Measures Of Psychosocial Stress Research Articles

A cross-sectional study observing the association of psychosocial stress and dietary intake with gut microbiota genera and alpha diversity among a young adult cohort of black and white women in Birmingham, Alabama

BackgroundThe relationships between psychosocial stress and diet with gut microbiota composition and diversity deserve ongoing investigation. The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations of psychosocial stress measures and dietary variables with gut microbiota genera abundance and alpha diversity among young adult, black and white females. The secondary aim was to explore mediators of psychosocial stress and gut microbiota diversity and abundance.MethodsData on 60 females who self-identified as African American (AA; n = 29) or European American (EA; n = 31) aged 21–45 years were included. Cortisol was measured in hair and saliva, and 16S analysis of stool samples were conducted. Discrimination experiences (recent and lifetime), perceived stress, and depression were evaluated based on validated instruments. Spearman correlations were performed to evaluate the influence of psychosocial stressors, cortisol measures, and dietary variables on gut microbiota genus abundance and alpha diversity measured by amplicon sequence variant (ASV) count. Mediation analyses assessed the role of select dietary variables and cortisol measures on the associations between psychosocial stress, Alistipes and Blautia abundance, and ASV count.ResultsAA females were found to have significantly lower ASV count and Blautia abundance. Results for the spearman correlations assessing the influence of psychosocial stress and dietary variables on gut microbiota abundance and ASV count were varied. Finally, diet nor cortisol was found to partially or fully mediate the associations between subjective stress measures, ASV count, and Alistipes and Blautia abundance.ConclusionIn this cross-sectional study, AA females had lower alpha diversity and Blautia abundance compared to EA females. Some psychosocial stressors and dietary variables were found to be correlated with ASV count and few gut microbiota genera. Larger scale studies are needed to explore the relationships among psychosocial stress, diet and the gut microbiome.

Psychosocial Stress and MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Myometrial Tissue of Women Undergoing Surgical Treatment for Uterine Fibroids.

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are the most common non-cancerous tumors affecting women. Psychosocial stress is associated with fibroid risk and severity. The relationship between psychosocial stress and fibroid pathogenesis may involve alterations in microRNAs (miRNAs) although this has yet to be examined. We investigated associations between two psychosocial stress measures, a composite measure of recent stressful life events and perceived social status, with expression levels of 401 miRNAs in myometrium (n = 20) and fibroids (n = 44; 20 with paired fibroid and myometrium samples) among pre-menopausal women who underwent surgery for fibroid treatment. We used linear regressions to identify psychosocial stressors associated with miRNAs, adjusting for covariates (age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, and oral contraceptive use). The association between psychosocial stressors and miRNAs was considered statistically significant at an FDR p < 0.10 and showed a monotonic response (nominal p-trend < 0.05). In the myometrium, 21 miRNAs were significantly associated with a composite measure of recent stressful events, and two miRNAs were associated with perceived social status. No fibroid miRNAs were associated with either stress measure. Pathway analyses revealed miRNA-mRNA targets were significantly enriched (FDR p < 0.05) in pathways relevant to cancer/tumor development. Of the 74 differentially expressed miRNAs between myometrium and fibroids, miR-27a-5p and miR-301b were also associated with stress exposure. Our pilot analysis suggests that psychosocial stress is associated with myometrial miRNA expression and, thus, may have a role in the pathogenesis of fibroids from healthy myometrium.

Biopsychosocial factors in oral and systemic diseases: a scoping review.

The association between chronic oral diseases and other major systemic health conditions, commonly referred to as the oral-systemic health connection, has been previously studied with several underlying common risk factors and pathways linking both groups of diseases. Psychosocial factors contribute to an increased susceptibility to chronic oral and non-oral diseases. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on the role of psychosocial stress in chronic oral and systemic diseases. A search strategy was built and a literature search was conducted using four databases (CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO). A combination of search terms related to psychosocial stress, systemic disease, and oral conditions were used. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they included human adults (aged 18 years and older), included psychosocial factors as an exposure measure, and outcome measures of both an oral and systemic condition. Only English-language articles were considered. Pilot testing of the data extraction form and calibration were conducted and data were extracted independently by one researcher. A total of fifteen articles out of eighty full-text articles screened were determined to be eligible for inclusion in this review. Periodontal disease was the most commonly studied oral disease, measured in 53% of included articles, with the most commonly studied systemic diseases being of mental health conditions (40%) and diabetes (47%). Psychosocial stress was measured using a range of psychometric indicators and/or biomarkers, including perceived stress, individual behaviours, childhood adversity, and cortisol. In total, fourteen studies found a positive association between measures of psychosocial stress and oral-systemic health. Psychosocial stress may be a common contributor to both chronic oral and non-oral diseases.

Stressful life events, social support, and epigenetic aging in the Women's Health Initiative.

Elevated psychosocial stress has been linked with accelerated biological aging, including composite DNA methylation (DNAm) markers that predict aging-related outcomes ("epigenetic age"). However, no study has examined whether stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with epigenetic age acceleration in postmenopausal women, an aging population characterized by increased stress burden and disease risk. We leveraged the Women's Health Initiative, a large muti-ancestry cohort of postmenopausal women with available psychosocial stress measures over the past year and epigenomic data. SLEs and social support were ascertained via self-report questionnaires. Whole blood DNAm array (450 K) data were used to calculate five DNAm-based predictors of chronological age, health span and life span, and telomere length (HorvathAge, HannumAge, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DNAmTL). After controlling for potential confounders, higher SLE burden was significantly associated with accelerated epigenetic aging, as measured by GrimAge (β: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.59) and DNAmTL (β: -0.016, 95% CI: -0.028, -0.004). Exploratory analyses showed that SLEs-GrimAge associations were stronger in Black women as compared to other races/ethnicities and in those with lower social support levels. In women with lower social support, SLEs-DNAmTL associations showed opposite association in Hispanic women as compared to other race/ethnicity groups. Our findings suggest that elevated stress burden is associated with accelerated epigenetic aging in postmenopausal women. Lower social support and/or self-reported race/ethnicity may modify the association of stress with epigenetic age acceleration. These findings advance understanding of how stress may contribute to aging-related outcomes and have important implications for disease prevention and treatment in aging women.

1830. Social determinants of cardiovascular disease risk factor control among people living with HIV

Abstract Background HIV is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, yet hypertension and high cholesterol are often sub-optimally treated in people with HIV. The role of racial disparities and social determinants of health in the management of these cardiovascular risk factors is poorly understood. Average systolic blood pressures vs TIS score (hypertension treatment intensity), by Black race TIS (therapeutic intensity score) was calculated by dividing the patient’s antihypertensive medication dosage by the maximum daily dosage approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, then summing this proportion for each antihypertensive medication prescribed. For example, if a patient was prescribed two antihypertensive medications each at 75% of the maximum approved dosage, the TIS score would be calculated as 1.5 (0.75 + 0.75). Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of adult patients with HIV among three academic medical centers in the United States. We considered various social determinants of health including race, sex, measures of economic stability, education level, health insurance, health literacy, social deprivation index by zip code, and measures of psychosocial stress. We examined a hybridized outcome of risk factor control (poor or good) and treatment intensity (minimal or maximal) for two key cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed to identify factors associated with cardiovascular risk factor control and intensity, with “good control, maximal treatment” used as the reference group. Results Overall, 371 persons were included in the analysis. Participants were 23.5% female, 59.6% Black, 7.3% Hispanic/Latino, with a median age of 59 (interquartile range 53-64). Among study participants with hypertension, Black participants were more likely to have poor control despite maximal treatment (relative risk ratio [RRR] 2.95, 95% CI: 1.30-6.66). In our hyperlipidemia analysis, having the highest quartile of perceived stress was more common among participants with poor than good cholesterol control (27.0% vs 15.9%, p=0.032). Compared to participants with good control and maximal treatment of high cholesterol, participants with the highest quartile of perceived stress were more likely to have poor control with minimal (RRR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.02-7.63) or maximal (RRR: 3.64, 95% CI: 1.20-11.1) treatment. Conclusion Race and social determinants of health, including perceived stress, appear to influence cardiovascular disease risk factors among persons with HIV. Disclosures Nwora Lance Okeke, MD MPH, Gilead Sciences: Advisor/Consultant

4 Interactions of Inflammation and Psychosocial Stress on White Matter Integrity Over Time in Older Black Adults

Objective:Higher levels of inflammation are associated with risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in older Black adults including psychosocial stressors (e.g., discrimination and early life adversity) and white matter alterations. Yet, limited work has investigated these risk factors together in a longitudinal neuroimaging study, despite the well-known ADRD disparity in older Black adults. Using data from the Minority Aging Research Study and African American Clinical Core of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, we examined interactions of psychosocial stressors and change in inflammation on changes in white matter integrity as measured via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Participants and Methods:Older Black adults (n=102) without known dementia at baseline (age=75.8±6.1 years; 87.3% female; education=15.4±2.7 years) completed blood draws at two time points (follow-up=2.4±0.7 years), neuroimaging at two or more time points (follow-up=3.7±1.8 years), and psychosocial questionnaires at one time point coinciding with the first blood draw/neuroimaging. Blood serum was assayed using highly-sensitive multiplexed sandwich ELISA for interleukin-6, c-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) and a change score was calculated for each inflammatory marker (T2 - T1). The Williams Everyday Discrimination Scale quantified experiences of discrimination in all participants and a 16-item questionnaire of emotional and physical trauma from age 0-18 assessed early life adversity in a participant subset (n=63). DTI-derived tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) slope change measures for trace of the diffusion tensor, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were calculated, with the first two scans matched in time to blood assays. Linear regression models investigated interactions of each inflammatory marker change score (separately) and either discrimination or early life adversity (separately) on trace, FA, AD, and RD slopes as individual outcomes adjusting for age, sex, education, white matter hyperintensities (total volume and voxelwise), cardiovascular risk factors, statin and analgesic medications, thyroid conditions, and depression. Statistical significance was determined at p&lt;0.05 using family wise error correction and threshold free cluster enhancement.Results:Discrimination moderated the relationship between TNF-a and AD whereby those with increasing TNF-a and higher levels of discrimination had increasing levels of AD over time in white matter tracts connecting the left and right cerebellum, the left pallidum and medulla, and the left superior frontal gyrus and left thalamus. Both discrimination and early life adversity moderated associations between CRP and AD, where increases in CRP and higher psychosocial stressors (of either type) resulted in decreasing AD over time in tracts involving cingulate, frontal, and parietal regions. Discrimination and early life adversity also moderated associations between CRP and RD, where increasing CRP combined with greater psychosocial stressors resulted in decreasing RD in right hemisphere association and projection tracts connecting frontal, parietal, central, and subcortical regions.Conclusions:TNF-a and CRP interacted with measures of psychosocial stress to associate with DTI-derived TBSS slope change measures of AD and RD in differential, and at times, paradoxical ways. Findings suggest that both risk and resilience as related to brain connectivity may be co-occurring in the presence of psychosocial stressors for older Black adults.

Biobehavioral and psychosocial stress changes during three 8-12month spaceflight analog missions with Mars-like conditions of isolation and confinement.

Prior theories about individual and team adaptation to living and working in an isolated and confined environment (ICE) have been derived from the experiences of individuals who winter-over in Antarctica or deploy for long durations in submarines. These theories are typically described as a 3- to 4-stage process with phases of excitement and elevated alertness, then followed by difficult phases, including depression and volatility. To further evaluate the applicability of these theories to long-duration human spaceflight missions, longitudinal stress responses to prolonged isolation and confinement of three 6-person crews during 8-12months simulated Mars missions were characterized through metabolite profiling (biomarkers in hair and urine samples), wearables monitoring (sleep and activity levels), and self-reported ratings of stress, mood, social participation, and perceived health. These data were normalized, aggregated, and clustered to analyze longitudinal trends in biobehavioral and psychosocial stress measures. As a result, this analysis presents a theoretical model that triangulates aspects of prior theories with new evidence to describe ICE stress at HI-SEAS as 1) eustress of initial adaptation (high stress hormone levels at mission start), 2) deprivation due to prolonged isolation and confinement (decreasing dopamine and serotonin levels), 3) disruption of individual and team dynamics (changes in activity levels, mood, perceived stress, and social participation) and 4) asynchronous coping (changes in sleep-wake cycles, outlook, and team cohesion). These findings support several aspects of prior theories in combination, such as the elevated alertness at mission start and that adverse conditions are most likely to develop after the halfway point of a mission (e.g. for HI-SEAS 8-12months missions, after approximately 6months) followed by a period of volatility until the end (e.g. as stated in Rohrer's theory, ups and downs until the end, not a renewed outlook at the end as described in 3rd quarter phenomenon theory).

Dietary inflammation score is associated with perceived stress, depression, and cardiometabolic health risk factors among a young adult cohort of women

One of the most pressing issues in the field of cardiometabolic disease is the growing co-occurrence of poor mental health. A whole foods-based, hypothesis-driven dietary inflammation score (DIS) was created to better understand the association between dietary patterns, inflammation, and physiological health. However, this diet quality scoring method has not been observed in young adults, nor has its association with mental health been observed. This study 1) examined differences in cardiometabolic health measures by dietary inflammation score (DIS) tertiles and 2) examined the association between DIS and psychosocial stress variables, perceived stress, and depression. Psychosocial and food frequency questionnaires, demographics, anthropometrics, and clinical measures were collected from sixty-two metabolically healthy African American and European American females, ages 18-45, from 2014 to 2016 in Birmingham, AL. Analysis of Variance was used to observe differences in all cardiometabolic variables by DIS tertile. Linear regression was used to observe the relationship between independent, continuous variable DIS and dependent variables, depression, and perceived stress. There were significant differences between DIS tertiles for cardiometabolic and psychosocial stress measures. DIS was significantly positively associated with depression after controlling for body fat percentage (P=0.003) and education, income, and race (P=0.01). DIS was significantly associated with perceived stress after controlling for body fat percentage (P=0.0004), and education, income, and race (P=0.0005). This study is significant for its contribution in understanding how cardiometabolic health differs by DIS tertile, and how dietary inflammation scores are associated with depression and perceived stress among young adult women.

Psychosocial Stress and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Stress Reactivity: Variations by Race and Socioeconomic Status Among Adults at Risk of Diabetes

Although stress is posited to play a key role in health disparities, the extent to which commonly used self-report psychosocial stress measures are related to neurobiological stress processes, especially across diverse populations, is unresolved. This study examined how two measures of psychosocial stress, perceived stress and domain-specific stress, covary with the acute neurobiological stress response. The Richmond Stress and Sugar Study includes a racially and socioeconomically diverse cohort of adults at risk for type 2 diabetes ( n = 125; mean age = 57 years, 48% Black, and 61% high neighborhood socioeconomic status [SES]). Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity was assessed by salivary cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a laboratory stressor. Higher perceived stress was associated with a lower cortisol response to the TSST (-7.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -13.1% to -1.5%) but was not associated with cortisol recovery after the TSST (3%; 95% CI = -0.6% to 6.8%). In contrast, domain-specific stress was not associated with cortisol response (-2.1%; 95% CI = -20.7% to 20.9%) but was inversely associated with cortisol recovery (3.7%; 95% CI = 0.6% to 7.0%). SES modified these associations: both perceived stress and domain-specific stress were associated with TSST cortisol response only among participants from high-SES neighborhoods. There was minimal evidence of effect modification by race. Both self-report measures of psychosocial stress were associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to an acute stressor. These associations varied by perceived versus domain-specific measurement scales and by neighborhood SES. Further efforts to refine stress measures and clarify biological linkages between social status and health are needed.

The Connection Between Stress and Immune Status in Pigs: A First Salivary Analytical Panel for Disease Differentiation.

This paper analyzes the association between stress and immune response activations in different diseases, based on the salivary analytics. Moreover, a first attempt to discriminate between diseases was performed by principal component analysis. The salivary analytics consisted of the measurement of psychosocial stress (cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase) indicators, innate (acute phase proteins: C-reactive protein and haptoglobin), and adaptive immune (adenosine deaminase, Cu and Zn) markers and oxidative stress parameters (antioxidant capacity and oxidative status). A total of 107 commercial growing pigs in the field were divided into six groups according to the signs of disease after proper veterinary clinical examination, especially, healthy pigs, pigs with rectal prolapse, tail-biting lesions, diarrhea, lameness, or dyspnea. Associations between stress and immune markers were observed with different intensities. High associations (r = 0.61) were observed between oxidative stress markers and adaptive immune markers. On the other hand, moderate associations (r = 0.31–0.48) between psychosocial stress markers with both innate and adaptive immune markers were observed. All pathological conditions showed statistically significant differences in at least 4 out of the 11 salivary markers studied, with no individual marker dysregulated in all the diseases. Moreover, each disease condition showed differences in the degree of activation of the analyzed systems which could be used to create different salivary profiles. A total of two dimensions were selected through the principal component analysis to explain the 48.3% of the variance of our data. Lameness and rectal prolapse were the two pathological conditions most distant from the healthy condition followed by dyspnea. Tail-biting lesions and diarrhea were also far from the other diseases but near to healthy animals. There is still room for improvements, but these preliminary results displayed a great potential for disease detection and characterization using salivary biomarkers profiling in the near future.

Biological Embedding of Psychosocial Stressors Within a Sample of Canadian Firefighters: An Exploratory Analysis.

We wanted to determine whether the biological embedding of perceived psychosocial stress could be observed within a sample of Canadian firefighters. We collected sociodemographic and general health-related information from 58 firefighters. In addition, measures of work-related and general life psychosocial stress, perceived social support, and physiological parameters thought to reflect the embedding of stress were gathered and analyzed using analysis of variance and linear regression models. Despite observing a positive relationship between psychosocial stress and allostatic load, the association was not significant; however, age did significantly predict allostatic load ( B = 0.09, P = 0.04). Notably, our participants reported abundant social support that was inversely associated with perceived stress. Although perceived stress did not significantly affect allostatic load in our sample, high levels of social support may have provided an important countervailing force.

The short form effort-reward imbalance: Measure of occupational stress for firefighters.

The original effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire has been widely used as a measure of occupational stress. The need for brief measurement of psychosocial stress at work has risen. This study examined the psychometric properties of a 16-item short form ERI (S-ERI) questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 247 career firefighters in the United States. An internet-based survey contained the S-ERI questionnaire, and assessed perceived health, demographics, and work characteristics. Internal consistency was tested by item-total correlation and Cronbach's αcoefficients. Factorial validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and criterion validity was examined by testing the S-ERI's association with perceived health, controlling for other factors. The study participants were primarily young and mid-aged White males (mean age = 42 years, 75% White non-Hispanic, 93% males). The S-ERI questionnaire showed satisfactory internal consistency, with Cronbach αcoefficients above 0.80 for all three scales: effort 0.82, reward 0.83, and overcommitment 0.81. CFA showed all the S-ERI components had a good fit (goodness-of-fit index = 0.99, comparative fit index = 0.92, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06). In terms of criterion validity, significantly increased odds ratios (ORs) for perceived health (those indicating they were less healthy) were found in firefighters in the lowest tertile of reward (OR = 7.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.86-17.43), and highest tertile of overcommitment (OR = 2.29, 95%CI: 1.00-5.22), after controlling for other factors. The S-ERI questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure to assess occupational stress. We recommend the use of S-ERI as a measure of occupational stress when initiating efforts to improve firefighters' wellness.

Psychosocial and energetic factors on human female pubertal timing: a systematized review.

Childhood psychosocial stressors have been proposed to favour fast life history strategies promoting earlier puberty in females. However, studies demonstrating this association often do not elucidate causal mechanisms, nor account for greater childhood energetic availability - also known to promote rapid growth and earlier puberty. To assess the extent to which such confounding has been considered, we conducted a systematized review to identify studies examining measures of both prepubertal growth (e.g. weight, height) and psychosocial stressors (e.g. adversity, father absence) in relation to female pubertal timing. A total of 1069 non-duplicated studies were identified across five databases. Twenty studies met selection criteria for critical review following independent screening of titles, abstracts and manuscripts. Within these studies, measures indicative of rapid childhood growth were more consistently associated with earlier pubertal timing than were measures of psychosocial stress. We discuss future research directions to investigate the impact of psychosocial stress on pubertal timing more robustly, including methodological and mechanistic considerations, and contextualization of findings by socioecological environments.

Psychosocial Stress Profiles and Cognitive Function in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sample of Adults

We developed comprehensive multi-domain profiles of psychosocial stress in urban-dwelling, racially and ethnically diverse adults (age range: 25-65; N=256; 63% Non-Hispanic Black; 25% Hispanic; 9% Non-Hispanic White) and evaluated associations with cognitive function. Participants completed psychosocial stress measures tapping into ten domains and tasks of processing speed, working memory, and episodic memory. Latent profile analyses controlling for age yielded four-profiles: high neighborhood stress, moderate versus high work stress and daily discrimination, and high health and relationship stress. Profiles significantly differed in income, age, and employment status. The profile with moderate work stress and daily discrimination and the profile with high neighborhood stress each had significantly lower working memory than the other profiles. The finding of lower working memory among individuals in the moderate work stress and daily discrimination profile was not due to sociodemographic variables. Results highlight the potentially cumulative influence of different contextual stressors on cognition.

Psychosocial Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease and Death in a Population-Based Cohort From 21 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

Stress may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most studies on stress and CVD have been conducted in high-income Western countries, but whether stress is associated with CVD in other settings has been less well studied. To investigate the association of a composite measure of psychosocial stress and the development of CVD events and mortality in a large prospective study involving populations from 21 high-, middle-, and low-income countries across 5 continents. This population-based cohort study used data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study, collected between January 2003 and March 2021. Participants included individuals aged 35 to 70 years living in 21 low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Data were analyzed from April 8 to June 15, 2021. All participants were assessed on a composite measure of psychosocial stress assessed at study entry using brief questionnaires concerning stress at work and home, major life events, and financial stress. The outcomes of interest were stroke, major coronary heart disease (CHD), CVD, and all-cause mortality. A total of 118 706 participants (mean [SD] age 50.4 [9.6] years; 69 842 [58.8%] women and 48 864 [41.2%] men) without prior CVD and with complete baseline and follow-up data were included. Of these, 8699 participants (7.3%) reported high stress, 21 797 participants (18.4%) reported moderate stress, 34 958 participants (29.4%) reported low stress, and 53 252 participants (44.8%) reported no stress. High stress, compared with no stress, was more likely with younger age (mean [SD] age, 48.9 [8.9] years vs 51.1 [9.8] years), abdominal obesity (2981 participants [34.3%] vs 10 599 participants [19.9%]), current smoking (2319 participants [26.7%] vs 10 477 participants [19.7%]) and former smoking (1571 participants [18.1%] vs 3978 participants [7.5%]), alcohol use (4222 participants [48.5%] vs 13 222 participants [24.8%]), and family history of CVD (5435 participants [62.5%] vs 20 255 participants [38.0%]). During a median (IQR) follow-up of 10.2 (8.6-11.9) years, a total of 7248 deaths occurred. During the course of follow-up, there were 5934 CVD events, 4107 CHD events, and 2880 stroke events. Compared with no stress and after adjustment for age, sex, education, marital status, location, abdominal obesity, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and family history of CVD, as the level of stress increased, there were increases in risk of death (low stress: hazard ratio [HR], 1.09 [95% CI, 1.03-1.16]; high stress: 1.17 [95% CI, 1.06-1.29]) and CHD (low stress: HR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.01-1.18]; high stress: HR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.08-1.42]). High stress, but not low or moderate stress, was associated with CVD (HR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.08-1.37]) and stroke (HR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.09-1.56]) after adjustment. This cohort study found that higher psychosocial stress, measured as a composite score of self-perceived stress, life events, and financial stress, was significantly associated with mortality as well as with CVD, CHD, and stroke events.

Vaginal microbiota of American Indian women and associations with measures of psychosocial stress.

Molecular-bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by low levels of vaginal Lactobacillus species and is associated with higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Perceived psychosocial stress is associated with increased severity and persistence of infections, including STIs. American Indians have the highest rates of stress and high rates of STIs. The prevalence of molecular-BV among American Indian women is unknown. We sought to evaluate measures of psychosocial stress, such as historic loss (a multigenerational factor involving slavery, forced removal from one’s land, legally ratified race-based segregation, and contemporary discrimination) and their association with the vaginal microbiota and specific metabolites associated with BV, in 70 Northwestern Plains American Indian women. Demographics, perceived psychosocial stressors, sexual practices, and known BV risk factors were assessed using a modified version of the American Indian Service Utilization, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Risk and Protective Factors Project survey. Self-collected mid-vaginal swabs were profiled for bacterial composition by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolites quantified by targeted liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry. Sixty-six percent of the participants were classified as having molecular-BV, with the rest being either dominated by L. crispatus (10%) or L. iners (24%). High levels of lifetime trauma were associated with higher odds of having molecular-BV (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 2.5, 95% Credible Interval (CrI): 1.1–5.3). Measures of psychosocial stress, including historic loss and historic loss associated symptoms, were significantly associated with lifestyle and behavioral practices. Higher scores of lifetime trauma were associated with increased concentrations of spermine (aFC: 3.3, 95% CrI: 1.2–9.2). Historic loss associated symptoms and biogenic amines were the major correlates of molecular-BV. Historical loss associated symptoms and lifetime trauma are potentially important underlying factors associated with BV.

Biocultural Strategies for Measuring Psychosocial Stress Outcomes in Field-based Research

The goal of assessing psychosocial stress as a process and outcome in naturalistic (i.e., field) settings is applicable across the social, biological, and health sciences. Meaningful measurement of biology-in-context is, however, far from simple or straightforward. In this brief methods review, we introduce theoretical framings, methodological conventions, and ethical concerns around field-collection of markers of psychosocial stress that have emerged from 50 years of research at the intersection of anthropology and human biology. Highlighting measures of psychosocial stress outcomes most often used in biocultural studies, we identify the circumstances under which varied measures are most appropriately applied and provide examples of the types of cutting-edge research questions these measures can address. We explain that field-based psychosocial stress measures embedded in different body systems are neither equivalent nor interchangeable, but this recognition strengthens the study of stress as always simultaneously cultural and biological, situated in local ecologies, social–political structures, and time.

6.30 Biological and Psychosocial Correlates of Social Cognition in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The dysfunctional immune responses in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) associated with increased impairments in social cognition and the impact of interpersonal and social stress in ASD on inflammatory pathways are well known. The connection between psychosocial stress, the immune system, and core deficits may provide greater insight into this debilitating disorder. Our major objectives include: 1) to examine the association of psychosocial stress with measures of social cognition; and 2) to assess the relationship between peripheral inflammatory and neurotrophic proteins, psychosocial stress, and social cognition. Preliminary analysis includes 30 adolescents ages 13 to 17 years old (N = 16 ASD; 12.5% female; N = 14 typically developed [TD; controls]; 21% female]. The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2) was administered to measure social interaction and communication deficits. The Child and Adult versions of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Tests (RMET-C and RMET-A, respectively) were administered as measures of theory of mind. Psychosocial stress measures included the Expressed Emotion (EE) assessed by the Five-Minute Speech Sample, NIH PROMIS scales. ProcartaPlex bead-based multiplex immunoassays were performed for simultaneous detection and quantitation of multiple protein targets in a subset of the plasma. Youth with ASD demonstrated higher familial EE than TD, although it was not statistically significant (p = 0.2). Parent-reported psychological stress in youth with ASD was significantly greater than TD (p = 0.001). Youth with ASD described greater impairments in peer relationships than TD youth (p = 0.004). Youth with ASD with greater psychological stress and impaired family and peer relationships demonstrated more errors on the RMET-A (p = 0.003, p = 0.03, and p = 0.009, respectively). Higher scores on the SRS-2 were seen in youth with ASD with greater psychosocial stress in EE and PROMIS measures, but this did not reach statistical significance. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) demonstrated significant associations with measures of psychological stress (p = 0.07 and p = 0.01, respectively), but no group differences were noted. The preliminary results are consistent with our hypotheses suggesting the presence of higher psychosocial stress in youth with ASD that contributes to greater impairments in social cognition and a dysregulated immune profile. Further analyses with the larger dataset could help identify risk factors that may affect the development and/or maintenance of these deficits and be prime targets for intervention.

Cortisol Levels in Childhood Associated With Emergence of Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms in Early Adulthood

BackgroundIn individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis, elevated cortisol levels predict subsequent onset of psychotic disorder. However, it is unclear whether cortisol alterations are evident at an earlier clinical stage and promote progression of psychosis expression. This study aimed to address this issue by investigating whether cortisol levels in childhood were associated with the emergence of attenuated psychotic symptoms in early adulthood. In exploratory analyses, we examined whether cortisol and psychosocial stress measures interacted in predicting attenuated psychotic symptoms. MethodsA sample of children (N = 109) enriched for psychosis risk factors were recruited at age 9–12 years and assessed at age 11–14 years (T1) and 17–21 years (T2). Measures of psychopathology, psychosocial stressors, and salivary cortisol were obtained at T1. Attenuated psychotic symptoms were assessed at T2 using the Prodromal Questionnaire. ResultsDiurnal cortisol (β = 0.915, 95% CI: 0.062–1.769) and daily stressors (β = 0.379, 95% CI: 0.034–0.723) at T1 were independently associated with total Prodromal Questionnaire scores at T2 after accounting for demographic factors and T1 psychopathology. Exploratory analyses indicated a significant interaction between T1 diurnal cortisol and daily stressors (β = 0.743, 95% CI: 0.081–1.405), with the highest predicted T2 total Prodromal Questionnaire scores occurring when both diurnal cortisol and daily stressors were increased. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that daily stressors and elevations in diurnal cortisol in late childhood/early adolescence increases risk for developing attenuated psychotic symptoms. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing environmental and biological risk factors for psychosis during neurodevelopmentally vulnerable time periods.

Understanding the Factors Associated with Overprotective Parenting Behaviors in Latino Parents

ObjectiveThe current investigation examined whether parental psychopathology and psychosocial stress are related to overprotective parenting behaviors in a sample of Latino parents.BackgroundScant literature exists on the relationship among psychosocial stress, parental psychopathology, and parental behaviors in Latino populations. Further, the literature has focused on parental behaviors as predictors and not as outcomes.MethodSixty‐four Latino parents participated in this study. Parents completed measures of psychosocial stress, psychopathology, and overprotective parenting behaviors. Regression analyses examined predictors of overprotective parenting behaviors consisting of control, supervision, and separation problems.ResultsFindings showed that psychosocial stress predicted overprotective parenting behaviors. However, parental psychopathology had no effect on parental behaviors. Further analysis of psychosocial stress subscales indicated that immigration stress was associated with parental control and parental separation problems. With regard to subscales of parental psychopathology, parental hostility and parental depression were related to parental control.ConclusionLatino parents' use of controlling parenting behaviors seem to be associated with the level of stress they experience—in particular, immigration‐related stress.ImplicationsThese findings suggest the need for interventions that not only focus on teaching appropriate parenting techniques but that also address psychosocial stressors experienced by Latino parents to diminish the effect that immigration related stress has on their parenting practices.