Sources Of Stress Research Articles

Coping and Psychological Distress in Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: Role of Pre-Operative Psycho-Education

Surgery is associated with an increase in emotional arousal and has a negative impact on the adjustment and recovery from the surgery. Uncertainty, perceived loss of control and post-surgery pain, financial matters, and aspects related to returning back to his/her family role are all sources of stressors for the patient undergoing elective surgery. Coping has also been found to play a mediating role in reducing stress and promoting post-surgery adjustment. When surgery is associated with high levels of psychological distress and anxiety the role of psycho-education becomes significant. The present study aims at investigating the role of pre-operative psychoeducation on coping and psychological distress. The findings indicated significant differences in the two groups, control and experimental on coping and hospital anxiety and depression. The results revealed that preoperative psychoeducation can enhance coping strategies and mitigate anxiety and depression in patients undergoing elective surgery.

Psychological Distress and Sources of Stressors amongst Medical and Science Undergraduate Students in Malaysia

Background: This study aims to compare the prevalence of psychological distress between medical and science undergraduate students and to assess the sources of stressors that are attributing to it. Methods: A sample of 697 undergraduate students participated in this study, in which 501 were medical students and the remaining 196 were Science students. Psychological distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The students were given a list of possible sources of stress which were chosen depending on previous studies. Results: The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 32.6%. Science students showed a significantly higher rate and mean score of psychological distress than medical students, and the mean score was significantly higher during the clinical phase rather than the pre-clinical phase in medical students. Overall, female students had a significantly higher mean score than males, however although the mean score was higher in females it was only significant in the pre-clinical phase. In addition to academic and psychological stressors, factors such as reduced holidays, lack of time for relaxation, and limitation of leisure/entertainment time were among the top ten stressors reported by the students. Conclusions: Psychological distress is common among university students, and it is higher among science students than medical students. Academic and psychological factors can be considered as sources of stressors which may precipitate psychological distress among college students.

Exposure to a contextually neutral stressor potentiates fear conditioning in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Organisms faced with stressors deploy a suite of adaptive responses in the form of behavioral, physiological and cognitive modifications to overcome the challenge. Interactive effects of these responses are known to influence learning and memory processes and facilitation is thought to be dependent, in part, upon contextual relevance of the stressor to the learning task. Predation is one such stressor for prey animals, and their ability to manage reliable information about predators is essential for adaptive antipredator strategies. Here, we investigated (i) the influence cortisol has on the ability of juvenile rainbow trout to learn and retain conditioned antipredator responses to predatory cues, and (ii) whether conditioned behavioral and physiological responses to predator cues are fixed or deployed in a threat-sensitive manner. Trout were fed cortisol-coated pellets minutes prior to a conditioning event where they were exposed to novel predator odor paired with chemical alarm cues (unconditioned stimulus). We tested for conditioned responses by exposing trout to predator cues after 2, 4 or 10days and subsequently documented physiological and behavioral responses. Both control and cortisol-fed trout learned the predator odor and responded 2 and 4days post conditioning. However, at 10days only cortisol-fed trout maintained strong behavioral responses to predator cues. Interestingly, we failed to find conditioned physiological responses to predator odor despite the presence of threat-sensitive cortisol responses to the unconditioned stimulus. Our findings suggest cortisol exposure prior to predator-learning may enhance retention of conditioned responses, even without a contextual link between stressor source and learning task.

How Can Perceived Job Insecurity Affect Workers’ Sleep Quality?

Perceived job insecurity is a critical source of job stressors which may result in workers’ negative health outcomes. In turn, such outcomes may decrease individual and organizational performance a...

The positive effects of authoritarian leadership on subordinates: A moderated mediation model

Using a new theoretical perspective that authoritarian leadership can be the source of challenge and hindrance stressors, we hypothesize that the relationships between authoritarian leadership and employee performances can be both positive and negative. In particular, authoritarian leadership is positively related to performance via challenge stressors and negatively related to performance via hindrance stressors. Further, we hypothesize that the importance of performance to self-esteem Level (IPSE) of subordinates will moderate the effects of authoritarian leadership. We test this model using two studies. Results from Study 1 reveal that authoritarian leadership have contrasting effects on task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) through challenge stressors and hindrance stressors. Furthermore, in Study 2, we find that the positive relationship between authoritarian leadership and performance is stronger for subordinates low on IPSE.

Pengaruh Efektivitas Terapi Self Healing Menggunakan Energi Reiki terhadap Kecemasan Menghadapi Ujian Skripsi

The educational process can become a source of stressor and anxiety, especially in the final stage of a college education (thesis exam) for students. 5 of 15 College student Health Sciences Muhammadiyah Palembang experienced acute anxiety. In addition, 19 of the 67 students in STIKes Muhammadiyah who undergo remedial thesis examination have other physical complaints. Self healing using reiki energy can be utilized to reduce the anxiety state. This study investigates the effect of self healing reiki energy on anxiety. A quasi experimental design was used with the sample of forty respondents (20=intervention, 20=control group). One Way Anova was used to test the hypothesis. The results showed that there was a significant difference of the mean score of anxiety between the intervention and the control group during the post-test. Thus, treatment of self healing with Reiki energy is quite effective in reducing anxiety levels.

Fish parasites as indicators of organic pollution in southern Brazil.

Increasing urbanization along riverbanks is a constant source of stressors to the aquatic community, and the use of bioindicators is suitable to detect and monitor the effect of each stressor. We investigated the parasites of the 'cará' fish (Geophagus brasiliensis) as potential bioindicators in a river whose banks are subject to increasing anthropogenic pressure. Samples were taken at four points of the Sangradouro River, in Florianópolis, southern Brazil, bimonthly for 12 months. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and salinity were measured at each point and water samples were taken for nutrient analysis (total nitrogen, nitrite, total ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, phosphate), and total and faecal coliforms. A generalized linear model (GLM) was constructed using the abundance of each parasite species as the response variable and biometric characteristic of the fish and water variables as possible predictors. Among the 137 fish examined, 114 (83.2%) were parasitized by at least one parasite species. Two species of ectoparasites (Sciadicleithrum guanduensis and Neascus-type metacercariae) and two species of endoparasites (Pandosentis aff. iracundus and Homalometron pseudopallidum) were observed. This is the first record of the genus Pandosentis in Brazilian waters and the first record of the species G. brasiliensis as a host for this parasite. Among the analysed groups of parasites, monogeneans and acanthocephalans proved to be the most sensitive to the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, faecal coliforms and total ammonia nitrogen in the water. Our study suggests that the abundance of both monoxenic and heteroxenous parasites can be negatively affected by organic pollution in the aquatic environment, reinforcing the potential of fish parasites as indicators of water quality.

NURSING STRESSORS, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE AND MEANING: CORRELATES AND QUALITATIVE REFLECTIONS

Nursing is a particularly stressful career. Most of the research on stressors experienced in nursing has focused on stress levels among registered nurses, with scant attention being given to nursing students, who are also exposed to substantial stressors. This study investigated stressors, professional quality of life (compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction) and meaning among nursing students. One hundred and forty four participants (Mage = 21.59, SD = 3.76, female = 86.81%) completed surveys on professional quality of life and meaning. A subgroup of 16 participants (Mage = 20.31, SD = 1.49, female = 80%) provided qualitative data (nominal group technique, a group interview and narrative sketches). Quantitative data indicated that participants were at high risk for the development of compassion fatigue and burnout. The qualitative findings highlighted sources of stressors that were not identified by means of the quantitative instruments, for example academic workload and financial challenges. The value of reflective approaches to research with nursing students is highlighted. Â

Peran Keluarga dalam Pengelolaan Kasus di Layanan Primer Melalui Five Family Oriented Questions

Family oriented in primary care sees family as supporting resources/inhibiting case management accomplishment. The aim of this study was describing cases in primary care and family perception of the patient through the five family oriented question (FFOQ). Interviews were conducted in 162 patients from public health centers and clinics in DKI Jakarta year 2015–2016. Data were collected through questionnaires consisted of patient’s characteristics and 5 FFOQ questions. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was conducted. Most cases in primary care services were non-infectious diseases (82.7%) and the highest age proportion was >40 years (76.5%). Patient and family’s perception about causal of the disease and how to cope still vary. Parents, spouses, and children were the family members who were most concern about the patient. A total of 71.6% of respondents felt there were stressors in the family. Stressor sources vary such as socio-economic, family, work, and him/herself. Emotional and financial support were given to patient by family members according to each capacities. In conclusion, the family acts as an inhibiting factor as well as support in primary care case management to support more patient and family oriented case management.

Affective temperament, social support and stressors at work as the predictors of life and job satisfaction among doctors and psychologists

Background/Aim. Affective temperament, social support and work-related stresors belong to the group of life and job satisfaction indicators. The aim of this research was to examine predictive roles of the basic affective temperament traits, social support and work-related stressors in the feeling of job and life satisfaction among doctors and psychologists. Methods. The sample consisted of 203 individuals out of whom there were 28% male and 72% female doctors (61%) and psychologists (39%), 25?65 years old (39.08 ? 9.29), from the two university towns in Serbia. The set of questionnaires included Serbian version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego ? autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A), Satisfaction with Life scale, Job Satisfaction Survey, short Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and Source of Stress at Work Scale (IRSa) for estimating the frequency of stressors at work. Results. According to the existing norms our examinees are satisfied with their life, but considerably less satisfied with their work, specially with pay and benefits, while they are most satisfied with nature of work itself and social relations with co-workers and supervisors. Our results show that depressive and hyperthymic, and to some extent cyclothymic temperament traits of the affective temperament significantly predict 21% of life satisfaction variance. Situational factors, such as stressors at work and social support, are important in predicting job satisfaction (58% of variance) with no significant contribution of temperament traits. The analysis did not point out any significant relation of sex, occupation, and age with life and job satisfaction. Conclusions. Affective temperaments can be regarded as predictors of life satisfaction, but in order to better predict satisfaction the aspects of wider social surrounding and sources of stressors at work must be taken in consideration. Future studies should consider other indicators of life satisfaction such as family or health satisfaction, stressors outside of work situations, and negative aspects of caregiving, for example hyperactivation.

Work Life Stress and Career Resilience of Licensed Nursing Facility Administrators.

Career resilience provided a frame for understanding how Licensed Nursing Facility Administrators (LNFAs) sustain role performance and even thrive in stressful skilled nursing facility work environments. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of in-depth interviews with18 LNFAs, averaging 24 years of experience were conducted by a five-member research team. Analysis was informed by evidence-based frameworks for career resilience in the health professions as well as the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards' (NAB) five domains of competent administrative practice. Findings included six sources of work stressors and six sources of professional satisfaction. Also, participants identified seven strategic principles and 10 administrative practices for addressing major sources of stress. Recommendations are provided for research and evidence-based application of the career resilience perspective to LNFA practice aimed at reducing role abandonment and energizing the delivery of the quality of care that each resident deserves.

Experiences of parents of children with intellectual disabilities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Parents of children with intellectual disabilities could experience difficulties associated with their care. Yet, insight into individual experiences is inadequate to guide effective responses to the needs of parents and their sons and daughters with intellectual disability. This study sought to explore the experiences of parents of children with intellectual disability with the aim of making these experiences visible to guide the design and provision of support services for the parents and their children. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 parents of children with intellectual disability between the ages of 4 and 15 years residing in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to explore themes that describe the experiences of the parents. The study found that parents of intellectually disabled children encounter challenges looking after their children due to the negative perceptions associated with having such children. Financial costs and managing behavioral challenges of intellectually disabled children were also major sources of stressors for parents. Although informal support and assurances from professionals alleviated parental stress and gave them some hope about the future of their children, these support services seem inadequate. A more structured support programme that includes financial empowerment of the parents and recognizes the importance of early detection and intervention practices is needed.

Experiences of parents of children with intellectual disabilities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Parents of children with intellectual disabilities could experience difficulties associated with their care. Yet, insight into individual experiences is inadequate to guide effective responses to the needs of parents and their sons and daughters with intellectual disability. This study sought to explore the experiences of parents of children with intellectual disability with the aim of making these experiences visible to guide the design and provision of support services for the parents and their children. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 parents of children with intellectual disability between the ages of 4 and 15 years residing in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to explore themes that describe the experiences of the parents. The study found that parents of intellectually disabled children encounter challenges looking after their children due to the negative perceptions associated with having such children. Financial costs and managing behavioral challenges of intellectually disabled children were also major sources of stressors for parents. Although informal support and assurances from professionals alleviated parental stress and gave them some hope about the future of their children, these support services seem inadequate. A more structured support programme that includes financial empowerment of the parents and recognizes the importance of early detection and intervention practices is needed. Keywords: Intellectual disability, parents, caregivers, support services, health professionals

Effects of environmental chemicals on fish thyroid function: Implications for fisheries and aquaculture in Australia

Numerous environmental stressors exert acute or chronic effects on the fish thyroid cascade. Such effects could be mediated via thyroidal alterations, imbalance of plasma T4 and T3 levels or damage to the structure of the thyroidal tissues (thyroid hypertrophy, hyperplasia). The thyroidal system is intricately linked to other endocrine systems in vertebrates including the control of reproduction. Disruption of fish thyroid function by environmental stressors has the potential to result in deleterious effects including the inhibition of sperm production, reduction in egg production, gonad development, ovarian growth, swimming activity, fertilisation and increase in larval mortality. Thyroid hormones play a major role in the development and growth of fish, particularly during their early life stages, thus, thyroid disruption by environmental stressors could inhibit the growth of fish larvae and juveniles in wild fish and cultured species, limit fish seed production and result in a decline in wild fisheries. This review highlights the effects of several environmental toxicants including PBDE, PCBs, PCDD and PCDF, PAH/oil, phthalates, metals, pesticides, mixed pollutants/chemicals, cyanide; and other stressors including acid (low pH) and ammonia, on fish thyroid function. Environmental sources of chemical stressors and appropriate water quality guidelines to protect the freshwater and marine species for the relevant pollutants are also discussed including (when available) the Australian guidelines (2000) and Canadian water quality guidelines (where Australian guidelines are not available). To date there has been no published research on the effects of anthropogenic environmental pollutants on the thyroid system of any native Australian fish species. However, the detection of high risk chemicals (notably PBDEs, PCBs, PAHs, metals and pesticides) in Australian waterways and Australian fish and shellfish implies that thyroid disruption of Australian wild fish and aquacultured species could occur. It is therefore imperative that the effects of such pollutants on the thyroid system of Australian native fish be investigated.

Scaling the consequences of interactions between invaders from the individual to the population level.

The impact of human‐induced stressors, such as invasive species, is often measured at the organismal level, but is much less commonly scaled up to the population level. Interactions with invasive species represent an increasingly common source of stressor in many habitats. However, due to the increasing abundance of invasive species around the globe, invasive species now commonly cause stresses not only for native species in invaded areas, but also for other invasive species. I examine the European green crab Carcinus maenas, an invasive species along the northeast coast of North America, which is known to be negatively impacted in this invaded region by interactions with the invasive Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus. Asian shore crabs are known to negatively impact green crabs via two mechanisms: by directly preying on green crab juveniles and by indirectly reducing green crab fecundity via interference (and potentially exploitative) competition that alters green crab diets. I used life‐table analyses to scale these two mechanistic stressors up to the population level in order to examine their relative impacts on green crab populations. I demonstrate that lost fecundity has larger impacts on per capita population growth rates, but that both predation and lost fecundity are capable of reducing population growth sufficiently to produce the declines in green crab populations that have been observed in areas where these two species overlap. By scaling up the impacts of one invader on a second invader, I have demonstrated that multiple documented interactions between these species are capable of having population‐level impacts and that both may be contributing to the decline of European green crabs in their invaded range on the east coast of North America.

Invited review: Environmental enrichment of dairy cows and calves in indoor housing

In recent years, an increasing number of farmers are choosing to keep their cows indoors throughout the year. Indoor housing of cows allows farmers to provide high-yielding individuals with a nutritionally balanced diet fit for their needs, and it has important welfare benefits for both cows and their calves, such as protection from predators, parasites, and exposure to extreme weather conditions. However, it also confronts cows and calves with a wide range of environmental challenges. These include abiotic environmental sources of stress (e.g., exposure to loud and aversive sound) and confinement-specific stressors (e.g., restricted movement and maintenance in abnormal social groups). Cows and calves that live indoors are also faced with the challenge of occupying long periods with a limited range of possible behavioral patterns. Environmental enrichment can improve biological functioning (measured as increased lifetime reproductive success, increased inclusive fitness, or a correlate of these such as improved health), help animals to cope with stressors in their surroundings, reduce frustration, increase the fulfillment of behavioral needs, and promote more positive affective states. Here, we review recent findings on the effect of social, occupational, physical, sensory, and nutritional enrichment on dairy cows and calves, and we assess the appropriateness and practicality of implementing different enrichment practices on commercial dairy farms. Some of the enrichment methods reviewed here may also be applied to those more extensive cattle-raising systems, where similar challenges occur.

Occupational Stress Damages Immune System and Mental Health of Employees: An Investigation on the Employees of Magnesite Industry in Tamil Nadu, India

The study aims at analyzing the occupational stress which damages the immune system and mental health of employees through an investigation among the employees of magnesite industry in TamilNadu, India. This is done by collecting information on the perception of employees towards their work, peers, superiors, family, internal sources of stressors and external sources of stressors. Data were collected by using questionnaire which was developed through pilot study. The collected data were analyzed by using SEM model. The result shows that the employees of magnesite industry are more vulnerable to undergo the distress. Due to that the increased cortisol level suppresses the lymphocytes (immune cells) in the blood of the human body and it leads to severe damage on the immune system and mental health.

New approaches to the ecological risk assessment of multiple stressors

So as to assess how emerging science and new tools can be applied to study multiple stressors at a large (ecosystem) scale and to facilitate greater integration of approaches among different scientific disciplines, a workshop was organised on 10–12 September 2014 at the Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences, Sydney, Australia. The present paper discusses the limitations of the current risk-assessment approaches and how multiple stressors at large scales can be better evaluated in ecological risk assessments to inform the development of more efficient and preventive management policies based on adaptive management in the future. A future risk-assessment paradigm that overcomes these limitations is presented. This paradigm includes cultural and ecological protection goals, the development of ecological scenarios, the establishment of the relevant interactions among species, potential sources of stressors, their interactions and the development of cause–effect models. It is envisaged that this will be achievable through a greater integration of approaches among different scientific disciplines and through the application of new and emerging tools such as 'big data', ecological modelling and the incorporation of ecosystem service endpoints.

Response of soil microbiota to nine-year application of swine manure and urea

ABSTRACT: Manure fertilization is a common practice, but little is known about its impacts on soil microbial activity and organic matter. Aiming to evaluate soil microbial response to nine years of successive applications of swine manure, organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), basal respiration (BR), metabolic quotient (qCO2), and enzyme (ß-glucosidase, phosphatase, arylsulphatase, and FDA) activities were measured in the 0-10cm soil layer, in a no-tillage system. Treatments were: control soil without fertilization (C), and application of two doses (104 and 209kg of N ha-1year-1) of urea (U1 and U2), pig slurry (PS1 and PS2) and deep litter (DL1 and DL2). TOC, TN, soil pH, MBC, and BR increased in soil fertilized with DL, and were lower in U treatments. Soils with U and DL application had higher qCO2, related to different sources of stressors like nutrient imbalance. Phosphatase and ß-glucosidase activities were not affected by treatments, increased with time, and had a strong correlation with MBC. We conclude that long-term swine manure applications increase microbial activity and soil organic matter, mainly in DL form; while urea applications have negative impacts on these indicators.

Complex watersheds, collaborative teams: Assessing pollutant presence and effects in the San Francisco Delta.

There is a great diversity of sources of chemical contaminants and stressors over large geographic areas. Chemical contaminant inputs and magnitude can potentially exhibit wide seasonal variation over large geographic areas. Together, these factors make linking exposure to monitored chemical contaminants and effects difficult. In practice, this linkage typically relies on relatively limited chemical occurrence data loosely coupled with individual effects, and population- or community-level assessments. Increased discriminatory power may be gained by approaching watershed level assessment in a more holistic manner, drawing from a number of disciplines that target endpoints spanning levels of the biological hierarchy. Using the Sacramento River as a case study, the present study aimed to 1) evaluate the performance of new analytical and biomarker tools in a real world setting and their potential for linking occurrence and effect; 2) characterize the effects of geographic and temporal variability through the integration of suborganismal, tissue, and individual level endpoints, as well as extensive chemical analyses; 3) identify knowledge gaps and research needs that limit the implementation of this holistic approach; and 4) provide an experimental design workflow for these types of assessments. Sites were selected to target inputs into the Sacramento River as it transitions from an agricultural to a mixed but primarily urban landscape. Chemical analyses were conducted on surface water samples at each site in both the spring and fall for pesticides, hormones, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Active pharmaceutical ingredients were more often detected across sampling events in the fall; however, at the most downstream site the number of analytes detected and their concentrations were greater in the spring, which may be due to seasonal differences in rainfall. Changes in gene and protein expression targeting endocrine and reproductive effects were observed within each sampling event; however, they were inconsistent across seasons. Larval mortality at the most downstream site was seen in both seasons; however, behavioral changes were only observed in the spring. No clear linkages of specific analyte exposure to biological response were observed, nor were linkages across biological levels of organization. This failure may have resulted from limitations of the scope of molecular endpoints used, inconsistent timing of exposure, or discordance of analytical chemistry through grab sampling and longer term, integrative exposure. Together, results indicate a complicated view of the watershed.