Psychological Stress Measure Research Articles

Role of psychoemotional stress in abnormal occlusion

Background: Psychoemotional stress is one of the most significant risk factors in many pathological conditions. Aim: To assess the incidence and severity of psychoemotional stress in patients with abnormal occlusion. Materials and methods: The severity of psychoemotional stress was assessed in 120 patients with abnormal occlusion. A dental examination using primary and secondary methods was performed in all patients. Following a clinical examination, the patients were divided into three groups based on the severity of dental attrition (according to Bushan, 1979). The Russian version (according to Vodopianova) of the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-25; Lemyr–Tessier–Fillion) was used to assess the severity of psychoemotional stress. The questionnaire included 25 questions with an 8-point score for the interpretation of answers, with 1 point representing the absence of psychoemotional stress symptoms and 8 points representing constant daily emotional stress. Results: The analysis revealed that 42 patients had enamel attrition (Group 1), 49 patients had enamel attrition with partially affected dentin (Group 2), and 29 patients had severe attrition that exposed the dentin (Group 3). All respondents reported experiencing varying levels of psychoemotional stress in their daily lives. The severity of stress increased with more severe clinical manifestations of abnormal occlusion. Moreover, the study revealed that the incidence of psychological stress of varying degrees was 100%. The most common manifestations of psychological stress in patients with abnormal occlusion were as follows: grinding and clenching habit (mean: 3.080±0.099 in Group 1, 4.870±0.185 in Group 2, and 6.080±0.122 in Group 3); feeling unwell (mean: 4.020±0.072, 5.620±0.107, and 6.02±0.12, respectively); fatigue (mean: 4.310±0.103, 5.920±0.124, and 7.310±0.263, respectively); and sleep disorders (mean: 5.280±0.121, 5.690±0.165, and 6.280±0.151, respectively). Conclusion: The severity of stress can be used as an integrated quantitative measure of an interdisciplinary approach in the management of these patients, highlighting the need for specialist consultations to improve the psychological status. The severity of stress is an objective efficacy criterion for the diagnosis and treatment, reflecting changes in the level of psychological stress.

Efficiency of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for obesity in combination with dietary modifications in women

Data are accumulating on the direct influence of psychoemotional and psychosocial factors on the inexorable growth of obesity prevalence, and therefore the concept of an interdisciplinary approach is needed, including dietary, physical activity and mental state modifications.Aim. To determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group the­ra­py (CBGT) in combination with nutritional modifications for body mass (BM) management in women with obesity.Material and methods. The study involved 20 women (mean age 46,6±12,3 years) with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2, rigid to diet therapy. A medical psychologist and a nutritionist conducted CBGT sessions with the participants. Initially, BM, BM index, and eating behavior were assessed (DEBQ, Stunkard, CARDIA questionnaires). In addition, the following were used to study the mental status: Toronto Alexithymia Scale ­(TAS-20), vital exhaustion test, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA), Reeder Stress Inventory, and Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-25). The changes were studied 8 weeks after the start CBGT.Results. After 2 months, the BMI dynamics was -4,33 kg (p<0,001). A decrease in the severity of emotional eating behavior by an average of 0,77 (p<0,001), external eating behavior by 1,05 (p<0,001) points was noted, no significant changes in restrained eating behavior were obtained (p=0,43). According to the CARDIA test, after 2 months of CBGT, the detection rate of pathological significance of BM decreased by 50% (p<0,001); as well as episodes of loss of control over food intake (initially in 5 (25%) (p<0,001)), distress due to loss of control over food intake (initially in 6 (30%) (p<0,001). CBGT in combination with dietary intervention showed a decrease in the severity of chronic stress, which corresponded to an increase in the total score from 1,8±0,75 to 2,0±0,60 (p<0,05), a decrease in vital exhaustion from 5,6±3,89 to 4,1±2,66 (p=0,001) and loneliness from 34,9±12,61 to 29,9±7,57 (p=0,007), a decrease in guilt-proneness from 53,0±8,42 to 42,8±11,18 (p<0,001) and shame-proneness from 38,3±10,99 to 31,6±10,07 points (p=0,014).Conclusion. The mental state of a person has a significant impact on eating behavior and on the regulation of BM, which emphasizes the need for complex interventions to provide effective assistance to people with obesity.

Application of Interactive Psychological Exercises for Psychological Rehabilitation of Combatants

Aim. Military operations in Ukraine have caused signs of mental trauma in the combatants. Such individuals need active psychological rehabilitation involving effective methods. One of them is the use of interactive psychological simulators that help to rethink one’s perception of reality and oneself in it, learn new types of behaviour. The aim is to identify the effectiveness of using interactive psychological simulators in improving the psycho-emotional state of combatants. Methods. The following methods were employed during the diagnostics: Diagnosis of Psychological Safety of a Person (DPSP-88), Lemur-Tessier-Fillion Psychological Stress Measure (PSM25), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (TMAS). Descriptive statistics and Student’s t-test were applied for statistical processing. Results. The study proved that the use of an interactive psychological simulator by combatants increased their Psychological Safety Index (t = 8.42; p≤0.001), reduced stress (t = 4.39; p≤0.001), depression (t = 5, 14; p≤0.001), and anxiety (t = 5.43; p≤0.001). This makes it possible to expand the range of psychological rehabilitation of combatants through the introduction of psychological simulators. Conclusion. The obtained results are important for psychologists and rehabilitators, as they prove the effectiveness of the use of psychological simulators in the psychological rehabilitation of combatants. This can improve the process of psychological recovery of the military, contribute to their social and psychological adaptation, resocialisation. Based on the obtained results, it is planned to expand the possibilities of using psychological simulators in the rehabilitation of combatants. Their introduction into the mandatory system of providing assistance to victims of hostilities will reduce the time of their psychological recovery.

Direct Losses and Media Exposure to Death: The Long-Term Effect of Mourning during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The social distancing policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic forced many individuals to confront their mortality and worry about losing loved ones, making it impossible to say goodbye to them properly. Those not directly experiencing loss were inundated with information about COVID-19-related deaths throughout social media, leading to vicarious grief. This study delved into the long-term effects of direct and vicarious mourning on people's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A sample of 171 adults (65% female) aged 19-66 years (Mage = 25.8, SD = 8.57) voluntarily participated in an online survey assessing self-reported psychological measures of complicated grief, stress, depression, dispositional neuroticism, trait anxiety, and situational anxiety. Results: MANOVAs revealed that direct mourning experiences had an extremely severe impact on anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19, and a moderate effect on those without personal losses. Indeed, participants reporting high media exposure showed higher scores of depression and stress. Conclusions: Findings from the current study displayed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people engaged more in proximal defenses than distal ones, taking health-protective measures, experiencing increased anxiety levels toward virus infection, and feeling distressed. Additionally, vicarious mourning was more strongly associated with depression due to emotional empathy with others.

Social Support, Stress, and Mental Health: Examining the Stress-Buffering Hypothesis in Adolescent Football Athletes.

Football sport participation has been linked to both positive and negative effects on overall health. Social support, a network that provides individuals with resources to cope effectively, may positively influence one's stress and mental health. However, little research has been conducted on adolescent football players. To examine the relationships among social support, psychological stress, and mental health in adolescent football athletes. Cross-sectional study. High school athletes during the precompetitive and postcompetitive football season in rural Alabama. Black and African American adolescent athletes (N = 93) competing for a school-sponsored football team. After a competitive season, participants completed a battery of social support, psychological stress, and mental health symptom measures using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Application and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. The T-score means, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses were calculated. Social support was negatively correlated with psychological stress (emotional support, r = -0.386; family relationships, r = -0.412; peer relationships, r = -0.265) and mental health (depression, r = -0.367 and r = -0.323 for emotional support and family relationships, respectively), whereas psychological stress and mental health (depression, r = 0.751; anxiety, r = 0.732) were positively correlated. In regression analyses, social support measures (ie, emotional support, family relationships, and peer relationships) were used to predict psychological stress (F = 7.094, P < .001, R2 = 0.191), depression symptoms (F = 5.323, P < .001, R2 = 0.151), and anxiety symptoms (F = 1.644, P = .190, R2 = 0.052). In line with the stress-buffering hypothesis, social support in the form of family relationships and overall emotional support garnered through sport participation may reduce psychological stress and help to preserve the mental health of football athletes. These findings indicate that perceived social support may act as a positive resource for the coping of Black and African American adolescent athletes. Further research is warranted to understand the effects of stress and social support on the mental health of adolescents, particularly racial and ethnic minorities who are underrepresented in the athletic training literature.

Assessing the equivalency of face-to-face and online simulated patient interviews in an educational intervention

BackgroundIn adapting to COVID-19, many health professional training programs moved abruptly from in-person to online simulated patient interviews for teaching and evaluation without the benefit of evidence regarding the efficacy of this mode of delivery. This paper reports on a multi-methods research project comparing in-person and online simulated patient interviews conducted by allied health professionals as part of an educational intervention offered at a large university teaching hospital.MethodsTwenty-three participants conducted two 15-min interviews with simulated patients using previously validated scenarios of patients presenting with suicide risk. In order to assess the equivalency of the two modalities, physiological and psychological stress were measured using heart rate variability parameters and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory respectively, and then were compared across cohorts using t-tests. Reflective interviews elicited qualitative impressions of the simulations that were subject to thematic qualitative analysis.ResultsThere were no statistical differences in measures of psychological stress or physiological arousal of participant health care professionals who engaged with in-person versus online simulated interviews, suggesting they were equally effective in eliciting reactions commonly found in challenging clinical situations. In reflective interviews, participants commented on the realism of both modalities of simulated patient encounters and that simulated interviews provoked emotional and physiological responses consistent with actual patient encounters.ConclusionsThese findings provide developing evidence that carefully designed online clinical simulations can be a useful tool for the education and assessment of healthcare professionals.

Effectiveness of stress management interventions for nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Elevated stress levels are related to diminished mental health, potentially leading to decreased well-being and performance of nursing students. While researchers have focused on developing stress management interventions, there is a need to synthesize the evidence. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to assess the evidence for the effectiveness of stress management interventions in nursing students. A systematic literature search identified controlled stress management interventions employing a validated psychological or physiological stress measure. Forty-one studies were included, with 36 forming a pool of 2715 participants in the meta-analysis. The overall effect on psychological stress was positive. Intervention type, delivery modality, intervention duration in weeks, and number of sessions were moderators of intervention effectiveness, with more significant effects for mind-body programs, on-site delivery methods, durations of 9-12 weeks, and 15-30 sessions. For physiological stress, the biomarkers of blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels decreased significantly. Future research is necessary for promising outcomes related to currently underrepresented indicators and to investigate the long-term effects of interventions.

Relationships between disease severity, psychological stress, and health-related quality of life among patients with acute coronary syndrome: mediation of illness perception.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) often experience reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL), which may be attributable to the disease severity and psychological stress. While illness perception is speculated to be a potential pathway underlying these relationships, evidence supporting this mechanism remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between disease severity, psychological stress, and HRQOL and whether these relationships are mediated by illness perception in patients with ACS. Data were collected from June to July 2019 and June to September 2020 in the cardiology departments of four public hospitals in China. Eligible patients completed measures of disease severity, psychological stress, illness perception, HRQOL, and socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Data were analysed employing hierarchical multiple regression and structural equation modelling. This study included 405 participants (mean age 60.63 years, 67.4% male). After controlling for socio-demographic and clinical covariates, higher levels of disease severity (β = 0.115, P = 0.024) and psychological stress (β = -0.209, P＜0.001) were associated with poorer HRQOL; however, the relationships became non-significant after adding illness perception into the regression model. Structural equation modelling analysis suggested that illness perception played a mediating role between disease severity, psychological stress, and HRQOL, accounting for 45.95% and 65.79% of the total effects, respectively. This study found that illness perception mediated the relationships between disease severity, psychological stress, and HRQOL among patients with ACS. Improving patients' HRQOL should consider its important influencing factors with a focus on promoting positive illness perception.

Mindfulness Based Interventions for Surgeons: A Scoping Review.

To review the evidence on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for surgeons. Healthcare professionals have alarmingly high rates of burnout, yet little is known about psychological factors that support resilience. MBIs, which involve codified training in specific skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, and perspective-taking, have shown benefit to professionals in high stress environments, but have had limited implementation in the healthcare workplace and in surgery. To our knowledge, there has not been a scoping review of MBIs in surgery to date. We conducted a scoping review of the evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of MBIs for surgeons, including evidence on interventions that explicitly train mindfulness, which spans multiple cohorts and settings, utilizing different methodologies and outcome measures. This scoping review yielded 24 studies, including two mixed method/qualitative studies, nine randomized control trials, three non-randomized interventional studies, and eight single-arm interventional studies. We find that MBIs in surgery 1) are feasible in surgical contexts, with implementation science providing insights on sustainability; 2) increase mindfulness, 3) improve well-being in terms of burnout and both psychological and neurophysiological measures of stress, and 4) enhance performance as measured in executive function, surgical skills, and communication skills. These conclusions are supported by psychometric measures, observations of technical skills, and neurophysiological evidence. Future directions include studying MBIs in larger and more diverse populations, and iteratively tailoring mindfulness-based interventions to other healthcare contexts.

Physiological Responses to Organizational Stressors Among Police Managers

Police officers demonstrate increased risk of physical and mental health conditions due to repeated and prolonged exposure to stressful occupational conditions. Occupational stress is broken into two types: operational stress, related to the content of field duties (e.g., physical demands); and organizational stress, related to cultural and structural contexts (e.g., interpersonal relationships). Applied police research focuses on physiological activation in operational tasks as a mechanism explaining health risk and non-optimal performance outcomes. However, recent survey-based studies indicate numerous organizational stressors associated with self-reported mental health symptoms. The question of whether organizational stressors elicit significant physiological activity remains unknown. The current proof-of-concept field study tests the hypothesis that police managers will display significant physiological reactivity before, during, and after engaging in reality-based scenarios representative of stressful police management tasks developed from evidence-based pedagogical approaches. A sample of 25 training police managers (7 female, M = 16 +/- 5.3 years of experience) completed 5 reality-based scenarios, including resolving a heated conflict between colleagues, delivering negative feedback to a subordinate, and critical incident command. Significant increases in heart rate relative to rest were observed during all tasks, and in anticipation of several tasks. Greater increases in reactive heart rate were associated with longer recovery times. Sex differences and relationships between objective biological and subjective psychological measures of stress are discussed. The current findings demonstrate significant physiological responses to organizational stressors similar to levels observed during operational tasks, despite the absence of physical or aerobic exertion. Implications for police health and training are discussed.

INVESTIGATING INDICATORS OF ANXIETY, PSYCHOEMOTIONAL TENSION AND STRESS IN PREGNANT WOMEN DURING MARTIAL LAW

Introduction. Pregnancy is a vulnerable period marked by psychoemotional changes, ushering in a new stage with profound shifts in a woman's mental well-being. Elevated stress levels during pregnancy correlate with various adverse psychological and physiological outcomes for both the mother and child. In the current context, the ongoing war serves as an additional stressor for Ukrainian women. Pregnant women exposed to conflict face an increased risk of maternal mortality and a higher likelihood of delivering infants with health complications. Recognizing potential factors contributing to psychoemotional changes in pregnant women is a critical undertaking that should be initiated early in pregnancy.&#x0D; The purpose of this study is to assess indicators of anxiety, psychoemotional tension and stress in pregnant women during martial law&#x0D; Materials and methods. Psychometric testing of 50 pregnant women was performed by using three anxiety/stress scales: the Spielberger-Hanin Scale, the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-25), and the Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). The participants were categorized into three groups: group 1 comprised pregnant women residing in areas directly impacted by the full-scale invasion, facing active hostilities or constant rocket fire without changing their residence (17 women, one experiencing occupation for &lt; 1 month); group 2 included internally displaced women (13 individuals, two in settlements occupied for &lt; 1 month); and group 3 encompassed 20 women residing in areas where active hostilities were not taking place.&#x0D; Results. According to the Spielberger-Hanin scale, the highest rate of reactive (46.2%, n=6) and personal anxiety (38.5%, n=5) was observed in the group of internally displaced women. The results of the IES-R were as follows, according to the invasion subscale: the highest level was observed in the group of women who were in settlements where there were no active hostilities (45%, n=9), avoidance was found in women who did not change their place of residence, where there was or continues to be active hostilities (58.8%, n=10), excitement – in internally displaced persons (46.2%, n=6). According to the PSM-25, no woman had a high level of stress, it was increased in women of the first group (23.5%, n=4). In the first studied group, complications were dominated by polyhydramnios (29.4%, n=5), fetal growth retardation syndrome (11.8%, n=2), umbilical cord localization pathology (5.9%, n=1), premature detachment a normally located placenta (11.8%, n=2) and one woman had surgery during pregnancy (5.9%, n=1). In the second group, there was a threat of abortion (30.8%, n=4). , preeclampsia in the first half of pregnancy (7.7%, n=1) and placenta localization pathology (7.7%, n=1). In the third group, there was a threat of premature birth (35%, n=7), preeclampsia (20% , n=4), oligohydramnios (25%, n=5), placental pathology (20%, n=4) and premature rupture of membranes (25%, n=5). Regarding the termination of pregnancies (table 4), the majority of pregnancies in all studied groups ended in term delivery, the highest percentage of premature deliveries (35%, n=7) was observed in the third group. In the group where there were women from the zone of active hostilities (group 1), one case of neonatal death was recorded, which was associated with significant fetal malformations.&#x0D; Conclusions. Stress is an adaptive process that induces changes in the body. This study revealed that each group experienced stress. It is noteworthy that stress during pregnancy is not solely attributed to war; factors such as the pregnancy itself, its parity, and the presence of somatic diseases also contribute. Consequently, there is a need to formulate measures for the psychoprophylaxis of women and to conduct further observations, assessing larger research cohorts.

The effectiveness of a counseling program in reducing psychological stress among a sample of mothers of autistic children

The current study aimed to provide a counseling program to reduce psychological stress in a sample of mothers of children with autism disorder. The study sample consisted of (20) mothers, whose children suffer from autism disorder. She has the counseling program and the other is a control one, she was not subject to the counseling program, and the study tools consisted of a measure of psychological stress and the counseling program, and the results of the study found that there were differences between the experimental and control groups in the post-measurement in favor of the experimental group, which confirms that the counseling program has its effectiveness in reducing psychological stress .

Fear of Deportation and Hispanic Early Adolescent Substance Use: a Moderated Mediation Model of Stress and Hope.

Reports of deportation can create a state of chronic fear in children living in mixed-status immigrant families over their own or a loved one's potential deportation. One indicator of health disparities among youth is elevated rates of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD). Yet little is known about the effects of fear of deportation (FOD) on ATOD or what might promote resilience. We explore the associations between FOD and ATOD use, how stress mediates this relationship, and whether hope moderates the mediated pathway from FOD to ATOD. Participants were 200 first- and second-generation 7th grade Hispanic youth (49% female) assessed across three waves of data. A moderated mediation model tested the indirect effect of FOD on ATOD through stress and whether hope moderated these associations. FOD was measured by the Family Fear of Deportation Scale. Snyder's Children's Hope Scale measured hope. Stress was measured by a short version of Pediatric Psychological Stress Measure. ATOD was adapted from the Monitoring the Future project. FOD was not directly associated with ATOD use. However, this path was fully mediated by stress. Hope significantly moderated the path from FOD to stress such that a one unit increase in hope completely offset the effects of FOD on stress. Hope did not moderate the path from stress to ATOD use. Interventions that increase awareness of deportation trauma, alleviate stress, and promote hope may help prevent, delay initiation into, and/or decrease ATOD among Hispanic first- and second-generation youth.

Impact of Ecological Momentary Interventions on Regulatory Strategies of Perceived Stress at Work: An Exploratory Study Based on the Application &amp;#34;MON SHERPA” Used in an Ecological Context

Based on ICT, specifically smartphones and their mobile apps, this exploratory study questions the impact of EMIs on employees&amp;#39; perceived stress during workdays. A sample of 15 workers, working at least 3 days a week and divided into one control group (n=5) and one experimental group (n=10), used an EMI application called &amp;quot;Mon Sherpa&amp;quot; for one week. Participants responded to two questionnaires at the beginning of the study: a sociodemographic questionnaire and the PSM-9 (Psychological Stress Measure). They completed the PSM-9 once again in the middle and at the end of the experiment to compare the score&amp;#39;s evolution depending on the formed groups. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants of the experimental group (n=9) to identify their perception of the application. The statistical results indicated no effects of the EMIs. However, interviews indicated somatic, behavioral, and cognitive evolution throughout the experiment in the field of stress, anxiety, and invasive thoughts. These conflicting results might be explained by an immediate but not lasting effect of EMIs on work-related stress. It may also be partly explained by some limitations of the study. More cross-disciplinary and larger research is required.

Wearable technology metrics are associated with energy deficiency and psychological stress in elite swimmers

Energy deficiency (ED) and psychological stress affect athlete health. Given the emerging capabilities of wearable technology, the purpose of this study was to explore associations of wearable technology metrics in relation to lab-based measures of ED and psychological stress. We investigated the associations between (a) wearable-derived heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate (RHR), exercise strain and recovery, and (b) laboratory-derived measures of metabolism (resting metabolic rate (RMR), total triiodothyronine (TT3)) and a validated stress assessment (Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ)-52 items) in NCAA swimmers ( n = 23, 10 male, 13 female) during heavy training. Swimmers were grouped by degree of metabolic adaption to ED using the ratio of actual-to-predicted RMR (utilizing the validated cutoff of &lt;0.94) and by sex. Metabolically suppressed swimmers had lower HRV (81 ± 27 ms vs.110 ± 35 ms, p = 0.04). HRV correlated positively with RMR (kcal·kg LBM−1·day−1; where LBM stands for lean body mass) ( r = 0.45; p = 0.03). HRV was negatively correlated with sport-specific ( r = −0.46; p = 0.03) and total stress ( r = −0.46; p = 0.03). In males, HRV correlated negatively with general stress ( r = −0.72; p = 0.02) and total stress ( r = −0.74, p = 0.01) (RESTQ). Additionally, in males only, the strain was correlated positively with RESTQ recovery–stress balance ( r = 0.69; p = 0.03), and negatively correlated with general stress ( r = −0.81, p = 0.01), and sport stress ( r = −0.89, p &lt; 0.01). No correlations between HRV, RHR, strain or recovery, and stress variables were observed in females. Associations between wearable technology measures of HRV, RHR, strain, and recovery with validated measures of ED and psychological stress should continue to be explored with a focus on underlying mechanisms and moderating influences of biological sex.

A Call to Validate the Stress Continuum Model.

Since the start of the Global War on Terrorism, exponential demands have been put on military personnel, their families, and the military health care system. In response to a Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health, the U.S. military began developing and fielding programs to promote the psychological health of its personnel. As part of these initiatives, the Navy and Marine Corps developed the Stress Continuum model. The Stress Continuum is a stress classification system ("ready," "reacting," "injured," and "ill") that provides a common language for identifying, engaging, and intervening when stress reactions or stress injuries are present in military personnel. It is the foundation for resilience and prevention efforts across the Navy and Marine Corps. Although the Stress Continuum has strong face validity, is consistent with current theory, and has been agreed up by expert consensus, it has yet to be empirically validated. The goal of the current article is to begin to empirically validate the Stress Continuum using validated measures of psychological stress. We conducted a retrospective analysis of Stress Continuum data (n = 2,049) collected as part of a program evaluation of two Navy operational stress control programs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and analyses were conducted to determine the classification quality of the Stress Continuum using a validated measure of stress (a brief version of the Perceived Stress Scale [PSS-4]). For the first ROC curve, we used the "ill" category (vs. the other three categories) to identify the cut point on the PSS-4. PSS-4 cut point values of 9 and 10, respectively, maximized sensitivity and 1-specificity values. Using the chi-square test, we further found that a more accurate prediction for those in the "ill" category was using the cut point of 9 (79%) relative to 10 (71.8%). For the second and the third ROC curves, we used the "ill" and "injured" categories (vs. the other two categories) and "ill," "injured," and "reacting" categories (vs. the "ready" category), respectively. No optimal cut points on the PSS-4 were identified for these models, indicating that the PSS-4 could not reliably differentiate true-positive and false-positive rates. We found that the "ill" category of the Stress Continuum was predictive of higher levels of stress on the validated measure of perceived stress. Thus, our findings strongly suggest that the individuals in the "ill" zone likely warrant some type of intervention by a trained professional. The Navy has recently leveraged the Stress Continuum to create the Stress-o-Meter to support the fundamental principles of early recognition, peer intervention, and connection to services at the unit level. The Stress-o-Meter serves as a prevention tool that has the capability to collect information about stress levels throughout the entire unit at any time. Continued work on validating the Stress Continuum model and making it easily accessible to military units will ensure service members get the support they need and leaders are able to address the psychological health of their units.

Pregnancy and psychoemotional stress reactions. Age factor

Pregnancy is a unique period in a woman’s life with an increased likelihood of psychological changes and emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress. Almost 70% of women experience various changes in their mental state during pregnancy. There is a need to consider the physiology and psychology of a pregnant woman not as a separate process, but as a single integrated system and to promote the search for new methods of regulating psychoemotional states.The objective: to determine the relationship between psychoemotional stress reactions and pregnancy, taking into account the age factor.Materials and methods. Special psychometric testing of 100 pregnant women of different ages and at different stages of gestation was carried out. Each of the research participants was asked to complete a survey using three questionnaires. The Spielberger–Hanin scale, the psychological stress measure (PSM-25) and the impact of event scale – revised (IES-R) of a traumatic event were used for analysis. The average age of the examined patients was 30.9±5.54 years; 48 persons were ≤30 years old, 49 women were 31–40 years old, and 3 patients were ≥41 years old.Statistical processing of the results was carried out in the program for working with electronic spreadsheets Microsoft Excel 2016 and the program for comprehensive data analysis - STATISTICA 10 for Windows. Graphic design was done with Microsoft Excel 2016.Results. According to the Spielberger–Hanin survey, 14% of women had a low level of reactive anxiety, 52% – a moderate level, and 34% – a high level. Only 7% of women had a low level of personal anxiety, and their average value was close to a moderate level, 44% of patients had a moderate level and 49% had a high level.According to the data of impact of event scale – revised (IES-R) of a traumatic event, which has 3 subscales, it was established that a low level of the subscale of intrusion among the interviewed pregnant women was found in 16% of women (n=16), an average level in 23%, an elevated level in 15% and high one – in 46%. A low level of the avoidance subscale was determined in 16% of women, an average level – in 12%, a high level – 14%, and a high level – 58%.According to the results of the psychological stress measure PSM-25, the majority of women had a low level of stress – 77%, medium level – 22%, high level – 1%.Conclusions. According to the results of the study, the majority of women had a high level of anxiety during pregnancy, the prevalence of which was the highest one among women 31 to 40 years old; the lowest rate was among pregnant women younger than 30 years old.It is necessary to develop measures aimed at psychoprophylaxis of pregnant women, at their conscious attitude to pregnancy, childbirth and subsequent motherhood.

Evaluating the stress of root canal treatment in patients and dentists compared to other dental treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review aimed to investigate whether root canal treatment caused greater stress than other dental treatments for patients and dentists. All peer-reviewed literature published in English between January 1990 and January 2023 was included. This included randomized/non-randomized control trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies. An electronic search used PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Cochrane Collaboration, and Embase. Hand searching supplemented the screening pool. Studies examining physiological or psychological stress measures within patients or providers of dental treatment (dentists, dental specialists, and dental students) were eligible. The study must have reported on the stress outcome for root canal treatment and at least one other dental procedure. After screening 3639 eligible records, there were 23 studies included, varying from very-low to low certainty of evidence. This review found that root canal treatment was more psychologically stressful for patients than routine restorative or cleaning procedures. However, the stress of root canal treatment relative to other dental procedures, especially extractions, was inconclusive for both dental patients and providers. Since patients regard root canal treatment as more stress-evoking than other routine dental procedures, providers should endeavour to minimise their own bias toward root canal treatment when providing adequate information for an informed treatment choice.

Psychological distress and symptom-related burnout in asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People with asthma may be particularly vulnerable to pandemic-related psychological distress, and research is needed to understand the impact of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic on their health and well-being. We sought to study the well-being of people with asthma relative to non-asthmatic controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also investigated asthma symptoms and COVID-19-related anxiety as potential mediators of distress. Participants completed self-report measures of psychological functioning, including anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout. Controlling for potential confounds, multiple-regression analyses examined differences in psychological health between people with and without asthma. Mediator analyses investigated the role of asthma symptoms and COVID-19-related anxiety in this relationship. 234 adults (111 with asthma, 123 without) participated in an online survey from July to November 2020. During this time, people with asthma reported higher levels of anxiety, perceived stress, and burnout symptoms compared to controls. Elevations in burnout symptoms were found beyond general anxiety and depression (sr2 = .03, p < .001). Reported symptoms typical in both asthma and COVID-19 partially mediated this relationship (Pm = .42, p < .05). People with asthma reported unique psychological challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic including elevated burnout symptoms. Experience of asthma symptoms played a key role in vulnerability to emotional exhaustion. Clinical implications include increased attention to asthma symptom burden within the context of heightened environmental stress and restricted healthcare access.

Providing Inclusive Primary School Education for Children with Special Educational Needs in Wartime Ukraine: Challenges and Current Solutions

Since 2011 primary school students with special educational needs (SEN) in Ukraine have been allowed to study alongside mainstream students in the inclusive education program established by the Ministry of Education and Science. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 challenged the possibility of maintaining inclusive education for children with SEN, which required providers to find new solutions.&#x0D; This paper focuses on the first response of inclusion providers in the Ukrainian primary school education system to the challenges of working in wartime from February to May 2022, using teachers in the city of Kryvyi Rih as a case study.&#x0D; A quasi-experimental study (n=495) involved a group of inclusion providers (n=92) in comparison to mainstream primary school teachers (n=403). The research included: collecting data on the professional qualifications and experience of the teachers; questions on changes in the educational process and the number of students; the Psychological Stress Measure; Oldenburg Burnout Inventory; Brief Resilience Scale; and Miroshnyk Teacher’s Roles Self-Assessment Scale (MiTeRoSA), designed as an online survey.&#x0D; The inclusion providers faced numerous challenges due to the war, namely, (a) the enormous workload of preparing for classes (φ*=8.7, p&lt;.01), the extended non-educational work assignments (φ*=5.5, p&lt;.01), working with students (φ*=2.9, p&lt;.01) and their parents (φ*=3.5, p&lt;.01), (b) volunteering at school, and (c) the changed composition of student groups, i.e., students who left school and fled the area (in 64.1% of responses) and incoming students displaced from combat zones (27.2%). Struggling with stress and burnout (self-reported by 48.91% of inclusion providers), using psychological self-care skills and social resilience capacity through the support of the student's parents and colleagues, primary school teachers invented and implemented seven ways to maintain education for the students with SEN, the kind of which depended on the teacher's professional role structure and available social support.