities and accuracy of shooting. Both studies confirmed that stress and fear are often present in Belgian police practice. One of the main findings is that Belgian police officers are anxious about the consequences of their actions because they know they will be held accountable for them. The pressure that results from this accountability can make it even more difficult for police officers to react to stressful situations. Therefore, we need to look for the right balance in this difficult position, by providing tools that support police officers in making daily decisions, and help them do their job as effectively as possible.

Impact of Stressful Situations on Salespersons' Gestures

ABSTRACTInterest: This research analyses the influence of situations on salespersons’ gestures and behaviors. This research contributes to this underresearched field by exploring the impact of stressful versus nonstressful situations on salespersons’ personal behavior.Methods: This research is based on 1,205 gestures observed during 382 sales calls that averaged 11 minutes with 382 salespersons. Half were in stressful situations, and half were in nonstressful situations. This study focuses on pharmaceutical products (drugs) in the medical field, with 95 doctors, 6 judges, 304 average performing salespersons, 39 high performers, and 39 low performers. This study shows how salespersons’ behaviors vary depending on stressful and nonstressful situations. This research also articulates a new field of sales research that is understudied by researchers and suggests new training trends in sales management.Objective: The objective is to answer questions such as “Does stress influence salespersons’ behavior, and what are the gestures most affected by such situations?” To examine the effects of training on gestures, an experiment with 97 salespersons was conducted during a sales training session. This experiment measured whether salespersons trained on gestures behaved differently than those who were untrained.Results: In general, stressful or nonstressful situations caused real differences in gestural behavior. In particular, the best salespersons performed the largest number of gestures during stressful situations. For example, stressful situations increased the mechanical or emotional gestures in leg movements or the number of glances.

The effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on the stress response of adult mice.

The neurotoxic consequences of intrauterine exposure to drugs of abuse, including cocaine, may include compromised fetal brain development with associated lasting behavioral alterations. Some infants exposed to cocaine in utero demonstrate impairments in reactivity and altered behavioral responses to stressful conditions. Alterations in arousal regulation can impact on socialization, adaptation, and educability. Moreover, such alterations may render cocaine-exposed children more vulnerable to the adverse developmental impact of stressful situations, with implications for subsequent behavior and psychopathology. Animal models facilitate the independent analysis and identification of genetic, intrauterine, and postnatal environmental factors in contributing to cocaine-induced alterations in behavioral and neurochemical responses to stressors. Utilizing a prenatal mouse model of gestational cocaine exposure we have identified a behavioral alteration evident as decreased duration of footshock-induced immobility termed "freezing" in cocaine-exposed adults as compared with controls. However, this attenuated behavioral response was not accompanied by demonstrable alterations in corticosterone response, nor was the corticosterone response altered in cocaine-exposed adults following a more protracted restraint-induced stress. The dissociation of these behavioral and neurochemical indices of altered response to stressors may provide insights regarding brain mechanisms underlying alterations in behavioral reactivity to stressful conditions following in utero cocaine exposure. In addition, this preclinical study may have implications for improved diagnostics and therapeutics for infants and children exposed to cocaine in the womb.

Effect of electric foot shocks, immobilization, and corticosterone administration on the sleep–wake pattern in the rat

Knowledge concerning the impact of stressful situations on the sleep–wake pattern has been growing rapidly in the last decade. Immobilization (IMB) in rats elicits a significant increase of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during the following 10 h. Participation of the adrenergic system has been clearly shown in this effect. On the other hand, it is well known that the time of the circadian cycle in which the stressor is applied could influence the results. It is also well known that the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the release of corticosterone (COR), and the activation of the adrenergic and of the opioidergic systems are the most evident effects of stress. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of two stressors, IMB and electric foot shocks (EFS), on 24 h of continuous sleep recordings. These stressors were applied immediately before the onset of the light period. COR was also administered in an attempt to replicate the stressor-induced effects. Adult, male Wistar rats were chronically implanted for sleep recording, and after a recovery period and a 24-h basal sleep recording, they were submitted to EFS, COR, and IMB. A 10-day period elapsed between each treatment, and all of them were applied during the last moments of the dark phase of the light cycle. Results showed that IMB increased the percentage of REM sleep (83.7%) and slow-wave sleep II (SWS II; 17.3%) mainly during the dark phase (i.e., after 12 h), while EFS and COR administration elicited only slight and transient changes in the sleep–wake pattern. These data suggest that IMB applied to rats at the end of the dark cycle is effective in producing a sleep-elevating response, although this effect is enhanced during the dark phase. It seems, however, that not all the stressful situations are capable of eliciting this sleep-promoting effect, and also that COR release does not mediate this response.