Self-report Measures Of Stress Research Articles

Religious minority identity associates with stress and psychological health among Muslim and Hindu women in Bangladesh and London.

This study examined the association of minority religious identification (Hindu or Muslim) with self-reported stress and psychological symptoms among sedentee and immigrant Bangladeshi women. Women, aged 35-59 (n = 531) were drawn from Sylhet, Bangladesh and London, England. Muslim immigrants in London and Hindu sedentees in Sylhet represented minority religious identities. Muslim sedentees in Sylhet and Londoners of European descent represented majority religious identities. In bivariate analyses, minority religious identity was examined in relation to self-reported measures of stress, nervous tension, and depressed mood. Logistic regression was applied to examine the relationship between these variables while adjusting for marital status, parity, daily walking, and perceived financial comfort. In bivariate analyses, religious minorities reported more stress than religious majorities in all group comparisons (p < .05), and minority Muslims reported more nervous tension and depressed mood than majority Muslims (p < .05). In logistic regression models, minority Muslims had greater odds of high stress than majority Muslims (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.18-3.39). Minority Muslims had greater odds of stress (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.51-6.17) and nervous tension (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.66-6.87) than majority Londoners. Financial comfort reduced odds of stress and symptoms in all models. Socioeconomic situation, immigration history, and minority ethnicity appear to influence the relationship between religious identity and psychosomatic symptoms in Bangladeshi women. Attention to personal and socioeconomic context is important for research examining the association between religion and mental health.

Stress and Right Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Interactive Effects on Visual Working Memory and Learning.

Stress impacts prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and modulates working memory performance. In a recent study, stimulating the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) interacted with social stress in modulating participants' working memory. More specifically, stress disrupted the enhancing effects of dlPFC tDCS on working memory performance. The current study aimed to further explore these initial findings by randomizing healthy females to four experimental conditions (N = 130); stimulation (right dlPFC tDCS vs. sham) and stress manipulation (social stress vs. control). Participants performed cognitive tasks (i.e., visual working memory task and a visual declarative memory task) at baseline and post-stimulation. They also completed self-report measures of stress and anxiety. A significant stimulation × stress interaction was evident in the declarative memory (One-Card Learning, OCL) task, while working memory performance was unaffected. Though tDCS stimulation and stress did not interact to affect working memory, further research is warranted as these initial findings suggest that immediate visual-memory learning may be affected by these factors. The limited number of earlier studies, as well as the variability in their designs, provides additional impetus for studying the interactive effects of stress and tDCS on human visual learning.

Protocol for randomized personalized trial for stress management compared to standard of care.

Stress is a significant public health burden in the United States, with most Americans reporting unhealthy levels of stress. Stress management techniques include various evidence-based treatments shown to be effective but with heterogeneous treatment responses, indicating a lack of uniform benefits for all individuals. Designed to assess a participant's response to a specific intervention, personalized (N-of-1) trials provide guidance for which treatment (s) work (s) best for the individual. Prior studies examining the effects of mindfulness meditation, yoga, and walking for stress reduction found all three interventions to be associated with significant reductions in self-reported measures of stress. Delivering these treatments using a personalized trial approach has the potential to assist clinicians in identifying the best stress management techniques for individuals with persistently high stress while fostering treatment decisions that consider their personal condition/barriers. This trial will evaluate a personalized approach compared to standard of care for three interventions (guided mindfulness meditation; guided yoga; and guided brisk walking) to manage perceived stress. Participants will respond to daily surveys and wear a Fitbit device for 18 weeks. After a 2-week baseline period, participants in the personalized trial groups will receive 12 weeks of interventions in randomized order, while participants in the standard-of-care group will have access to all interventions for self-directed stress management. After intervention, all participants will undergo 2 weeks of observation, followed by two additional weeks of the stress management intervention of their choosing while continuing outcome measurement. At study completion, all participants will be sent a satisfaction survey. The primary analysis will compare perceived stress levels between the personalized and standard of care arms. The results of this trial will provide further support for the use of personalized designs for managing stress. Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05408832. Protocol version: 9/14/2022, 21-0968-MRB.

The psychophysiological reactivity to beaches vs. to green and urban environments: insights from a virtual reality experiment

Coastal environments effectively reduce perceived levels of stress. However, little is known about whether coastal environments influence physiological parameters of stress, whether these influences differ from those of urban and green environments, and whether these effects depend on the level of precedent stress. The current study exposed 164 participants (18-65y, 68% female) from the Flemish population to two 16-minute virtual reality exposures (i.e. beach vs. green or urban) via a randomized crossover design, during which the heart rate, high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), skin conductance responses (SCR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), breathing rate, and upper trapezius muscle tone were monitored. Self-reported measures of stress were also taken. General linear mixed models analyzed for each parameter whether the change over time differed per exposed environment and by the level of stress in the past week (from ‘low’ to ‘moderate’ levels), while controlling for study design and participant related covariates. Results show that beaches caused lower breathing rates than urban environments and lower SCR than green environments. The upper trapezius muscle tone showed complex patterns, and the heart rate, HF-HRV, and MAP did not react differently to the beach than to the urban and green environments. The individuals’ level of stress in the past week did not affect these differences much. Self-reported measures showed that, under moderate stress, beaches decreased the negative mood and perceived stress, whereas green environments did not and urban environments generally had more adverse effects on the negative mood, perceived stress, positive mood, and perceived quality for relaxation. This study demonstrates that beaches slow down breathing and reduce the sympathetic nervous system activity, and highlights the benefits of beaches for health and wellbeing. The results mark the importance of considering diverse physiological pathways of stress and the individuals’ precedent stress.

Examining the Associations of Early Childhood Teacher’s Emotional Well-being with Physiologic Stress, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

Recent national reports indicate that early childhood (EC) teachers experience exceptionally high levels of chronic stress which can lead to adverse health outcomes. In this presentation, we share preliminary evidence of a mindfulness-based intervention, Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME) to support EC teachers’ regulatory processes. We hypothesize EC teachers’ social-emotional health is related to emotion regulation and their physiologic stress in the early care environment. EC teachers (n = 32 intervention, 22 waitlist control) recruited during 2020-2022 completed self-report measures of stress, well-being, mindfulness, and emotion regulation and task-based measures of emotional processing. Participants wore Actihearts (CamTech, Inc) to record their heart rate for three consecutive days in the classroom pre- and post-intervention. Controlling for pre-intervention metrics, the intervention group showed a tendency toward higher heart rate variability than controls post-intervention, F(1,44) = 3.84, p =.06. They also showed higher power in the high frequency heart rate band (F(1,44) = 3.92, p =.05) and lower average heart rate in the classroom (F(1,44) = 5.91, p =.02), despite showing similar activity levels to the control group, F(1,42) =.35, p =.56. There were significant differences in emotion dysregulation between the groups, with the CHIME group evidencing reduced emotion dysregulation, increased mental well-being, as well as differences in their response times during two emotional processing tasks, p’s <.05. Preliminary findings indicate that a mindfulness-based intervention is one promising way to support the emotional well-being of EC teachers.

Extraversion is associated with lower cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress

Background and aimsExtraversion has been associated with positive physical health outcomes, with adaptive cardiovascular responses to stress being one potential physiological mechanism. The present study examined the influence of extraversion on both cardiovascular reactivity and cardiovascular habituation to an acute psychological stress task (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT)) in a sample of healthy undergraduate students. MethodsA sample of 467 undergraduate students completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) to assess trait extraversion and attended a single stress testing session. The testing session included two identical stress-testing protocols, each consisting of a 10-minute baseline and 4-minute PASAT. Cardiovascular parameters including heart rate (HR), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (S/DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded throughout the testing session. State measures of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), as well as post task measures of self-reported stress were used to assess psychological experiences of the stress task. ResultsExtraversion was significantly associated with lower self-reported stress in response to the initial stress exposure, but not the second stress exposure. Higher levels of extraversion were associated with lower SBP, DBP, MAP and HR reactivity in responses to both exposures to the stressor. However, no significant associations were observed between extraversion and cardiovascular habituation to recurring psychological stress. ConclusionExtraversion is associated with lower cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress and this relationship persists upon repeated exposures to the same stressor. Cardiovascular responses to stress may indicate a potential mechanism facilitating the association between extraversion and positive physical health outcomes.

Comparing The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Stress and Well-Being in College Students: A Study of Meditators Vs. Non-Meditators

This study aimed to compare the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress and well-being in college students. A total of 50 participants were recruited, with 25 self-identified as meditators and 25 as non-meditators. All participants completed self-report measures of stress, well-being, mood, resilience, self-compassion, and academic performance. The results showed that the meditator group had significantly lower levels of stress, higher well-being scores, better mood, greater resilience, and higher levels of self-compassion compared to the non-meditator group. In terms of academic performance, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The study findings suggest that mindfulness meditation may be an effective tool for reducing stress and improving well-being among college students. However, further research is needed to explore the barriers to practicing mindfulness meditation and to determine the optimal frequency and duration of practice to achieve significant benefits.

Disordered eating is associated with blunted blood pressure reactivity and poorer habituation to acute psychological stress

Psychological stress has been shown to influence the development and progression of disordered eating. Psychophysiological studies have reported that individuals with disordered eating behavior exhibit atypical cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress. However, prior studies have been limited by small sample sizes and have examined cardiovascular responses to a singular stress exposure. The current study examined the association between disordered eating and cardiovascular reactivity, as well as cardiovascular habituation to acute psychological stress. A mixed-sex sample (N = 450) of undergraduate students were categorized into a disordered eating or non-disordered eating group using a validated disordered eating screening questionnaire and attended a laboratory stress testing session. The testing session included two identical stress-testing protocols, each consisting of a 10-minute baseline and 4-minute stress task. Cardiovascular parameters including heart rate, systolic/diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded throughout the testing session. Post task measures of self-reported stress, as well as positive affect and negative affect (NA) reactivity were used to assess psychological reactions to stress. The disordered eating group exhibited greater increases in NA reactivity in response to both stress exposures. Additionally, in comparison to the control group, those in the disordered eating group exhibited blunted MAP reactivity to the initial stress exposure and less MAP habituation across both stress exposures. These findings indicate that disordered eating is characterized by dysregulated hemodynamic stress responsivity, which may constitute a physiological mechanism leading to poor physical health outcomes.

Validation of a German Version of the Stress Overload Scale and Comparison of Different Time Frames in the Instructions

Abstract: Introduction: The Stress Overload Scale (SOS; Amirkhan, 2012 , 2018 ) was introduced as a two-factorial self-report measure of stress to overcome limitations of other scales. Methods: We developed a German translation of the SOS and validated it in addition to a short version and an extra-short version. Furthermore, we tested whether manipulating the time frame introduced as retention interval in the instructions affected its psychometric properties. Results: Using two independent age-heterogeneous convenience samples ( Ntotal = 1,239), we found good psychometric properties for a modified German short version of the SOS-S (SOS-S-G) and a new extra-short version (SOS-XS-G), but not for the German long version of the SOS. Moreover, manipulating the time frame of the SOS did not affect its psychometric quality. Discussion The SOS enriches the repertoire of self-report measures of stress as it captures the nonpathological core facets of stress in line with theoretical stress conceptualizations.

An Exploratory Study of a Health and Wellness Intervention on STEM College Students During COVID-19

To address the growing health challenges faced by college students, campus recreation departments have evolved from a primary university intramural sport setting to organizations that have an increased emphasis on student recruitment, retention, and overall wellness. Among the strategies used to attract and engage students in campus recreation programs and services, health coaching shows some promise as a potentially effective intervention strategy. This study examined the efficacy of a university campus recreation health coaching program. Students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines (n = 34) were provided with individual, group, and virtual support to assist in developing effective strategies for academic success. Fitbit data measuring participants’ sleep and physical activity were collected along with self-reported measures of stress and perceived happiness and focus group qualitative data focused on participants’ perceptions of the program. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the program to adapt, findings suggest that health coaching may be an effective intervention strategy to help university students cope with the heightened anxiety and stress levels associated with campus life.

Individually guided training prescription by heart rate variability and self-reported measure of stress tolerance in recreational runners: Effects on endurance performance

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the effect of endurance training individually guided by objective (Heart Rate Variability-HRV) or self-report measure of stress (DALDA-questionnaire) in comparison to predefined endurance training prescription for improving endurance performance in recreational runners. After a 2-week preliminary baseline period to establish resting HRV and self-reported measure of stress, thirty-six male recreational runners were randomly assigned to HRV-guided (GHRV; n = 12), DALDA-guided (GD; n = 12) or predefined training (GT; n = 12) prescription groups. Before and after 5-weeks of endurance training, participants performed a track field peak velocity (Vpeak_TF), time limit (Tlim) at 100% of Vpeak_TF and 5 km time-trial (5 km TT) tests. GD lead to higher improvements in Vpeak_TF (8.4 ± 1.8%; ES = 1.41) and 5 km TT (−12.8 ± 4.2%; ES = −1.97), than GHRV (6.6 ± 1.5% and −8.3 ± 2.8%; ES = −1.20; 1.24) and GT (4.9 ± 1.5% and −6.0 ± 3.3%; ES = −0.82; 0.68), respectively, with no differences for Tlim. Self-report measures of stress may be used to individualize endurance training prescription on a daily basis leading to better performance enhancement, which may be used with HRV for a holistic understanding of daily training-induce adaptations.

Maternal stress and hair cortisol among pregnant women following hurricane Florence.

We analyzed multiple stress measures among 37 participants who were pregnant during Hurricane Florence. We used questionnaires modeled on previous studies to assess hardship associated with the hurricane, psychological distress, sociodemographic characteristics, social support, and food security. We analyzed cortisol concentrations in proximal and distal hair sections, representing stress around the time of the disaster (distal) and 3-4months following the disaster (proximal). We used linear regression to test relationships between hair cortisol and self-report stress measures, and variations based on marital status. Self-report measures of distress and hardship were similar among married and unmarried participants. Mean cortisol levels in distal and proximal sections were higher among unmarried participants. Controlling for confounding variables, hardship was not associated with hair cortisol. Distress predicted cortisol in distal sections (β=.482, p=.018), with a trend for proximal sections (β=.368, p=.055). Marital status was a significant predictor of distal (β=.388, p=.027) and proximal (β=.333, p=.047) hair cortisol, explaining 8.6%-11.7% of unique variance. Preexisting and intersecting risk factors likely place unmarried pregnant individuals at risk of stress during and following a disaster.

Mindful Parenting Mediated Between Mothers’ Perceived Stress During COVID-19 and Child Adjustment

ObjectivesMaternal stress is associated with a myriad of maladjusted outcomes among children. To identify the role of mindful parenting between mothers’ stress and child adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study tested competing hypotheses with mothers’ mindful parenting as a mediator versus a moderator.MethodsA total of 172 Chinese mothers of preschool-aged children participated in this study. Participants completed a self-report measure of stress during COVID-19 and mindful parenting, as well as a mother-report measure of children’s prosocial behavior, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems. Structural equation models were conducted to examine the mediation versus moderation effects of mindful parenting between mothers’ stress during COVID-19 and child adjustment, after controlling for family income, children’s age, sex, and adjustment at baseline.ResultsFindings indicated that mindful parenting mediated the link between mothers’ stress during COVID-19 and child adjustment, including internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. A test of competing hypothesis showed that mindful parenting did not moderate between mothers’ stress during COVID-19 and child adjustment.ConclusionsThis study revealed the mediating effects of mindful parenting between mothers’ perceived stress during COVID-19 and child adjustment. The findings inform researchers and practitioners about mindful parenting as a potential mechanism between maternal stress and child adjustment during the pandemic.

Online, low-volume meditation does not alter immune-related biomarkers

ObjectivesPrior studies of mindfulness meditation have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects but whether meditation courses delivered online can exert similar effects is poorly understood. Barriers to large scale implementation of traditional mindfulness meditation programs has created an increased interest in the effect of less time- and resource-intensive online meditation courses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 6-week online mindfulness program with low time demands on nurses would lead to changes in gene expression, cytokine profiles, telomerase activity, and cortisol profiles. MethodsThis was a randomized, parallel pilot study comparing an online mindfulness-based stress management program to an active control group from December 2018 to May 2019. Healthy nurses with above average levels of perceived stress were randomized to receive a 6-week online mindfulness-based stress management program including ≥5 min daily meditation practice or listen to relaxing music for ≥5 min daily as the control arm. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after 6 weeks, and various self-reported measures of stress, physical and emotional health were collected at baseline, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks. Whole transcriptome mRNA sequencing of whole blood at baseline and after 6 weeks was performed along with measurement of plasma IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, and telomerase activity was measured. Diurnal salivary cortisol profiles were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks. The primary outcome was change over time in a pre-determined set of 53 genes representative of the immune-related changes seen with stress, which was analyzed using a mixed linear model. Secondary outcomes included all other self-reported measures and biomarkers mentioned above. ResultsA total of 61 nurses were randomized, with 52 having sufficient data to include in the final analysis. After 6 weeks, nurses in the control group reported significant reductions in stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale while those in the mindfulness group did not. However, after 12 weeks, the mindfulness group also showed a significant reduction in stress. When compared to the control group, no significant changes in RNA gene expression or any other biomarkers were observed in the nurses who participated in the mindfulness program. ConclusionsOur study found that this brief online mindfulness-based intervention was effective in reducing stress in nurses, albeit with a delayed effect compared to listening to relaxing music. Regarding immunoregulatory effects, there were no significant differences between treatment and control groups in transcriptomic or other tested biomarkers of immune function. This study provides evidence for a floor effect of mindfulness on transcriptional and circulating biomarkers of immune function.

Peer-Presented Versus Mental Health Service Provider–Presented Mental Health Outreach Programs for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundUniversity students are reporting concerning levels of mental health distress and challenges. University mental health service provider initiatives have been shown to be effective in supporting students’ mental health, but these services are often resource-intensive. Consequently, new approaches to service delivery, such as web-based and peer support initiatives, have emerged as cost-effective and efficient approaches to support university students. However, these approaches have not been sufficiently evaluated for effectiveness or acceptability in university student populations.ObjectiveThus, the overarching goal of this study was to evaluate a mental health service provider–presented versus peer-presented web-based mental health resilience–building video outreach program against a wait-list comparison group.MethodsParticipants were 217 undergraduate students (mean age 20.44, SD 1.98 years; 171/217, 78.8% women) who were randomly assigned to one of the intervention groups (mental health service provider–presented: 69/217, 31.8%; peer-presented: 73/217, 33.6%) or the wait-list comparison group (75/217, 34.6%). Participants in the intervention groups were asked to watch 3 brief skill-building videos addressing strategies for building mental health resilience, whereas the comparison group was wait-listed. The mental health service provider–presented and peer-presented video series were identical in content, with presenters using a script to ensure consistency across delivery methods, but the videos differed in that they were either presented by mental health service providers or university students (peers). All participants were asked to complete web-based self-report measures of stress, coping self-efficacy, social support, social connectedness, mindfulness, and quality of life at baseline (time 1), 6 weeks later (time 2, after the intervention), and 1-month follow-up (time 3).ResultsResults from a series of 2-way ANOVAs found no significant differences in outcomes among any of the 3 groups. Surprisingly, a main effect of time revealed that all students improved on several well-being outcomes. In addition, results for program satisfaction revealed that both the mental health service provider–presented and peer-presented programs were rated very highly and at comparable levels.ConclusionsThus, findings suggest that a web-based mental health resilience–building video outreach program may be acceptable for university students regardless of it being mental health service provider–presented or peer-presented. Furthermore, the overall increases in well-being across groups, which coincided with the onset and early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggest an unexpected pattern of response among university students to the early period of the pandemic. Limitations and barriers as well as research implications are discussed.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05454592; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05454592

Cortisol levels in rural Latina breast cancer survivors participating in a peer-delivered cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention: The Nuevo Amanecer-II RCT

BackgroundCompared to their White counterparts, Latina breast cancer survivors have poorer survival rates and health-related quality of life, and higher rates of depression and anxiety which may be a result of chronic stress. Chronic stress impacts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in cortisol dysregulation which may be associated with breast cancer survival. However, cortisol levels and cortisol profiles of Latina breast cancer survivors are poorly characterized due to their underrepresentation in biomedical research. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to describe cortisol levels and patterns of cortisol secretions in rural Latina breast cancer survivors participating in an RCT study of Nuevo Amanecer-II, an evidence-based peer-delivered cognitive behavioral stress management intervention. MethodsParticipant-centered recruitment and collection strategies were used to obtain biospecimens for cortisol analysis. Nine saliva samples (3/day for 3 days) and a hair sample were obtained at baseline and 6-months (3-months post-intervention). We describe cortisol levels and profiles, explore correlations of biomarkers with self-report measures of stress and psychological distress, and compare women who received the intervention with a delayed intervention group on biomarkers of stress. Mean hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was used to assess chronic stress. Based on daily measures of cortisol (awakening, 30 min post-awakening, and bedtime), we calculated three summary measures of the dynamic nature of the cortisol awakening response (CAR): 1) the CAR slope, 2) whether CAR demonstrates a percent change ≥40, and 3) total daily cortisol output (AUCg). Linear and log-binomial regression, accounting for multiple samples per participant, were used to compare cortisol measures at 6-month follow-up by treatment arm. ResultsParticipants (n = 103) were from two rural California communities; 76 provided at least one saliva sample at baseline and follow-up and were included in the analysis. At baseline, mean age was 57 years, mean years since diagnosis was 2 years, 76% had a high school education or less, and 34% reported financial hardship. The overall median CAR slope was 0.10, and median cortisol AUCg (in thousands) was 11.34 (range = 0.93, 36.66). Mean hair cortisol concentration was 1751.6 pg/mg (SD = 1148.6). Forty-two percent of samples had a ≥40% change in CAR. We found no statistically significant correlations between the cortisol measures and self-reported measures of stress and psychological distress. At follow-up, no differences were seen in HCC (mean difference between intervention and control: −0.11, 95% CI -0.48, 0.25), CAR slope (0.001, 95% CI -0.005, 0.008), cortisol AUCg (−0.15, 95% CI -0.42, 0.13), or ≥40% change in CAR (prevalence ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.42, 1.77) between treatment arms. ConclusionOur findings of flattened cortisol profiles among more than half of the sample suggest potential HPA-axis dysregulation among rural Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors that merits further study due to its implications for long-term survival. Trial registrationhttp://www.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02931552.

Comparing the Effect of Human-Dog Interactions and Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Self-Report and Physiological Measures of Stress

Abstract This study compares the effects of human-dog interactions and progressive muscle relaxation on stress in college students during the week of their final exams using self-report and physiological measures of stress. Students often cope with stress during the final exams period using various strategies such as spending time with a therapy dog. While students often report that their stress is reduced after visiting with a therapy dog, some studies find physiological evidence for a reduction in stress while others do not. During the first day of finals week, students ( N = 53) in an introductory psychology or a research methods course were randomly assigned to spend 15 minutes with a therapy dog or to spend 15 minutes doing a progressive muscle relaxation task. Heart rate variability, a physiological measure of stress, and two self-report measures of stress (the PSS-10 which is a 10 item questionnaire on the participants’ stress level and the SVAS on which the participants mark a visual scale to indicate their current stress level) were measured both before and after the treatments. Compared to the pre-treatment measures, stress was lower after the treatment. Spending time with a therapy dog can reduce stress associated with final exams. However, the intercorrelations between heart rate variability and the self-report measures were not statistically significant suggesting that the measures might correspond to different dimensions of the stress response, as explained in some theories of stress response and emotion. Future research regarding the effects of therapy dogs on stress should include at least one physiological measure of stress and ideally multiple measures. This inclusion might help clarify the underlying psychological and physiological mechanisms leading to stress reduction.

Child externalising and internalising behaviour and parental wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic

In this study we surveyed families' experiences with parental depression, stress, relationship conflict and child behavioural issues during 6 months of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic through the Covid-19: Global Social Trust and Mental Health Study. The current analyses used data collected from online surveys completed by adults in 66 countries from 17 April 2020 to 13 July 2020 (Wave I), followed by surveys 6 months later at Wave II (17 October 2020-31 January 2021). Analyses were limited to 175 adult parents who reported living with at least one child under 18 years old at Wave I. Parents reported on children's level of externalising and internalising behaviour at Wave I. At Wave II, parents completed self-reported measures of stress, depression and inter-partner conflict. Child externalising behaviour at Wave I significantly predicted higher levels of parental stress at Wave II, controlling for covariates. Child internalising behaviour at Wave I did not predict parental stress or depression, controlling for covariates. Neither child externalising nor internalising behaviour predicted parental relationship conflict. The overall findings demonstrate that child behaviour likely influenced parental stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings suggest that mental health interventions for children and parents may improve the family system during times of disaster.

Characteristics and Experiences of Parents of Children with Learning and Attention Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mixed Methods Study

Parents of children with learning and attention disorders (LAD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience chronic parenting stress due to the challenges in raising a child with special needs. We used a mixed methods design to examine characteristics and experiences of stress and coping among parents of children with LAD and ASD. We conducted 20 semi-structured focus group interviews with parents of children with LAD ( n = 11) and ASD ( n = 9) and administered a battery of self-report measures of stress and coping to parents of LAD ( n = 53) and ASD ( n = 51) enrolled in a pilot trial. Qualitative findings showed that parents of children with LAD and ASD largely experienced similar sources of stress, but with different intensities due to their children's different difficulties. Quantitative findings reflected high levels of distress among parents of children with LAD and ASD, with parents of children with ASD demonstrating higher distress and poorer overall sleep quality. Stressors experienced by parents of children with ASD arose from more overt challenges associated with having a child with more visible challenges. Parents of children with LAD experienced more subtle challenges of having a child who is less overtly impaired. Findings will aid in the development of targeted stress management interventions.

The association between self-reported stress and cardiovascular measures in daily life: A systematic review.

Stress plays an important role in the development of mental illness, and an increasing number of studies is trying to detect moments of perceived stress in everyday life based on physiological data gathered using ambulatory devices. However, based on laboratory studies, there is only modest evidence for a relationship between self-reported stress and physiological ambulatory measures. This descriptive systematic review evaluates the evidence for studies investigating an association between self-reported stress and physiological measures under daily life conditions. Three databases were searched for articles assessing an association between self-reported stress and cardiovascular and skin conductance measures simultaneously over the course of at least a day. We reviewed findings of 36 studies investigating an association between self-reported stress and cardiovascular measures with overall 135 analyses of associations between self-reported stress and cardiovascular measures. Overall, 35% of all analyses showed a significant or marginally significant association in the expected direction. The most consistent results were found for perceived stress, high-arousal negative affect scales, and event-related self-reported stress measures, and for frequency-domain heart rate variability physiological measures. There was much heterogeneity in measures and methods. These findings confirm that daily-life stress-dynamics are complex and require a better understanding. Choices in design and measurement seem to play a role. We provide some guidance for future studies.