Life Stressors (life + stressor)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Belief in common fate and psychological well-being among Chinese immigrant women

ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
Taryn N. Tang
Three studies were conducted to develop and test a construct of Chinese marital commitment in the context of immigration. ,Belief in common fate' refers to an unfailing devotion to a Confucian ideal of the marital union as hierarchical without regard for external contingencies or individual needs. Women who did not believe in common fate reported a more positive affect. When women reported the occurrence of a severe life stressor, a strong belief in common fate was associated with psychological distress and negative affect. We discuss the importance of considering contextual factors, such as migration and life adversity, in interpreting the significance of cultural belief systems. [source]


Predictors of Morale in U.S. Peacekeepers,

JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2006
Shira Maguen
In this prospective study, we examined pre- and postmission predictors of morale in U.S. military peacekeepers deployed to Kosovo. After controlling for demographic and military characteristics, current general life stressors, unit cohesion, and reports of patriotism and nationalism were predictive of predeployment morale. We also found that positive military experiences, general overseas military stressors, and postdeployment unit cohesion were significant predictors of postdeployment morale after controlling for demographic and military characteristics and predeployment morale, cohesion, and patriotism/nationalism. The results suggest the need to broaden our understanding of the factors that may assist and motivate soldiers during demanding peacekeeping operations and the factors that may mitigate the impact of stressful demands and associated mission-related strain. [source]


Mental health nursing students' experience of stress: burdened by a heavy load

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2009
M. FREEBURN msc pgrad dip bsc(hons) rpn rnt
This paper reports research outcomes of a study into personal stress experienced by mental health student nurses undertaking a diploma programme in Ireland. It uses a phenomenological research approach. The sample was purposive and involved in-depth interviews with six students. The purpose of the study was to contribute to the knowledge of the impact of personal life stressors. Findings from this study focus on the following themes: event, meaning, effects, ability to move beyond the stress, influence on life and constraints and demands. Key points arising are that the stress experience does impact students' internal and external worlds, potentially lessening functioning and inhibiting growth and development. This paper presents student narratives that offer insights into their inner worlds, providing true accounts of the essence of stress for them. This knowledge has implications for lecturers, personal tutors, nurse educationalists and nursing curricula, highlighting need for more proactive approaches to the provision of guidance on professional support for students and staff. Insights derived from this study are relevant not only to mental health nurse education but also to academic staff delivering professional education programmes to healthcare practitioners in a variety of settings. [source]


Hope, Social Support, and Behavioral Problems in At-Risk Children

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2005
Kristine Amlund Hagen PhD
This study investigated the effects of hope, social support, and stress on behavioral problems in a high-risk group of 65 children of incarcerated mothers. Children with low levels of hope had more externalizing and internalizing problems. Children who perceived less social support had more externalizing problems, and children who had experienced more life stressors reported more internalizing problems. Regression analyses indicated that hope contributed unique variance to both internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems after social support and stress were controlled. These findings suggest that being confident in one's ability to overcome challenges and having a positive outlook function as protective factors, whereas being less hopeful may place a child at risk for developing adjustment problems. Whether it is possible to foster agency and teach pathways to children with lower levels of hope is discussed. [source]


Relationship between late-life depression and life stressors: Large-scale cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the Japanese general population

PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 4 2010
Tatsuhiko Kaji MD
Aim:, The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relationship between late-life depression and daily life stress in a representative sample of 10 969 Japanese subjects. Methods:, Data on 10 969 adults aged ,50 who participated in the Active Survey of Health and Welfare in 2000, were analyzed. The self-administered questionnaire included items on 21 reasons for life stressors and the magnitude of stress, as well as the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The relationship between the incidence of life stressors and mild,moderate (D16) and severe (D26) depressive symptoms was examined using logistic regression analysis. Results:, A total of 21.9% of subjects had D16 symptoms, and 9.3% had D26 symptoms. Further, increased age and being female were associated with more severe depressive state. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the strongest relationship between both the incidence of D16 and D26 symptoms and life stressors stemmed from ,having no one to talk to' (odds ratio = 3.3 and 5.0, respectively). Late-life depression was also associated with ,loss of purpose in life', ,separation/divorce', ,having nothing to do', ,health/illness/care of self', and ,debt'. Conclusion:, There is a relationship between late-life depression and diminished social relationships, experiences involving loss of purpose in life or human relationships, and health problems in the Japanese general population. [source]


Patterns of mental distress following the violent death of a child and predictors of change over time

RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 6 2002
Shirley A. Murphy
Abstract We observed 173 parents bereaved by the violent death of an adolescent or young adult child. Data were collected 4, 12, 24, and 60 months postdeath. Using latent growth modeling, we examined how initial levels of mental distress and the rate of change over time are influenced by nine predictors: parents' gender, self-esteem, three coping strategies, perceived social support, negative life stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and an intervention offered in the early bereavement period. The results support a multiple-risk and ,protective factor model of loss accommodation. Parents' gender, self-esteem, and affective and repressive coping were predictive of changes in mental distress over time. Although parents' initial levels of PTSD were the best predictor of baseline mental distress, they did not predict reductions in distress 5 years later. Theoretical, empirical, and clinical implications are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 25:425,437, 2002. [source]


Psychological factors, immune function and recovery from major surgery

ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 4 2009
Ute Vollmer-Conna
Objective: This study used a prospective design and the technique of structural modelling to examine the complex interrelations between psychological factors, immune status and complications after major surgery. Methods: Twenty-nine women scheduled for elective cholecystectomy were studied prospectively. Information regarding medical history, health practices, life stressors, and coping strategies was obtained two weeks prior to admission. At this initial meeting, as well as three days after surgery, and at one month follow-up immunological tests were performed and the level of psychological distress was assessed. The study additionally included measures of post-operative complications, and infections and negative effect during follow-up. Results: Pre-operative immune status emerged as a key variable exerting strong effects on subsequent immune function and, thereby producing significant, indirect effects on every recovery variable. Pre-operative distress was directly linked to increased mood disturbance at follow-up. Moreover, distress significantly influenced immune function both before and after surgery, which mediated a significant impact on most recovery variables. Active coping behaviour directly increased the risk of a complicated recovery. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that distress-induced changes in immune functioning have clinical relevance. Overall, the present findings suggest that recovery from surgery is facilitated in patients with a well-functioning immune system, a low-level of pre-operative distress and a passive coping disposition. [source]


The Dynamics of Life Stressors and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence: A Test of Six Theoretical Models

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2008
Margaret Clements
Structural equation modeling was used to compare 6 competing theoretically based psychosocial models of the longitudinal association between life stressors and depressive symptoms in a sample of early adolescents (N= 907; 40% Hispanic, 32% Black, and 19% White; mean age at Time 1 = 11.4 years). Only two models fit the data, both of which included paths modeling the effect of depressive symptoms on stressors recall: The mood-congruent cognitive bias model included only depressive symptoms to life stressors paths (DS,S), whereas the fully transactional model included paths representing both the DS,S and stressors to depressive symptoms (S,DS) effects. Social causation models and the stress generation model did not fit the data. Findings demonstrate the importance of accounting for mood-congruent cognitive bias in stressors,depressive symptoms investigations. [source]