Psychological Stress Responses Research Articles

Combined associations of regular exercise and work-related moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with occupational stress responses: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe association between work-related moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and higher levels of stress response is recognized, but whether this association is moderated by regular exercise remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated whether exercise-based physical activity (PA) associates with lower levels of stress responses moderated by work-related MVPA.MethodsThe study participants comprised 863 workers from 35 small and medium-sized enterprises in Shimane prefecture, Japan, collected through convenient sampling from April 2021 to August 2022. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to assess stress responses. Work-related MVPA and exercise-based PA were measured using questionnaires. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the combined variables of work-related MVPA and exercise-based PA. The reference group had no weekly exercise-based PA and >60 min of work-related MVPA.ResultsWhen work-related MVPA exceeded 60 min/day, flexibility activity or walking for ≥5 days/week (B = −3.53, 95% CI = −5.96, −1.11; B = −2.53, 95% CI = −4.90, −0.16) and muscle-strengthening activity 1–3 times/week (B = −3.52, 95% CI = −6.91, −0.12) were significantly associated with lower psychological stress response. Flexibility activity (B = −1.74, 95% CI = −3.01, −0.46) showed a similar link with physical stress response. When work-related MVPA was below 60 min/day, flexibility activity (B = −3.23, 95% CI = −6.01, −0.44; B = −3.29, 95% CI = −5.94, −0.63) or walking (B = −4.03, 95% CI = −6.62, −1.45; B = −3.10, 95% CI = −5.76, −0.44) practice 1–4 times/week and ≥5 times/week was significantly associated with lower psychological stress response.ConclusionExercise-based PA greatly and consistently associates with a lower level of stress responses moderated by work-related MVPA.

Maintaining social trust: Family cohesion and enhancing mindset in the face of COVID‐19 stress

AbstractWe recruited a large cross‐sectional sample of undergraduate students in China (n = 1134) early in the COVID‐19 pandemic to investigate how family cohesion may be related to the maintenance of social trust. Family cohesion was positively associated with social trust, and this effect was partially mediated by psychological stress responses to COVID‐19 (PSRC), that is, family cohesion was negatively associated with greater PSRC which was also negatively associated with social trust. Having a “stress‐as‐enhancing” mindset had an additive negative effect on the association between family cohesion and PSRC but only had a weak dampening effect on the negative association between PSRC and trust. Interventions focusing on cultivating positive family relationships and embracing a stress‐as‐enhancing mindset may offer avenues for maximizing protective factors in times of public health crises.

The relationship between neuroticism and the acute psychological stress response: Evidence from the autonomic nervous system

The relationship between neuroticism and the acute psychological stress response: Evidence from the autonomic nervous system

The effects of acute exercise on stress reactivity assessed via a multidimensional approach: a systematic review.

Psychological stress is associated with numerous deleterious health effects. Accumulating evidence suggests acute exercise reduces stress reactivity. As stressors activate a wide array of psychological and physiological systems it is imperative stress responses are examined through a multidimensional lens. Moreover, it seems prudent to consider whether stress responses are influenced by exercise intervention characteristics such as modality, duration, intensity, timing, as well as participant fitness/physical activity levels. The current review therefore examined the role of acute exercise on stress reactivity through a multidimensional approach, as well as whether exercise intervention characteristics and participant fitness/physical activity levels may moderate these effects. Stress reactivity was assessed via heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, catecholamines, and self-report. A systematic search following PRISMA guidelines of five databases was updated in November 2022. Reviewed studies met the following criteria: English language, participants aged ≥ 18, use of acute exercise, use of a validated stress-inducing task, and assessment(s) of stress reactivity. Thirty-one studies (1386 participants) were included. Acute exercise resulted in reliable reductions to blood pressure and cortisol. Acute exercise yielded mostly negligible effects on heart rate reactivity and negligible effects on self-report measures. As for exercise intervention characteristics, intensity-dependent effects were present, such that higher intensities yielded larger reductions to reactivity measures, while limited evidence was present for duration, modality, and timing-dependent effects. Regarding participant fitness/physical activity levels, the effects on stress reactivity were mixed. Future work should standardize the definitions and assessment time points of stress reactivity, as well as investigate the interaction between physiological and psychological stress responses in real-world contexts.

Investigation of the relationship between university students’ attentional impulsivity levels and psychological and physiological stress responses

IntroductionThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between attentional impulsivity levels and physiological and psychological stress responses of university students.Material and methodsIn the study, a correlational research methodology was applied, and 300 university students participated in the study. Four different data collection tools were used in the study: a personal information form, the Physiological Stress Response Inventory, and the Attentional Impulsivity Part of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. In data analysis, descriptive values (mean, standard deviation, and minimum-maximum values) regarding the dependent variables and frequencies of the categorical variables were calculated, and then Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression analysis with the enter method were applied.ResultsThe findings of the study revealed that attentional impulsivity of the participants is significantly related to both physiological stress responses (R2 = 0.04, F[1;267] = 11.45, p < 0.05) and psychological stress responses (R2 = 0.04, F[1;270] = 10.40, p < 0.05). At the same time, there is a significant negative association between physiological stress responses and psychological stress responses (r = –0.68).ConclusionsIt can be said that attentional impulsivity is an important variable for explaining changes in both physiological and psychological stress responses. Also, physiological and psychological stress responses should be considered as separate kinds of stress responses in stress response measurements.

Psychological stress to ovalbumin peptide-specific T-cell receptor transgenic mice impairs the suppressive ability of type 1 regulatory T cell.

Numerous diseases of the immune system can be traced back to the malfunctioning of the regulatory T cells. The aetiology is unclear. Psychological stress can cause disruption to the immune regulation. The synergistic effects of psychological stress and immune response on immune regulation have yet to be fully understood. The intention of this study is to analyse the interaction between psychological stress and immune responses and how it affects the functional status of type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells. In this study, ovalbumin peptide T-cell receptor transgenic mice were utilised. Mice were subjected to restraint stress to induce psychological stress. An airway allergy murine model was established, in which a mouse strain with RING finger protein 20 (Rnf20)-deficient CD4+ T cells were used. The results showed that concomitant exposure to restraint stress and immune response could exacerbate endoplasmic reticulum stress in Tr1 cells. Corticosterone was responsible for the elevated expression of X-box protein-1 (XBP1) in mouse Tr1 cells after exposure to both restraint stress and immune response. XBP1 mediated the effects of corticosterone on inducing Rnf20 in Tr1 cells. The reduction of the interleukin-10 expression in Tr1 cells was facilitated by Rnf20. Inhibition of Rnf20 alleviated experimental airway allergy by restoring the immune regulatory ability of Tr1 cells. In conclusion, the functions of Tr1 cells are negatively impacted by simultaneous exposure to psychological stress and immune response. Tr1 cells' immune suppressive functions can be restored by inhibiting Rnf20, which has the translational potential for the treatment of diseases of the immune system.

Human emergency behaviour and psychological stress characteristic mining based on large-scale emergencies

AbstractHuman emergency behaviour and psychological stress response in emergencies are important scientific issues in basic emergency management research. The analysis of the dynamic characteristics of large-scale human behaviour based on electronic footprint data provides a new method for quantitative research on this problem. Previous studies usually assumed that human behaviors were randomly distributed in time, but few studies have studied the psychological stress response of human groups under the influence of emergencies and carried out prediction methods through social media data. Based on the data from five emergencies and daily events in the Qzone, this paper explores the statistical characteristics of human communication behaviors such as time, space and social interaction. The research results reveal the psychological evolution of human groups when they encounter public security emergencies by analysing the causes of individual psychological stress responses in the group. We find that the time interval between people’s posting behaviour and interactive comment behaviour in mobile QQ space before and after an emergency can be approximately described by a power-law distribution. The time interval distribution of Posting and reply is an obvious heavy-tailed distribution. These behavioural characteristics are consistent with people’s psychological stress characteristics. Individual psychological stress responses gradually evolve into social-psychological responses with changes in behavioural characteristics. The greater the social-psychological stress response is, the more panic the public will be, which will cause the outbreak of group irrational behaviour. The research results are theoretically helpful in understanding the impact of emergencies on human communication behaviour patterns and reveal the psychological stress process of mass panic in large-scale emergencies.

A physicochemical-sensing electronic skin for stress response monitoring.

Approaches to quantify stress responses typically rely on subjective surveys and questionnaires. Wearable sensors can potentially be used to continuously monitor stress-relevant biomarkers. However, the biological stress response is spread across the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and the capabilities of current sensors are not sufficient for condition-specific stress response evaluation. Here we report an electronic skin for stress response assessment that non-invasively monitors three vital signs (pulse waveform, galvanic skin response and skin temperature) and six molecular biomarkers in human sweat (glucose, lactate, uric acid, sodium ions, potassium ions and ammonium). We develop a general approach to prepare electrochemical sensors that relies on analogous composite materials for stabilizing and conserving sensor interfaces. The resulting sensors offer long-term sweat biomarker analysis of over 100 hours with high stability. We show that the electronic skin can provide continuous multimodal physicochemical monitoring over a 24-hour period and during different daily activities. With the help of a machine learning pipeline, we also show that the platform can differentiate three stressors with an accuracy of 98.0%, and quantify psychological stress responses with a confidence level of 98.7%.

Association between different types of physical activity and occupational stress in Japanese workers: a cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study investigated the association between different types of physical activity (PA) and occupational psychological and physical stress responses among workers in Japan. Stress responses were assessed using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Work-related PA (time spent sitting, sitting bouts, standing, walking, engaging in heavy labor, and moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA]) and exercise-based PA (frequencies [times/wk] of flexibility and muscle-strengthening activity, and walking) were measured using a questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was performed to examine the association between each type of PA and stress responses. Participants who engaged in >108 min/d of work-related MVPA exhibited a statistically significant association with higher psychological stress responses when compared to those who engaged in 0-42 min/d of work-related MVPA. For exercise-based PA, participants who engaged in flexibility activity or walking five or more times/wk, or muscle-strengthening activity one to three times/wk, demonstrated significantly lower psychological stress responses compared to those who did not exercise. Participants who engaged in flexibility activity five or more times/wok demonstrated significantly lower physical stress responses compared to those who did not exercise. This study suggests that work-related MVPA is associated with higher psychological stress responses, while exercise-based PA is associated with lower psychological or physical stress responses.

Clinical nursing value of predictive nursing in reducing complications of pregnant women undergoing short-term massive blood transfusion during cesarean section.

Cesarean hemorrhage is one of the serious complications, and short-term massive blood transfusion can easily cause postoperative infection and physical stress response. However, predictive nursing intervention has important clinical significance for it. To explore the effect of predictive nursing intervention on the stress response and complications of women undergoing short-term mass blood transfusion during cesarean section (CS). A clinical medical record of 100 pregnant women undergoing rapid mass blood transfusion during sections from June 2019 to June 2021. According to the different nursing methods, patients divided into control group (n = 50) and observation group (n = 50). Among them, the control group implemented routine nursing, and the observation group implemented predictive nursing intervention based on the control group. Moreover, compared the differences in stress response, complications, and pain scores before and after the nursing of pregnant women undergoing rapid mass blood transfusion during CS. The anxiety and depression scores of pregnant women in the two groups were significantly improved after nursing, and the psychological stress response of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The heart rate and mean arterial pressure (MAP) of the observation group during delivery were lower than those of the control group, and the MAP at the end of delivery was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, different pain scores improved significantly in both groups, with the observation group considerably less than the control group (P < 0.05). After nursing, complications such as skin rash, urinary retention, chills, diarrhea, and anaphylactic shock in the observation group were 18%, which significantly higher than in the control group (4%) (P < 0.05). Predictive nursing intervention can effectively relieve the pain, reduce the incidence of complications, improve mood and stress response, and serve as a reference value for the nursing of women undergoing rapid mass transfusion during CS.

Anxiolytic-like effects of the dual orexin receptor antagonist daridorexant in rats

Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) belong to a novel class of sleep medications that function by blocking the actions of wakefulness-promoting orexin neuropeptides in sleep-wake centers of the brain. Orexins also transmit signals to brain nuclei that regulate emotions and stress responses. The effects of DORAs on anxiety-like reactions requires further exploration. The hyperarousal theory of insomnia suggests an underlying overactivation of the body's stress response systems, and a considerable proportion of insomnia patients suffers from concurrent anxiety disorders. Hence, it is important for physicians to be certain that novel insomnia treatments do not exacerbate, but rather alleviate, patients' anxiety and psychological stress responses. Our aim was to test the effect of the new DORA daridorexant on diverse anxiety- and fear-evoked behavioral and physiological reactions in rats to gain first insight into the drug's potential in humans. Daridorexant, given orally at 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg 1 h before testing, resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of fear-potentiated acoustic startle (FPS) reactions, schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) and social stress-induced hyperthermia and tachycardia (SIH/T). Furthermore, under non-stressful, basal conditions, daridorexant reduced the heart rate of spontaneously hypertensive rats, which are considered a model of endogenous, sympathetic hyperactivation that can occur in insomnia or anxiety disorders. Daridorexant had no effect on ultrasound-induced, panic-like, defensive behavior (UIDB). We conclude that daridorexant rather attenuated and did not intensify fear/stress responses in rats. It was effective in models that simulate endophenotypes that are specific for post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive, and social anxiety disorder.

A Menu-based Nursing Intervention Using the Health Action Process Approach Model on the Stress Response and Postoperative Rehabilitation after Liver Cancer Surgery

We investigated the effects of a menu-based nursing intervention using the health actionprocess approach (HAPA) model on patient stress response and postoperative rehabilitation after livercancer surgery. Methods: We randomly assigned 120 patients with liver cancer to intervention (N=60)or control groups (N=60). Intervention patients received a menu-based nursing intervention using theHAPA model; control patients received routine care. We measured physiological and psychological stressresponses using C-reactive protein (CRP) and cortisol (Cor) levels and the Hamilton anxiety rating scale(HAMA) and the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD). Results: Intervention group HAMA and theHAMD scores were lower than the control group’s (p &lt; .05). Postoperative intervention group CRP andCor levels were lower than control group levels at 1 and 3 days (p &lt; .05). Those in the intervention grouphad a shorter time until their first exhaust and meal and a shorter hospital stay than those in the controlgroup (p &lt; .05). Self-management ability and quality of life scores of the intervention group were higherthan for the control group (p &lt; .05). Conclusion: The menu-based nursing intervention using the HAPAmodel can reduce postoperative stress response and complications and accelerate postoperative recovery.

Unraveling the Work-Related Distress Profiles of Election Officers in Yogyakarta: Lessons Learned from the 2019 General Election

Drawing from the 2019 electoral incident, this study seeks to comprehend election officials’ working context, providing insights for the forthcoming 2024 general election (Pemilu). Specifically, this study investigates the working conditions of election officials during Indonesia's 2019 general election by examining their job demands, job resources, psychological and physical stress responses. Utilizing the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the study evaluated the job demands, job resources, psychological and physical stress responses of 212 election officials in Yogyakarta Province using part of The New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (NBJSQ). Latent Class Analysis revealed three distinct class profiles among the 2019 election officials based on their JD-R model scores, which included job demands, job resources, psychological and physical stress responses. The majority of participants fell into class 2, characterized by high job demands and job resources but low stress reactions. In contrast, class 1 had low job demands and job resources but a high level of stress, while class 3 exhibited high job demands, low job resources, and low stress. These results indicate that high job demand and job resources can potentially lead to work-related stress, although this relationship is influenced by the specific context and nature of job demands and job resources.

Revisiting effects of teacher characteristics on physiological and psychological stress: a virtual reality study

Identifying personal characteristics associated with teachers’ stress is a longstanding research goal with important implications for practice. The present work revisits the effects of individual characteristics in terms of neuroticism, classroom management self-efficacy, and cognitive (reasoning) abilities on stress using virtual reality (VR). Relying on a sample of 56 German pre-service teachers (Mage = 22.73, SDage = 4.93; 50.9% females), we capitalized on a VR classroom environment that allowed the integration of experimental control and authentic teaching situations, where pre-service teachers responded to the disruptive behaviors of the student avatars. We focused on stress responses in terms of psychological stress (self-reported stress) assessed after the VR session, and physiological stress (heart rate) assessed during the VR session. A total of 30 (26) participants was assigned to a condition with higher (lower) levels of disruptive student behavior, referred to as higher and lower complexity condition, respectively. Results from linear mixed-effects models revealed that neuroticism positively predicted psychological and physiological stress responses in pre-service teachers, whereas classroom management self-efficacy and cognitive (reasoning) abilities were not significantly related to stress responses. Level of complexity and the interaction between complexity and individual characteristics did not have an effect. This study underlines the value of VR as a tool for psychological research and contributes to existing knowledge on teacher characteristics and stress.

Retracted: Study on Psychological Stress Response and Intervention Countermeasures of Exposed Population under Sudden Public Health Crisis

Retracted: Study on Psychological Stress Response and Intervention Countermeasures of Exposed Population under Sudden Public Health Crisis

Cuing disparities: The consequences of race‐based social stressors for academic achievement

AbstractUnderrepresented racially and ethnically minoritized (URM) students contend with individual‐level race‐based stressors in college, like racialized discrimination and microaggressions. In this study, we consider whether URM students' perceptions of racial inequity on campus—a context‐level race‐based stressor—trigger adverse psychological and physical stress responses that, in turn, undermine academic achievement. Using a sample of 781 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students, we found in a longitudinal study that URM students report perceiving more inequality on campus compared with White and Asian students. Greater perceived inequality was, in turn, associated with increased psychological and physical stress responses, which, in some cases, predicted lower grades. Promoting more equitable college environments, therefore, may help attenuate inequalities in stress responses, ultimately, enhancing academic achievement. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Physiological and psychological stress response of blood donors during the blood donation process.

Blood donation can be a potentially stressful event, leading to the activation of an acute stress response. Knowing and identifying potential stressors could help in optimizing the donation experience. The present study aimed to measure the physiological and psychological stress changes before, during and after blood donation. Physiological and psychological stress response was assessed in 70 blood donors. To evaluate physiological stress response, pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure (BP), beat-to-beat BP and lead II electrocardiogram were recorded. Baroreflex sensitivity was calculated using the available software. Psychological stress response was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scale. A significant increase in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure was observed in the pre-donation period (p < 0.001). Among the time-domain parameters, SDSD (standard deviation of differences between adjacent respiratory rate intervals) and RMSSD (root mean square of the successive differences) were significantly lower during the post-donation period (p < 0.005, p < 0.007, respectively). Among the frequency-domain parameters, LF nu (relative power of the low-frequency band in normalized units), HF nu (relative power of the high-frequency band in normalized units) and LF% (relative power of the low-frequency band in percentage) were significantly lower before donation compared to during donation (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p < 0.012, respectively). LF nu, LF% and LF/HF ratio were also significantly lower during donation compared to after donation (p < 0.05, p < 0.016 and p < 0.042, respectively). Baroreflex sensitivity was also statistically higher during the pre-donation period. State score was significantly higher among the blood donors during the pre-donation period. Physiological and psychological stress is experienced by blood donors during the pre-donation period. A pre-donation informative conversation should be carried out with each blood donor and potential stressors should be identified in each.

Female students’ personality and stress response to an academic examination

ABSTRACT Background: Women are vulnerable to stress-related disorders. Examinations are a source of stress, triggering emotional, cognitive, and hormonal responses. We examined women’s psychological and hormonal stress responses and academic performance according to personality during a real-life examination. Methods: Female students (N = 66) were divided into two groups based on hierarchical cluster analysis: one cluster characterized by high neuroticism and moderate extraversion (HN-ME; n = 42) and the other by low neuroticism and high extraversion (LN-HE; n = 24). Academic performance, perceived stress, and emotional dysregulation were analyzed. State anxiety, affect, and cortisol release were measured before and on the examination day. Results: The HN-ME cluster was high in perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, and negative affect. This cluster also had higher state anxiety levels two days before and shortly after the examination compared to the LN-HE cluster. Students’ cortisol levels were higher on the examination day, and there was a marginal significance of the Cluster factor in the cortisol release regardless of the day of measurement. Conclusions: Women with high neuroticism and moderate extraversion may be more vulnerable to psychological stress in academic settings but similar to other women in their cortisol response.

The Relationship among Instability of Self-Image, Self-Focused Attention and Psychological Stress Response: The Mediating Effect of Identity

The Relationship among Instability of Self-Image, Self-Focused Attention and Psychological Stress Response: The Mediating Effect of Identity

The Interaction between Psychological Stress and Iron Status on Early-Life Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.

This review presents evidence from animal and human studies demonstrating the possible connection and significant impact of poor iron status and psychological distress on neurocognitive development during pregnancy and the neonatal period, with implications for long-term cognition. Stress and iron deficiency are independently prevalent and thus are frequently comorbid. While iron deficiency and early-life stress independently contribute to long-term neurodevelopmental alterations, their combined effects remain underexplored. Psychological stress responses may engage similar pathways as infectious stress, which alters fundamental iron metabolism processes and cause functional tissue-level iron deficiency. Psychological stress, analogous to but to a lesser degree than infectious stress, activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and increases proinflammatory cytokines. Chronic or severe stress is associated with dysregulated HPA axis functioning and a proinflammatory state. This dysregulation may disrupt iron absorption and utilization, likely mediated by the IL-6 activation of hepcidin, a molecule that impedes iron absorption and redistributes total body iron. This narrative review highlights suggestive studies investigating the relationship between psychological stress and iron status and outlines hypothesized mechanistic pathways connecting psychological stress exposure and iron metabolism. We examine findings regarding the overlapping impacts of early stress exposure to iron deficiency and children's neurocognitive development. We propose that studying the influence of psychological stress on iron metabolism is crucial for comprehending neurocognitive development in children exposed to prenatal and early postnatal stressors and for children at risk of early iron insufficiency. We recommend future directions for dual-exposure studies exploring iron as a potential mediating pathway between early stress and offspring neurodevelopment, offering opportunities for targeted interventions.