Interpersonal Stress Research Articles

Defining and distinguishing early life stress, trauma, adversity, toxic and chronic stress and allostatic load: a descriptive review.

Various concepts are used to study the impact of stress on childhood development. These concepts are often used inconsistently or interchangeably. Our main objectives were to determine how selected stress concepts (chronic stress, toxic stress, allostatic load, early life stress, childhood adversity, childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences; ACEs) are defined, operationalized and described, and to provide a theoretical context to aid the choice for a preferred concept in public health research. For this descriptive review, we systematically searched for literature published before 4 August 2021, on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo. Two independent reviewers included studies. Exclusion criteria were: no systematic review, not peer reviewed, not published in English, selected stress concepts were no predetermined variable or a substantial topic in the discussion, full text was unobtainable or study described non-human or non-childhood populations. Data extraction forms were used. Descriptives were gathered, publication fields were identified through Journal Citation Reports categories, and verbatim descriptions were ordered in text and Venn diagrams. Of 264 screened studies, 124 were included. ACEs, childhood adversity and childhood trauma were used most. ACEs were the main concept used most frequently (47.6%). A total of 11 of 14 public and environmental health journals used ACEs. All concepts refer to prolonged, repeated, interpersonal stress from 0 to 18 years, that can alter physiological systems. Four concepts were stressor oriented, two concepts focused on stress response and effect and one on the state of challenged homeostasis. ACEs seem most fitting for public health setting, due to their operationalizability, large set of core experiences and widespread use.

The Role of Mindfulness in the Effects of Organizational Culture on Depression in Korean Physical Therapists

ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate whether mindfulness could mitigate the impact of job and interpersonal demands arising from stressful organizational cultures in predicting depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsA total of 280 Korean physical therapists participated in this study. To verify the mediated moderation model, this study implemented an SPSS 26.0 PROCESS Macro (v.3.5) that was based on the verification of Hayes' conditional indirect effect. ResultsThe study confirmed the moderated mediation effect of mindfulness on the mediating relationship between stressful organizational culture, job demands/interpersonal demands, and depression. Moreover, the conditional indirect effect of mindfulness was found to be statistically significant. However, the impact on interpersonal stress differed from anticipated outcomes. ConclusionsMindfulness, applicable within the framework of the Job Demands-Resources model theory, served as a resource variable and moderated the impact of organizational culture on members' depression. Amidst ongoing debates on mindfulness effectiveness, this study partially confirmed its potential within the Job Demands-Resources model, suggesting a role in mitigating the influence of organizational culture on members' depression as a resource variable.

A biomarker of brain arousal mediates the intergenerational link between maternal and child post-traumatic stress disorder

This study examined whether there is a biological basis in the child's resting brain activity for the intergenerational link between maternal interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (IPV-PTSD) and child subclinical symptoms. We used high-density EEG recordings to investigate the resting brain activity in a sample of 57 children, 34 from mothers with IPV-PTSD, and 23 from mothers without PTSD. These children were part of a prospective, longitudinal study focusing on the offspring of mothers with and without IPV-PTSD, reporting how the severity of a mother's IPV-PTSD can impact her child's emotional regulation and risk for developing mental illness. However, we had not yet looked into potential EEG biomarkers during resting state that might mediate and/or moderate effects of maternal IPV-PTSD severity on child mental health, and in particular the risk for PTSD. The alpha band spectral power as well as the aperiodic exponent of the power spectrum (PLE; power-law exponent) were examined as mediators of maternal IPV-PTSD and child PTSD.While there was no difference in alpha spectral power between the two groups, PLE was significantly reduced in children of mothers with IPV-PTSD compared to control children, indicating cortical hyper-arousal. Interestingly, child PLE was negatively correlated with the severity of maternal IPV-PTSD, suggesting an intergenerational interaction. This interpretation was reinforced by a negative correlation between child PLE and child PTSD symptoms. Finally, causal analyses using structural equation modelling indicated that child PLE mediated the relationship between maternal PTSD severity and child PTSD. Our observations suggest that maternal IPV-PTSD has an intergenerational impact on the child neurobehavioral development through a correlated abnormal marker of brain arousal (i.e. child PLE). These findings are potentially relevant to psychotherapy research and to the development of more effective psycho-neurobehavioral therapies (i.e. neurofeedback) among affected individuals.

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) pediatric cancer survivors’ knowledge, behaviors, beliefs, and adjustment differences across weight ranges

ABSTRACT Obesity presents significant medical and psychosocial risks for adolescent and young adult (AYA) pediatric cancer survivors (AYACS). Using screening data collected for a new healthy lifestyle pilot RCT, this study evaluated differences in AYACS’ physical activity and nutrition-related knowledge, behaviors, beliefs, and adjustments across weight ranges. AYACS with elevated body mass index (BMI; i.e. overweight, obese) reported significantly lower self-esteem, body esteem, and weight-related self-efficacy, as well as greater depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms compared to AYACS with average weight. AYACS with average weight also reported better interpersonal relationship quality and stress management compared to AYACS with elevated BMI. Our findings provide insight to better tailor our newly developed healthy lifestyle-focused interventions for AYACS.

Habitual behavioural control moderates the relation between daily perceived stress and purging.

Evidence suggests that interpersonal stress plays a role in maintaining binge eating and purging (e.g., self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives). Stress is especially likely to promote engagement in maladaptive behaviour if the behaviour is habitual; therefore, individuals whose binge eating and/or purging are habitual may be particularly likely to engage in these behaviours in the context of interpersonal stress. We aimed to investigate this hypothesis in a sample of women with binge eating and/or purging using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Women (N=81) with binge-eating and/or purging symptoms completed a self-report measure assessing habit strength of binge eating and purging followed by a 14-day EMA protocol assessing daily perceived interpersonal stress and binge-eating and purging episodes. Habit strength of purging moderated the within-person effect of interpersonal stress on purging frequency, such that higher daily stress was associated with greater same-day purging frequency when purging was more habitual. Contrary to expectations, the interactive effect of habit strength of binge eating and daily interpersonal stress on same-day binge-eating frequency was non-significant. Findings suggest that individuals with habitual purging may be vulnerable to engaging in purging when they are experiencing high levels of interpersonal stress.

Predicting latent counselor interpersonal stress profiles according to challenging clients

Predicting latent counselor interpersonal stress profiles according to challenging clients

The contribution of chronic peer victimization in elementary school to depressive symptoms in adolescence

AbstractThroughout his career, John Schulenberg challenged us to understand adolescent development as the confluence of distal and proximal experiences along with critical transitions. Heeding this call, we examined whether chronic childhood peer victimization predicted adolescents' depressive symptoms via early‐emerging depression growth trajectories, continued victimization into adolescence, and stress‐amplification at the middle school transition. Self‐reported depressive symptoms and teacher‐reported and self‐reported peer victimization were obtained from 636 youth (338 girls; Mage = 7.96 years, 66.7% White, 21.7% Black, 11.6% other) in the 2nd–9th grades. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that, by 7th grade, chronic childhood peer victimization was associated with depressive symptoms only through an indirect association with peer victimization in adolescence, underscoring how interrelated historical and ongoing interpersonal stressors contribute to adolescent psychopathology.

Within-Person Variation in Negative Urgency Predicts Near-Term Interpersonal Stress

Within-Person Variation in Negative Urgency Predicts Near-Term Interpersonal Stress

Explaining association between interpersonal communication competence and depression through need satisfaction, anxiety, and stress

The cognitive evaluation of the process of interpersonal communication may be a risk factor of depression. Interpersonal communication competence assesses how people display performance on communication and has been proposed to impact directly need satisfaction, indirectly anxiety, stress, and depression. The main purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the mediation roles of need satisfaction, anxiety, and stress in the association between interpersonal communication competence and depression. Correlational and mediation analysis were performed to test conceptual model of depression. Correlational analysis revealed that depression was associated with interpersonal communication competence, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, interpersonal communication competence was associated with need satisfaction, anxiety, and stress. As for mediation analysis, it was concluded that the serial mediation role of need satisfaction, anxiety, and stress in the association between interpersonal communication competence and depression was significant. A new conceptual model provided empirical evidences as to the prodrome of depression. Therefore, it was supposed that these findings would be effective in psychological interventions of depression.

Taking It Day by Day: Reasons for Daily Changes in University Belonging

For emerging adults enrolled in higher education institutions, their sense of belonging to the university largely influences their development. However, not all students experience university belonging in the same way. There is a dearth of work identifying how students make meaning of their everyday experiences and how those experiences affect their daily university belonging. Our article draws on a mixed-methods study of students’ sense of university belonging to investigate how daily experiences within university contexts shape and influence their university belonging. We found five categories of daily experiences (e.g., non-academic interpersonal interactions, community-building events, academics, campus resources, emotions and stress) which affected students’ university belonging. The results suggest that signals of university belonging exist in all facets of university life, helping us further understand the reasons behind students’ university belonging fluctuations.

Impact of Behavior Issues On Employee Productivity

This study investigates the relationship between behavior issues and employee productivity within alpha marketing solutions. Through a questionnaire-based survey administered to employees, the study examines the prevalence and impact of behavior issues, including interpersonal conflicts, communication barriers, stress, and burnout, on productivity levels. Additionally, the study explores underlying factors such as organizational culture and leadership styles, and propose strategies for mitigating behavior issues and enhancing productivity. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of dynamics between behavior issues and productivity within the organization, with implications for organizational practices and policies aimed at optimizing workforce efficiently and fostering a conductive work environment. However, the study acknowledges limitations including sample size constraints, self -reporting bias, and the cross-sectional design, which may affect the generalizability and interpretation of the result.

Prospective Relations between Life Stress, Emotional Clarity, and Suicidal Ideation in an Adolescent Clinical Sample

ABSTRACT Objective Although life stress has been linked to adolescent suicidal ideation, most past research has been cross-sectional, and potential processes characterizing this relation remain unclear. One possibility may be a lack of emotional clarity. Informed by stress generation, the current study examined prospective relations between episodic life stress, lack of emotional clarity, and suicidal ideation in an adolescent clinical sample. Methods The sample consisted of 180 youths (M age = 14.89; SD = 1.35; 71.7% female; 78.9% White; 43.0% sexual minority) recruited from a psychiatric inpatient facility. Suicidal ideation severity was assessed at baseline and 18-month follow-up. Lack of emotional clarity and life stress were assessed at baseline, as well as 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Two random-intercepts cross-lagged panel models were created to estimate within-person relations for variables of interest. Results At the within-person level, lack of emotional clarity at baseline predicted greater 6-month impact of interpersonal dependent stressors (b = 0.29, p = .012, 95% CI [0.07, 0.52]), which subsequently predicted a greater 12-month lack of emotional clarity (b = 0.41, p = .005, 95% CI [0.12, 0.70]). Next, a 12-month lack of emotional clarity but not interpersonal dependent stress, predicted greater 18-month suicidal ideation (b = 0.81, p = .006, 95% CI [0.23, 1.30]; R 2 = .24, p < .001). No significant relations were found for the lack of emotional clarity and independent stress. Conclusions Results support the stress generation hypothesis and suggest that future research should be conducted evaluating whether bolstering youth’s understanding of their emotional experiences may reduce subsequent suicidal ideation.

대학생의 스트레스, 자아탄력성 및 학교생활적응의 관계

This study was conducted using a survey method among college students in Region K to verify the relationship between perceived stress, ego-resilience, and school adaptation. Specifically, the data was collected using the university stress, ego-resilience, and school adaptations scale, and a total of 350 copies were analyzed. The data were analyzed using correlational analysis and multiple regression analysis. Results of the study were as follows: First, ego-resilience and social adaptations showed significant positive correlation. but interpersonal relationship stress and ego-resilience showed significant negative correlation. By looking at these results, university students experience more ego-resilience as they have high more social adaptations and more interpersonal relationship stress as they have low ego-resilience. Second, women were showed significant different among stress, ego-resilience and school adaptations of university students Third, as a result of regression analysis on relation of stress, ego-resilience and school adaptations, interpersonal relationship stress and task stress variable were the main predictor and positive effects. Therefore, this study has theoretical and practical implications in that it specifically examined the perceived stress of university students and identified key variables that affect adjustment to school life.

"WOOP is my safe haven": A qualitative feasibility and acceptability study of the Wish Outcome Obstacle Plan (WOOP) intervention for spouses of people living with early-stage dementia.

As symptoms emerge and worsen in people living with dementia, their spouses can benefit from behavioral interventions to support their adjustment as a care partner. The Wish Outcome Obstacle Plan (WOOP) intervention improves the well-being of spouses of people living with dementia early in the disease course, but intervention mechanisms and opportunities for improvement are unclear. The present study gave voice to spouses who participated in a trial of WOOP, describing how WOOP was incorporated into their lives and how it could be improved for future implementation. For this qualitative study, we conducted longitudinal semi-structured interviews among 21 spouses of people living with dementia (three interviews over three months; 63 interviews total). Codebook thematic analysis was performed. Three meta-themes were derived: (1) assessing baseline strengths and limitations of WOOP, (2) learning from experience, and (3) fine-tuning and sustaining WOOP. Participants described how WOOP addressed their interpersonal and emotional stressors, their responses to behaviors of the person living with dementia, and their relationship quality. Considerations for future intervention delivery (e.g., solo vs. in group settings) and instructions (e.g., encouraging writing vs. thinking through the four steps of WOOP) were identified as areas of improvement. WOOP was described as a practical, feasible, and desirable intervention for spouses at the early stages of their partner's dementia. Participants made WOOP easier to incorporate in their everyday lives by adapting the design into a mental exercise that they used as needed. Suggestions from participants specified how to make the everyday use of WOOP more feasible, sustainable, and applicable in a variety of contexts. ClinicalTrials.gov HIC 2000021852.

Stressors and Coping Strategies as Perceived among Nursing Students during Related Learning Experience (RLE)

Background: Stress in relation to academic studies is identified to be one of the reasons behind suicide cases in higher education institutions around the world. Locally, there is none to less studies that explored this area among nursing students. As stress is inevitable in nursing students’ Related Learning Experience (RLE), recognizing the stressors that affect their quality of RLE is necessary.Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the stressors and coping strategies that nursing students commonly use in managing stress during their RLE and their relationship to each other.Methods: A descriptive correlational research design with total enumeration sampling was employed. A pilot-tested questionnaire was used to gather data from 191 junior and senior nursing students from two nursing schools in Iligan City. Weighted mean, standard deviation, percentages, and Spearman rho were used to analyze the data.Results: The findings show that the "Clinical Instructor" (Mean=3.01) is perceived to cause higher stress among all the intrapersonal and interpersonal stressors identified. Students highly utilize both intrapersonal (Self-Concept Mean=3.75) and interpersonal strategies (Role Function Mean=4.13, Interdependence Mean=3.46) to cope with stress. When students’ clinical “skill confusion” increases, they tend to work less with others (r=-0.259, p=0.000). When “staff nurses” cause them less stress, their use of positive “self-concept” decreases as well (r=0.152, p=0.035). Furthermore, when students are stressed with their “Duty-mates,” they rely more on “physiological” coping mechanisms (r=0.160, p=0.027). When their “clinical instructor” causes them stress, they cope less with “physiological” (r=-0.237, p=0.001) and “interdependence” strategies (r=-0.317, p=0.000).Conclusion:Among all the stressors, clinical instructor causes more stress to the students. The students’ perceived stressors affect their effective use of intra and interpersonal coping strategies. Nurse educators, nursing schools and regulating bodies can consider these results in designing a holistic curriculum and helping students manage stress healthily.

Momentary stress-induced food craving: An ecological momentary assessment study comparing perceived interpersonal and non-interpersonal stressors.

Daily-life stressors and food cravings are dynamic and vary within and across persons. Some evidence suggests interpersonal stressors increase appetite. However, little is known about the association of food craving with different types of stressors at the momentary level in the general population. We aimed to explore the momentary relationships between daily-life stressful events and food craving in a non-clinical community sample, and to compare the associations with food craving when the most stressful event was perceived as interpersonal versus non-interpersonal. We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to collect reports on the most stressful event, perceived stressor type, stressor appraisal, and food craving from 123 adults three times a day scheduled at fixed intervals over 10 days. Mixed effects random intercepts and slopes models examined the within- and between-person associations. Experiencing a stressor was significantly positively associated with within-person food craving at the same measurement. No differences in momentary food craving were found when the most stressful event was perceived as interpersonal or non-interpersonal (within-person level). However, frequently reporting the most stressful event as interpersonal (vs. non-interpersonal) was positively associated with food craving across the study (between-person level), particularly when the stressor was appraised as more unpleasant. Daily-life stressors were associated with momentary food craving. Individuals who generally perceived interpersonal stressors as their most stressful event tended to experience food cravings. Future research could further investigate the role of interpersonal stressors as a factor for overeating in daily life and the potential benefits of stress management in interventions.

Atypical brain structural connectivity and social cognition in childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with neurobiological aberrations and atypical social cognition. Few studies have examined the neural effects of another common early-life interpersonal stressor, namely peer victimisation (PV). This study examines the associations between tract aberrations and childhood interpersonal stress from caregivers (CM) and peers (PV), and explores how the observed tract alterations are in turn related to affective theory of mind (ToM). Data from 107 age-and gender-matched youths (34 CM [age = 19.9 ± 1.68; 36%male], 35 PV [age = 19.9 ± 1.65; 43%male], 38 comparison subjects [age = 20.0 ± 1.66; 42%male] were analysed using tractography and whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). At the whole-brain level using TBSS, the CM group had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) than the PV and comparison groups in a cluster of predominantly limbic and corpus callosal pathways. Segmented tractography indicated the CM group had higher FA in right uncinate fasciculus compared to both groups. They also had smaller right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) tract volume than the comparison group and higher left ATR FA than the PV group, with these metrics associated with higher emotional abuse and enhanced affective ToM within the CM group, respectively. The PV group had lower inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus FA than the other two groups, which was related to lower affective ToM within the PV group. Findings suggest that exposure to early-life stress from caregivers and peers are differentially associated with alterations of neural pathways connecting the frontal, temporal and occipital cortices involved in cognitive and affective control, with possible links to their atypical social cognition.

유아교사의 대인관계 스트레스와 심리적 안녕감과의 관계

Objectives This study investigated the relation between interpersonal stress and psychological well-being of infant teachers in Korea, focusing on moderating effects of stress coping style.&#x0D; Methods The participants were 232 infant teachers who agreed to participate in this study. The measures included interpersonal stress questionnaires, psychological well-being questionnaires, and stress coping style questionnaires. The moderating effects were examined through hierarchical regression, after controlling the control variables.&#x0D; Results Interpersonal stress was negatively related to psychological well-being. Among stress coping styles, problem-focused coping and avoidance-focused coping were positively related to on psychological well-being, while emotion-focused coping was negatively related to psychological well-being. It was found that avoidance- focused coping style had a moderating effect on the relation between interpersonal stress and psychological well-being.&#x0D; Conclusions The results will serve as basic data for developing interventions to improve the psychological well-being of early childhood teachers in Korea, helping us understand the relation between these variables and the moderating effect of stress coping styles.&#x0D;

Feeling loved in mixed-gender adolescent romantic relationships in the face of daily stress and support: A dyadic diary study.

A profound developmental experience is the emergence of adolescent romantic relationships and first feelings of love. However, the daily nature of feeling loved in adolescents' everyday lives is poorly understood. We investigated how daily stress severity was associated with adolescents' levels of feeling loved and whether romantic partner support moderated these associations. Furthermore, we investigated this for non-interpersonal and interpersonal stressors. N=97 mixed-gender adolescent romantic couples (age M=16.38, SD=1.02) from an ethnically diverse sample (42.2% Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 44.7% White) participated in dyadic diary assessments twice a week for 12 consecutive weeks. Both partners independently completed open-ended questions about a daily stressor, indicating stress severity, perceived partner support, and feeling loved. Daily stressors were coded for non-interpersonal and various types of interpersonal stressors. Results from the dyadic multilevel model showed that days with lower than average support from a romantic partner amplify the adverse effects of stress severity on feeling loved, especially when the partner is involved in the stressor. We discuss the spillover of stress in romantic relationships and the stress-buffering functions of adolescent romantic partner support. Adolescent romantic partners are potentially essential regulators of stress, increasing adolescents' feelings of love. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Romantic love is central in adolescents' lives; we showed that adolescents generally feel loved by romantic partners. Feeling loved fluctuates daily as adolescents feel less loved on stressful days. However, when adolescents perceive their partner as supportive, there is no association between stress and feeling loved. Partner support is protective for feeling loved. The current study provides essential insights into when adolescents and why adolescents feel loved.

Associations of recent stressful life events with anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents with a consideration of family functioning

ABSTRACT Background: The association between stressful life events (SLEs) and adolescent anxiety symptoms has been extensively studied, but the specific impacts of different SLEs domains remain inconclusive. Moreover, limited research has examined the role of family functioning in these associations. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations between various recent SLEs and adolescent anxiety symptoms and explore the role of family functioning. Methods: Data were obtained from the second phase of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescents’ Mental and Behavioral Well-being Research in Guangzhou, China. A total of 10,985 students (51.9% boys; mean [SD] age, 15.3 [1.5] years) from forty middle schools participated in the study in 2022 and completed a self-report questionnaire assessing anxiety symptoms, SLEs, and family functioning using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC; including five subscales: interpersonal stress, academic stress, punishment-related stress, loss-related stress, and adaptation-related stress), and the adapted Chinese version of the Family Assessment Device (FAD), respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were performed and the moderation role of family functioning was also examined. Results: The fully adjusted model revealed that a 1-SD increase in the overall ASLEC score was associated with higher levels of anxiety symptoms (β = 2.23, 95%CI: 2.15–2.32). Among various SLEs domains, the academic domain shows the most significant association (β = 2.25, 95%CI: 2.17–2.33). Family functioning exerted an independent protective influence on anxiety symptoms, with each 1-SD increase in FAD scores negatively associated with anxiety symptoms (β = −2.11, 95%CI: – 2.29 to – 1.93) in the adjusted model. Moreover, family functioning significantly buffered the impacts of overall SLEs and each domain, except for adaptation-related SLEs, on anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Higher recent SLEs levels were associated with increased anxiety symptoms among adolescents, with academic SLEs showing the greatest association. Positive family functioning had both direct and buffering influences on anxiety symptoms.