Reduction In Perceived Stress Research Articles

A biopsychosocial model for depressive symptoms following acute coronary syndromes

A partial latent structural regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of perceived stress and coping resources on depression following acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in a sample of 113 participants (25 females and 88 males with a mean age of 57.61 years (SD = 12.63). Out of them, 55 participants were Australian born and 48 were born elsewhere, with 53 of the patients scoring in the mild to high depression range on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Cardiac Depression Scale. Perceived stress and coping resources, after controlling for age and smoking explained 89% of the variance in the latent variable depression. Higher perceived stress levels and fewer coping resources predicted higher levels of depression. Higher levels of perceived stress predicted fewer coping resources and fewer coping resources predicted higher levels of depression. There was a significant direct and indirect effect of perceived stress through coping on depression. Cognitive and physical coping resources were the best predictors of the depression construct. These results have potential implications for the treatment of depression post-ACS. In particular, cognitive and physical coping mechanisms and perceived stress reduction need to be addressed when treating depression post-ACS.

Roles of Leisure in Coping with Stress Among University Students: A Repeated-Assessment Field Study

This article reports findings of a study to examine the effects of leisure coping on various stress coping outcomes including: immediate outcomes (perceived coping effectiveness, perceived satisfaction with coping outcomes, and perceived stress reduction) and distal or long-term outcomes (physical and mental ill-health and psychological well-being), above and beyond the contributions of general coping - coping not directly associated with leisure. A repeated-assessment field design was used to examine ways in which university students cope with stressors in their daily lives. The study found that leisure coping beliefs (leisure-generated dispositional coping resources) significantly predicted lower levels of mental and physical ill-health and greater levels of psychological well-being above and beyond the effects of general coping. Also, the use of leisure coping strategies (situation-specific stress coping strategies through leisure) was significantly associated with higher levels of perceived coping effectiveness and stress reduction when the effects of general coping were taken into account. Significant contributions of specific leisure coping dimensions were found as well.

Perceived Stress Reduction in Urban Public Gardens

The negative effects of the urban situation on human well-being are well documented, contribute to stress, weaken coping skills, and evoke a negative self-appraisal from residents continually surrounded by bleak settings (Stainbrook, 1973). The following research suggests that urban residents may visit public gardens as a means of coping with the stresses of city life. Results of a survey of urban visitors to two urban public gardens indicate that stress reduction is an important reason for visiting the gardens. The research also indicates a trend of reduced levels of self-perceived stress after a garden visit.