Stress Appraisal Research Articles

Why is subjective stress severity a stronger predictor of health than stressor exposure? A preregistered two-study test of two hypotheses.

Subjective stress severity appraisals have consistently emerged as better predictors of poor health than stressor exposure, but the reason for this is unclear. Subjective stress may better predict poor health for one of at least two reasons. First, because stressor exposure measures consider all stressors as equal, stress severity measures-which "weight" stressors by self-reported severity-might better predict poor health simply by not treating all stressors as being equally impactful. Second, subjective stress appraisals may index important individual differences in stress vulnerability. We tested these two possibilities in this preregistered, two-study manuscript. Acrossthese two different studies, subjective stress severity was a better predictor of poor health than independently weighted stress severity or stressor exposure. These results demonstrate that, beyond weighting of stressful experiences, subjective stressseverity indexes health-relevant individual differences. Moreover, the results suggest that subjective stress severity may be the preferred stress summary metriceven when derived from imprecise stress assessment instruments.

Moment-to-Moment Interplay Among Stress Appraisals and Emotion Regulation Flexibility in Daily Life

Flexible use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies in daily life is theorized to depend on appraisals of occurring stressful events. Yet, to date, little is known about (a) how appraisals of the current situation modulate the use of ER strategies in daily life and (b) how individual differences in affective symptoms impact these relations among appraisals and ER strategy use. This study attempted to address these two limitations using a 5-day experience sampling protocol, with three surveys administered per day in a sample of 97 participants. Each survey measured momentary appraisals of stress intensity and controllability as well as ER strategy use (i.e., rumination, reappraisal, avoidance, and active coping). Results showed that, in situations of low-stress intensity, higher stress controllability was related to greater use of reappraisal and rumination. In situations of high-stress intensity, higher controllability was related to reduced use of rumination. This pattern of flexible use of ER strategies depending on momentary stress appraisals was found for both rumination and avoidance and occurred specifically in individuals reporting lower levels of depression and/or anxiety levels. These findings provide new insight into how flexible use of ER strategies in daily life is modulated by interactions between stress intensity and controllability appraisals at varying levels of affective symptoms.

Work coping, stress appraisal, and psychological resilience: Reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic among health care providers.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between perceived stress appraisals and coping style during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting distress reaction and effects on work engagement. Method: The sample (N = 423) was 78.6% female with average age and education of 38.5 and 18.4 years, respectively. Most respondents reported working in psychology/neuropsychology (31.7%) and rehabilitation/other therapies (29.7%). Surveys were distributed via Qualtrics among health care providers via listservs and referral emails from medical providers. Measures included: the Brief COPE Inventory, Work and Well Being Survey (UWES), Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), and the Screening Tool for Psychological Distress (STOP-D). Results: Health care workers endorsing problem-focused coping styles had lower levels of perceived threat and higher levels of perceived control in their response to the pandemic. Problem-focused coping was negatively associated with anxiety and depression in reaction to the pandemic when compared with health care workers who endorsed an emotion-focused coping style. Higher stress appraisal in response to perceived threat from the pandemic was not associated with lower work engagement or enthusiasm. Conclusions: Findings support the impact of coping style on psychological distress and work engagement during pandemic, with implications that these factors may be important considerations for mitigation of distress and burnout for health care workers during times of high stress. Initiatives to improve resiliency and wellness in health care workers may examine modifiable interventions for coping style. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement This study suggests that, among health care workers, using a problem focused coping style in response to COVID-19 pandemic stress mitigates experience of psychological distress and burnout. Initiatives that focus on modifiable interventions for coping styles may improve wellness in health care workers during environments of high stress, such as a chronic pandemic state. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring the Role of Mindfulness in the Well-being of Junior Doctors

AimsThis study aims to explore the relationship between mental well-being (The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale), stress (Appraisal of Life Events Scale) and mindfulness (5 Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) by means of a questionnaire.MethodsThe questionnaire was part of a mixed-method study looking into Mindfulness Resilience and Effectiveness Training in foundation doctors. In total 144 foundation doctors across the North West of England completed the questionnaire over a period of 5 months.ResultsA Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationships between mental well-being, appraisal of stress and mindfulness. Results show that there was a significant, negative, and somewhat weak association between mental well-being and the appraisal of stressful life events (r = (142) –.23, p = .006). A significant, positive, and strong relationship was also found between the two variables mindfulness and mental well-being (r (142) = .60, p < 0.001), in addition to a significant, weak positive relationship between mindfulness and appraisal of stressful life events (r (142) = –.18, p = .033).ConclusionThe results indicate that those with greater mental well-being were better able to tolerate stressful life events and appraise them as a challenge. Likewise, those with greater mindfulness scores showed greater well-being suggesting that improving one may improve the other. This has implications for intervention development (e.g., training in mindfulness) which can help to further improve well-being and appraisal of stressful life events in trainee doctors.

0257 Testing the directionality of sleep and stress during the perinatal period: what's the impact on perinatal depression?

Abstract Introduction Pregnancy is a time of pronounced sleep disturbance, with a majority (~85%) of women endorsing shorter, more fragmented sleep as gestation progresses. While new-onset antenatal depression (AND) is a known risk factor for postpartum depression, its etiology remains less understood, despite well-established evidence that incidence is the same among healthy first-time mothers as compared to women with established riskfactors inclusive of family or personal history of psychopathology. Heightened daily stress appraisals may be one critical pathway through which disrupted sleep gives rise to AND. The current study tested the directionality of the relationship between habitual nighttime sleep parameters and daytime stress ratings using a prospective amulatory field study design. Methods Fifty primiparous women (38% White; 32% Black; 30% Other race/ethnicity; mean age = 32 years, 28 weeks gestation) without a history of sleep disorders nor psychopathology completed 10-days (9-nights) of actigraphy and sleep diaries. They also engaged in 3-days of superimposed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) rating stress, positive, and negative affect at four intervals throughout the day. Analyses examined negative affective responses to social conflict and task-based demand througout days of EMA, at the within-person and between-women levels. Sleep variables explored included total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE; log-transformed), sleep onset latency (SOL) and sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Cross-lagged hierarchical mixed models tested directionality of sleep-stress relationship. Time-varying covariates included time-of-day, previous day stress for sleep outcomes, and previous night sleep for stress outcomes, at the within-person levels. Results After days of greater stress (demand and conflict), women experienced significantly shorter, less efficient sleep and took longer to fall asleep (by both diary and actigraphy; [Beta(SE)=-6.3(1.4); 1.2(.12,), R^2=.27, .32, respectively; ps<.01]. Following nights of shorter sleep, women endorsed greater negative affective responses to stress (Beta=.12, SE=.01, p<.001; R^2=.27). Over the assessment period, women who had shorter, less efficient sleep experienced greater frequency, higher severity stressors, after adjusting for time-of-day, and baseline sleep characteristics, depression and anxiety levels (Betas = -7.4(2.6); .14(.01), ps<.001, respectively). Given this bidirectional support, stress was examined as a moderator of the relationship between TST and depression severity at 34-36 weeks gestation, indicating that greater stress explained the relationship between shorter TST and heightened AND after adjustment for baseline measures. Conclusion This is the first study to explore directionality of sleep-stress relationships in a perinatal sample; results provide support for the idea that heightened daily stress engenders greater sleep disturbance (difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep; shorter duration). Bidirectional support for shorter sleep duration and increased stress appraisal was also found. The current project provides preliminary evidence for stress "spill-over" effects (i.e., stress transmission) as a potential mechanism for heightened antenatal depression symptoms. Support (If Any) NIMH 1R36MH118000-01, CTSI89431, SRS Mentor/Mentee Grant; T32 HL007713

The Effect of Transformational Change on Performance: An Employee's Stress Appraisals Perspective.

This study aims to determine the specific impact of employees’ perceptions of transformational change on in-role performance and how stress assessment can mediate the relationship between transformational change and in-role performance. According to the cognitive appraisal theory, the same individual has different appraisals of the same stressors, including challenge, and hindrance appraisal. As an important stressor, transformational change also affects individuals differently depending on their assessments. This study integrates employees’ challenge or hindrance appraisal of transformational change into a conceptual model to distinguish between the roles of the two appraisals. It examines it as a mediating mechanism between transformational change and in-role performance. Additionally, 313 employees who recently experienced transformational change were used as samples to test the hypothesis. The results show that transformational change negatively affects employees’ in-role performance; hindrance appraisal negatively mediates the relationship between transformational change and in-role performance, and challenge appraisal positively mediates the relationship between transformational change and in-role performance. The originality and value of this research extend the application of stress appraisals in organizational change management. Research shows that, in the context of major change, employees’ in-role performance is reduced by the impact of transformational change. However, when employees positively appraise organizational change, the negative effects of change are weakened.

Stress mindset and mental health status among Chinese high school students: The mediating role of exam stress appraisals.

Exam stress is one of the main stressors for adolescents, which can trigger severe mental health problems and performance decline. As an alterable individual variable that influences stress consequences, stress mindset has attracted academic attention recently. However, the relationship between stress mindset and adolescents' responses toward exams has not been fully understood. This study aimed to investigate whether stress mindset affected pre-exam mental health status and exam performance, and whether appraisals of exam mediated such influence. We collected stress mindset, threat and challenge appraisals, pre-exam mental health status, and exam scores from 185 Chinese 11th-grade students. All of them would take an important and unified exam organized on the school level. Results showed that the stress-is-enhancing mindset negatively predicted students' symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, but had no direct effect on performance. Further mediation analysis showed that stress-is-enhancing mindset was positively associated with the challenging appraisal and was negatively associated with the threat appraisal, thus having better health status (including fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress) and performance. These results suggest that the stress mindset had an association with students' response toward exams, and how they appraised the upcoming exam would be an important indirect pathway. Future studies may benefit from changing students' mindsets to protect them from negative consequences of exam stress.

Individual Dispositions and Situational Stressors in Competitive Sport: The Role of Stress Mindset in the Cognitive Appraisals Processes.

Personality has widely been documented to play an important role in the cognitive appraisal and stress processes. Emerging studies highlight the stress mindset as a new concept that could add to the understanding of individual differences in stress experiences. This study aimed to examine the relative contribution of Big Five personality dimensions and stress mindset in accounting for measures of cognitive appraisals of stress among the competing athletes. The study was conducted on a sample of 125 collegiate athletes of both genders who actively compete in sport. All the participants were regular undergraduate or graduate students at the Faculty of Kinesiology of the University of Zagreb. A questionnaire including demographic information about athletes and their sport career, stress mindset measure (SMM), situation-specific cognitive appraisal scale, sources of stress scale, and personality scale measured by IPIP-50 was administered in an online form using the Google Forms platform. Multivariate hierarchical regression procedures resulted in somewhat different predictor structures accounting for cognitive appraisals of threat, loss, and challenge, used as criterion variables. The set of Big Five personality dimensions and stress mindset measure proved to have a significant additive contribution to the explanation of each of the three cognitive appraisal criterion variances. The study results support the current body of literature suggesting a unique role of the stress mindset construct in explaining individual differences in cognitive stress appraisal among athletes above and beyond general personality dimensions.

Re-assessing the Psychometric Properties of Stress Appraisal Measure in Ghana Using Multidimensional Graded Response Model.

Despite the widespread use of the stress appraisal measure questionnaire in sport psychology literature, information on the psychometric properties of this survey instrument across different cultures and samples is still lacking. This study sought to validate the stress appraisal measure among male football players in the Ghana’s Premier League using the multidimensional item response theory. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted to recruit 424 footballers from the 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League season using the census approach. The 28-item Stress Appraisal Measure was used to assess six (6) appraisal mechanisms under primary and secondary cognitive appraisals. The ordered polytomous item response theory was used for analyzing the data. The study found that although some items were problematic, the majority of them were found to have good item parameters, effective scale option functioning, and provided adequate empirical information in the measurement of stress appraisal. This research concluded that the stress appraisal measure has promising applicability among male footballers who participated in the premier league in Ghana. Future researchers are encouraged to re-validate the stress appraisal measure with a different sample to contribute to the understanding of the applicability of the instrument in non-western populations.

Relationships between stress appraisals and intolerance of uncertainty with psychological health during early COVID-19 in the USA

ABSTRACT Background and objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased psychological distress and decreased quality of life (QoL), but limited research has evaluated cognitive appraisals of COVID-19. This study aimed to examine the role of three stress appraisals of the COVID-19 pandemic – threat appraisal, harm/loss appraisal, and challenge appraisal – and the interaction between these appraisals and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on psychological distress and QoL. Design This was a cross-sectional survey study using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Methods A sample of 327 adults living in the U.S. completed a series of questionnaires investigating IU, appraisal of the pandemic, psychological distress, and QoL in May 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Controlling for demographic variables, IU and harm/loss appraisal positively related to psychological distress and negatively related to QoL. Challenge appraisals negatively related to distress and positively related to QoL. Moderation analyses revealed that higher levels of IU led to stronger positive relationships between threat appraisal and psychological distress. Conclusions Cognitive appraisals of COVID-19 are associated with psychological health, though the relationship between threat appraisal and psychological distress are strongest for those with difficulty tolerating uncertainty. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Self-compassion and depression in Chinese undergraduates with left-behind experience: Mediation by emotion regulation and resilience.

The protective role of self-compassion in emerging adult depression has garnered empirical support. It makes more sense to understand the psychological processes underlying this relationship. Based on the stress appraisal patterns, the present study examined the mediating roles of emotion regulation (ER) and resilience in the link between self-compassion and depression among college students with left-behind experience (LBE). A total of 391 LBE college students (Mage = 18.43 years; SD = 0.79 years) in Chongqing reported their demographic information and self-compassion (the Self-Compassion Scale) level at baseline (T1) and reported their levels of ER (the Emotion Regulation Scale), resilience (the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), and depression (the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale) 3 months later (T2). The results revealed that (a) both ER (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and resilience separately mediated the association between self-compassion and depression; (b) cognitive reappraisal and resilience sequentially mediated this association. These findings reveal the underlying mechanisms of the associations between self-compassion and depression among LBE college students and have implications for interventions aimed at mitigating their depression.

Perceived Family Stress Predicts Poor Metabolic Control in Pediatric Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: A Novel Triadic Approach.

Objective Poor metabolic control and low treatment adherence remain major issues for many pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes. Important risk factors for both include psychosocial variables such as stress. To date, stress in type 1 diabetes patients and their parents has been investigated at an individual level. The present study tested the hypothesis that patients', mothers', and fathers' perceived stress is positively related to each other and therefore is a factor common to the family. This factor was then hypothesized to be related to patients' poorer treatment adherence behavior and metabolic control. Research Design and Methods. This cross-sectional study at the University Children's Hospital Zurich included 190 type 1 diabetes patients (age: 7–18 years; illness duration: ≥1 year) and their families. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure the self-reported stress of patients, mothers, and fathers. Patients' treatment adherence was rated by their endocrinologists. HbA1c served as indicator of metabolic control. A structural equation model (SEM) was conducted for analysis. Results The SEM showed adequate model fit. Patients' (β = .567, p ≤ .001), mother's (β = .621, p ≤ .001), and father's (β = .585, p ≤ .001) perceived stress loaded all on a single factor, perceived family stress. This factor was significantly associated with treatment adherence (β = −.384, p ≤ .001) and with HbA1c (β = .210, p = .012) of patients. Conclusions Results confirmed perceived family stress to be a common family construct. Because perceived family stress might have a negative impact on patients' treatment adherence and HbA1c, subjective stress appraisals of patients and both parents should be considered when counseling children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Black women’s experiences of gendered racial sexual objectification, body image, and depressive symptoms

Black women navigate unique sexual objectification experiences and concerns about their bodies as a consequence of the race- and gender-based marginalization that they face. However, less is known about the influence of gendered racial sexual objectification experiences on Black women’s mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms) or the contributions of key body image indicators (i.e., body surveillance and current-ideal body image discrepancy) that reflect Black women’s engagement in monitoring and managing their bodies. We surveyed 1595 Black women to test our hypotheses that experiences of gendered racial sexual objectification (i.e., frequency and stress appraisal) would be positively associated with depressive symptoms and that body surveillance and current-ideal body image discrepancy would moderate this association. Analyses showed that more frequent experiences of gendered racial sexual objectification and higher stress appraisal of these experiences were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. Furthermore, body surveillance and current-ideal body image discrepancy moderated the relation between gendered racial sexual objectification and depressive symptoms. Findings highlight how Black women’s objectification and increased engagement in body monitoring and management practices are associated with their experiences of depressive symptoms, and thus, may negatively influence their mental health.

Social Media Use Early in the Pandemic Predicted Later Social Well-Being and Mental Health in a National Online Sample of Adults in the United States

Social media use increased early in the Covid-19 pandemic, but little information is available about its impact. The present study examined associations of frequency of use of different social media and the motives for use with subsequent social well-being and mental health. Data were gathered on a nationwide sample of 843 Americans during the first wave of lockdowns and infections in mid-April 2020, and again five weeks later. Participants were adults ages 20 to 88 years old (M = 39.3 years old) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Controlling for age and gender, greater frequency of Facebook and video chat app use predicted higher levels social support but also higher levels of cumulative Covid-19–related stress appraisals and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Greater use of video chat apps also predicted less loneliness. Greater use of both Instagram and Snapchat predicted more anxiety and cumulative Covid-19–related stress appraisals. Greater use of Instagram also predicted higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Motives for use (e.g., connect with others, waste time/avoid responsibility, online video gaming with others) also differentially predicted social well-being and mental health. Results indicate that greater social media use early in the pandemic was often associated with more distress and lower levels of social well-being but, effects varied depending on types, frequency, and motivations for use. Overall, the study revealed that social media use related to social well-being and mental health in complex ways.

Prefrontal‐medullary circuit activation attenuates stress reactivity

Organismal survival and adaptation to stress rely on brainstem catecholaminergic neurons. In particular, catecholaminergic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) drive sympathetic activity and enable physiological adaptations, including vasoconstriction, corticosterone release, and glycemic mobilization. However, it is unclear how brain regions involved in the cognitive appraisal of stress regulate the activity of RVLM neurons. Our previous studies found that the rodent infralimbic prefrontal cortex (IL) integrates behavioral and physiological responses to stress. Thus, a potential IL‐to‐RVLM connection would represent a crucial link between stress appraisal and sympathetic reactivity. In the current study, we investigated a direct IL‐to‐RVLM circuit by targeting a genetically‐encoded anterograde tracer under the control of the CaMKIIα promoter to the IL of adult male and female rats. Analysis revealed that IL terminals apposed RVLM neurons expressing the catecholamine‐synthesizing enzyme dopamine beta hydroxylase. Further, IL input to catecholamine cells was widespread throughout the rostral to caudal extent of the VLM in both male and female rodents. Quantification of innervation density revealed that males had a larger proportion of VLM catecholamine neurons receiving IL inputs relative to female rats. Additionally, IL appositions were identified on GABAergic and glycinergic neurons in both sexes. Accordingly, we hypothesized that IL projections may activate local RVLM inhibitory cells to limit sympathetic output. To test this hypothesis, we injected a viral vector coding for channelrhodopsin‐2 (ChR2) in the IL of males and females. Next, a fiber optic cannula was implanted dorsal to the RVLM to evoke IL synaptic glutamate release. Animals then received photostimulation during restraint stress with blood sampled to determine stress reactivity. Compared to controls, male rats expressing ChR2 on IL terminals had suppressed glycemic stress responses (p < 0.05). In contrast, stimulation of the IL‐RVLM circuit in females did not affect glucose mobilization (p < 0.05). However, ChR2 decreased corticosterone responses to stress relative to control rats in both sexes (males, p < 0.01; females, p < 0.05). Thus, both male and female rats have a direct circuit from the IL portion of the mPFC to catecholamine‐synthesizing cells of the RVLM that limits glucocorticoid stress responses, likely through the activation of local inhibitory neurons. However, the density of this circuit is greater in males, potentially accounting for reduced glycemic responses. Ultimately, excitatory/inhibitory balance at IL synapses in the RVLM may be critical for the health consequences of stress.

Typologies of stress appraisal and problem-focused coping: associations with compliance with public health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundGiven prior research finding that young adults are less likely to engage in recommended public health behaviors (PHBs) than older adults, understanding who is and is not likely to engage in PHBs among young adults is crucial to mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, this study examined how typologies of stress appraisal (SA) and problem-focused coping (PFC) among young adults were associated with compliance with public health recommendations during the pandemic.MethodsAn online sample of young adults in the United States, ages 18–35, was recruited during the early phase of the pandemic (April–May 2020). Participants reported their appraisals of how central, threatening, and uncontrollable the pandemic was, their tendencies to engage in instrumental, problem-focused coping strategies, and how frequently they engaged in three recommended PHBs (social distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing).ResultsUsing latent class analysis, we identified three classes of individuals: Low-SA/Low-PFC, Low-SA/High-PFC, and High-SA/High-PFC. Demographics did not efficiently distinguish membership in the three classes. The former two classes reported less compliance with public health recommendations than did the latter class. Tests of measurement invariance for gender indicated trivial differences in the composition of class membership and relations to compliance.ConclusionsThis research uncovered three qualitatively distinct classes of people who differed in their appraisal of the pandemic and their tendency to engage in PFC. Individuals who view the pandemic as central and threatening and engage in problem-focused coping were more likely than their peers to comply with guidelines recommending social distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing. These results contribute to our understanding of why people do and do not comply with public health guidelines and highlight the importance of attending to psychological variables in public health research. Understanding what drives poor compliance with public health recommendations can contribute to efforts promoting better compliance, and ultimately better health outcomes.

Creative performance pressure as adouble‐edgedsword for creativity: The role of appraisals and resources

AbstractCreativity, or the generation of novel and useful ideas or products, is widely viewed as the cornerstone of organizational innovation and success. However, high pressure to be creative may have mixed implications for employee creativity. In this article, we first systematically conceptualize the nature of the concept of creative performance pressure. Next, building on transactional stress theory, we investigate (a) how creative performance pressure influences employee creativity through different appraisals (i.e., challenge and hindrance) and (b) the moderating role of a job and personal resource (i.e., servant leadership and promotion focus) in the stressor appraisal process. In Study 1, we developed a creative performance pressure scale and assessed its psychometric properties across two samples (N = 181 for Sample 1;N = 253 for Sample 2). In addition, using multi‐wave, multi‐source data (Study 2), we tested our hypotheses in a Chinese sample (N = 206). The results demonstrated that creative performance pressure can have both positive and negative effects on employee creativity through challenge and hindrance appraisals, respectively. Servant leadership moderated the effect of creative performance pressure on challenge and hindrance appraisals, by transmitting the beneficial and detrimental effects of creative performance pressure to creativity, respectively. Similarly, promotion focus moderated the relationship between creative performance pressure and hindrance appraisal. We discuss future research directions and offer several practical implications for both organizational leaders and human resource (HR) practitioners.

Stress is a Latent Construct: Exploring the Differential Experience of Stress and Discrimination on Depressive Symptoms Among Black Older Adults.

Objectives: While evidence highlights the detrimental mental health consequences of chronic stress exposure, the impact of this stress exposure on older Black Americans' mental health varies by exposure to other types of stressors like discrimination as well as subjective evaluations of stress like chronic stress appraisal. Methods: Using data from the 2010/2012 Health and Retirement Study, we use latent profile analysis (LPA) to describe 2,415 Black older adults experience with chronic stress exposure, appraisal, and discrimination and examine which stress contexts are associated with depressive symptomology. Results: Analyses revealed five stress clusters-demonstrating the diversity in the stress experience for older Black adults. Black older adults with stress profiles that include lower stress appraisal report fewer depressive symptoms regardless of number of stress exposures. Discussion: LPA is as an alternative approach to examining the stress-mental health link that can define stress profiles by both exposure and appraisal-based measures.

Work-Related Stress, Psychosocial Resources, and Insomnia Symptoms Among Older Black Workers.

Objectives: To examine the association between work-related stress (job lock and job stress appraisal) and insomnia symptoms among older Black workers, as well as the extent to which psychosocial resources (mastery, social support, and religious involvement) mediate or moderate this association. Methods: This study uses Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis and data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) on Black workers aged 51 and older (N = 924). Results: Job lock due to financial reasons and job stress appraisal are associated with increased insomnia symptoms among older Black workers. Religious attendance buffers the harmful effects of financial job lock on sleep quality, while religiosity exacerbates the effects of job stress on insomnia symptoms. Discussion: Taken together, findings underscore the utility of the Stress Process Model for understanding diverse stress and sleep experiences in later life. Furthermore, findings have the potential to inform efficacious policies for reducing work-related stress and mitigating its harmful consequences.

Childhood Trauma and Cortisol Reactivity: An Investigation of the Role of Task Appraisals.

BackgroundChildhood adversity is linked to adverse health in adulthood. One posited mechanistic pathway is through physiological responses to acute stress. Childhood adversity has been previously related to both exaggerated and blunted physiological responses to acute stress, however, less is known about the psychological mechanisms which may contribute to patterns of physiological reactivity linked to childhood adversity.ObjectiveIn the current work, we investigated the role of challenge and threat stress appraisals in explaining relationships between childhood adversity and cortisol reactivity in response to an acute stressor.MethodsUndergraduate students (n = 81; 61% female) completed an online survey that included general demographic information and the Risky Families Questionnaire 24 h before a scheduled lab visit. In the lab, a research assistant collected a baseline salivary cortisol sample. Following the baseline period, participants were read instructions for the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated psychological lab stressor. Next, they completed a challenge vs. threat task appraisal questionnaire and completed the speech and math portion of the TSST. Twenty minutes following the start of the TSST, a second salivary sample was collected to measure changes in salivary cortisol following the TSST.ResultsLinear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, childhood socioeconomic status (SES), and baseline cortisol levels, showed childhood adversity associated with changes in cortisol levels [B = –0.29 t(73) = –2.35, p = 0.02, R2=0.07]. Linear regression analyses controlling for age, sex, and childhood SES showed childhood adversity associated with both challenge [B = –0.52 t(74) = –5.04, p < 0.001, R2=0.24] and threat [B = 0.55 t(74) = 5.40, p < 0.001, R2=0.27] appraisals. Significant indirect effects of childhood trauma on cortisol reactivity were observed through challenge appraisals [B = –0.01 (95% confidence interval = –0.02, –0.003)], and threat appraisals [B = –0.01 (95% confidence interval = –0.01, –0.003)].ConclusionChildhood adversity may contribute to blunted cortisol reactivity, a pattern of response which is linked to obesity, addiction, and other behavior-related diseases. Our findings suggest that this relationship is in part a product of stress appraisals.