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Stress Scale (stress + scale)
Kinds of Stress Scale Selected AbstractsA placebo-controlled trial of mirtazapine for the management of methamphetamine withdrawalDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 3 2008CHRISTOPHER C. CRUICKSHANK Abstract Introduction and Aims. As an antidepressant with sedative and anxiolytic properties, mirtazapine may be an appropriate pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine withdrawal. This study sought to examine whether mirtazapine improves retention and alleviates methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms in an out-patient setting. Design and Methods. An out-patient double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial of mirtazapine for the treatment of methamphetamine withdrawal was conducted (15 mg nocte for 2 days, 30 mg nocte for 12 days). Both groups were offered narrative therapy counselling. Measures recorded on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 35 included: treatment retention, Amphetamine Cessation Symptoms Assessment, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Depression,Anxiety,Stress Scale (DASS), Severity of Dependence scale and the Opiate Treatment Index Drug Use subscale. Results. Thirty-one participants were recruited (18 placebo, 13 mirtazapine) and 52% completed the 2-week medication phase. No significant differences between the mirtazapine and placebo groups in retention, or any symptom measure were observed, except greater DASS,anxiety and longer sleep duration were measured at baseline among the mirtazapine group. Discussion and Conclusions. Results suggest that mirtazapine does not facilitate retention or recruitment in out-patient methamphetamine withdrawal treatment, although recruitment may have been insufficient to identify a significant treatment effect. The potential role of narrative therapy for methamphetamine dependent patients deserves further exploration. [source] The development and validation of the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS): a 13-item screening instrument for alcohol and drug and mental health riskDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 2 2007CARLA M. SCHLESINGER Abstract The study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS) as a screening instrument for determining (i) the presence of alcohol and drug and mental health risk in Indigenous adult Australians and (ii) the cut-off scores that discriminate most effectively between the presence and absence of risk. A cross-sectional survey was used in clinical and non-clinical Indigenous and non-Indigenous services across Queensland Australia. A total of 175 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from urban, rural, regional and remote locations in Queensland took part in the study. Measures included the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS), the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ). Additional Mental Health measures included the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ). Principle axis factoring analysis of the IRIS revealed two factors corresponding with (i) alcohol and drug and (ii) mental health. The IRIS alcohol and drug and mental health subscales demonstrated good convergent validity with other well-established screening instruments and both subscales showed high internal consistency. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to generate cut-offs for the two subscales and t-tests validated the utility of these cut-offs for determining risky levels of drinking. The study validated statistically the utility of the IRIS as a screen for alcohol and drug and mental health risk. The instrument is therefore recommended as a brief screening instrument for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. [source] Naltrexone versus acamprosate in the treatment of alcohol dependence: a multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialADDICTION, Issue 10 2006Kirsten C. Morley ABSTRACT Aim To compare the efficacy of acamprosate and naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence., Design A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial., Setting Three treatment centres in Australia., Participants A total of 169 alcohol dependent subjects were given naltrexone (50 mg/day), acamprosate (1998 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Intervention All subjects were offered manualized compliance therapy, a brief intervention that targets problems that may affect treatment compliance such as ambivalence and misperceptions about medication. Measurements Time to the first drink, time to first relapse, drinks per drinking day and cumulative abstinence. Findings In intention-to-treat analyses, there were no differences between groups on outcome measures of drinking, craving or biochemical markers. Similarly, analyses of the 94 subjects that completed the study in full and demonstrated 80% compliance, revealed no significant treatment effects. Differential treatment effects were identified after stratification according to scores on the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). A significant beneficial treatment effect on time to first relapse was revealed for subjects with ,no depression' allocated to naltrexone (n = 56; P < 0.01). In addition, a significant beneficial treatment effect was revealed in subjects with ,low dependence' allocated to naltrexone (n = 34; P < 0.05). Conclusions The results of this study support the efficacy of naltrexone in the relapse prevention of alcoholism amongst those with low levels of clinical depression and alcohol dependence severity. No effect of acamprosate was found in our sample. [source] The Algorithmically Structured Systematic Exploration of Subject's State of Mind: II Reliability and Construct ValidityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDIES, Issue 4 2007Marie-Noëlle Le Mer Abstract Objective: To investigate the reliability and validity of a newly developed semistructured interview, the Algorithmically Structured Systematic Exploration of Subject's State of Mind (Assess_Mind). Method: Twelve scales have been developed and used to rate 86 Assess_Mind interviews conducted with patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment. For each rating scale, we assessed interrater reliability, interviewer effect, and construct validity. In addition, a factor analysis of scales was performed. To study the validity of scales and of the factors yielded by factor analysis, patients were assessed with a psychopathological battery including the Child Project Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Ways of Coping Checklist. Results: For 11 of the 12 scales, interrater reliability was fair to excellent. There was no significant interviewer effect affecting any of the scales. In addition, the validity of nine of these 11 scales was demonstrated by their correlations with questionnaires measuring similar constructs. Conclusion: Nine of the Assess_Mind scales appear to have adequate psychometric properties. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Stress affects carers before patient's first visit to a memory clinicINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2009Tor Atle Rosness Abstract Objective To measure and compare the burden on spousal carers of patients with and without dementia who were consulting a memory clinic for the first time. Methods We included 413 dyads of patients and their spousal carers consulting a memory clinic for the first time. Of them 276 had a diagnosis of Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (CIND) and 137 had a dementia diagnosis. The burden of care was measured with the Relative Stress Scale (RSS). The gender of patients and their spouses was recorded and measures of cognition, depression and functional capacity of the patients were included in the analysis. Results Of all carers, 27.6% had a score on the RSS of above 23, indicating a moderate to severe burden. The corresponding score for carers of patients with CIND was 20.3%, compared to 42.2% for those with dementia. However, in a linear regression analysis with RSS as the dependent variable, the dementia diagnosis variable was not significant. Three variables were significant (p,<,0.05) and has explained 34% of the variance of the score on the RSS, impaired function in activities of daily living (ADL) was the most important variable (, 0.56), followed by female gender of carers (, 0.19) and the extent of the symptoms of depression observed in the patients (, 0.10). Conclusion Carers of both CIND and dementia patients when attending a memory clinic for initial diagnostic assessment experience high levels of stress. Impaired function in ADL in patients is the strongest predictor of this stress. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] High score on the Relative Stress Scale, a marker of possible psychiatric disorder in family carers of patients with dementiaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2007Ingun Ulstein Abstract Objective To compare the scores on the Relative Stress Scale (RSS) with those on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and to establish a cut-off score for RSS in order to distinguish carers with symptoms of psychiatric disorders from those without. Methods One hundred and ninety-four carers of 194 patients suffering from dementia according to ICD-10 were included in the study. Burden of care was assessed by the 15-items RSS, and psychiatric symptoms by means of the GHQ-30 and the 30-items GDS. A case score above 5 on GHQ and above 13 on GDS were used to define carers with probable psychiatric morbidity. Sensitivity (SS), specificity (SP), accuracy and likelihood ratio for a positive test (LR+) were calculated for different cut-points of the RSS. Results Fifty-six percent of the carers had a GHQ score above 5, and 22% had a GDS score above 13. A two-step cluster analysis using 192 of the 194 carers, identified three groups of carers; a low risk group for psychiatric morbidity (LRG), 82 carers with GHQ,,,5 and GDS,,,13; a medium risk group (MRG), 69 carers with GHQ,>,5 and GDS,,,13; and a high-risk group (HRG), 40 carers with GHQ,>,5 and GDS,>,13. The optimal RSS cut-off to distinguish between the LRG and the others was,>,23 (SS 0.72, SP 0.82, accuracy 0.76, LR,+,4.0), whereas the optimal cut-off to separate the HRG from the others was,>30 (SS 0.74, SP 0.87, accuracy 0.84, LR,+,5.7). Conclusion The RSS is a useful instrument to stratify carers according to their risk of psychiatric morbidity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Influence of psychosocial factors on the development of sleep bruxism among childrenINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 5 2009JUNIA M. SERRA-NEGRA Background., Bruxism is described as an orofacial parafunction that affects both children and adults. The maintenance of the childhood habit into adulthood may compromise health. As there are few studies on this issue, there is a need for further research on sleep bruxism among children. Aim., The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sleep bruxism in children and the influence of psychosocial factors. Methods., A cross-sectional study was carried out on 652 randomly selected children aged 7,10 years at public and private schools in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The instruments used were: questionnaire for parents, Child Stress Scale, and the scales on neuroticism and responsibility from the prevalidated Big Five Questionnaire for Children. Psychological tests were administered and evaluated by psychologists. Sleep bruxism among children was reported by parents. The Social Vulnerability Index from the city hall database was used to determine the social classification of the families. The chi-squared test, binary and multivariate logistic regressions were used, with the significance level set at 5%. Results., A 35.3% prevalence of bruxism was found. No association was found between bruxism and stress, gender, age, or social vulnerability. The adjusted logistic model determined that children with high levels of neuroticism (OR = 1.9, CI 1.3,2.6) and responsibility (OR = 2.2, CI 1.0,5.0) are twice as likely to have the habit of sleep bruxism when compared to those who have low levels of these personality traits. Conclusions., A high degree of responsibility and neuroticism, which are individual personality traits, are determinant factors for the development of sleep bruxism among children. [source] Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing studentsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 7 2010Ya-Chu Hsiao hsiao y.-c., chien l.-y., wu l.-y., chiang c.-m. & huang s.-y. (2010) Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(7), 1612,1622. Abstract Title.,Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. Aim., This paper is a report of an exploration of the association of spiritual health with clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. Background., Several studies in western countries have demonstrated an association between spirituality and health. Spirituality-related research in eastern countries, however, is still in its infancy. Methods., A cross-sectional design was adopted and structured questionnaires were used for data collection. We adopted the Probability Proportional to Size cluster sampling method to recruit nursing students in senior grades. Data were collected in 2005 using the Spiritual Health Scale, Perceived Clinical Practice Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Health Promotion Behaviours Scale. Results., A total of 1276 nursing students with an average age of 20·1 years (sd = 1·6 years) participated in the study. Spiritual health was negatively associated with clinical practice stress (r = ,0·211, P < 0·001) and depressive tendency (r = ,0·324, P < 0·001) and positively associated with health-promoting behaviours (r = 0·611, P < 0·001). Using hierarchical regression analysis to control for demographic factors, spiritual health was found to be an important predictive factor for clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours. Conclusion., These results are consistent with research findings from western countries. Educators should develop strategies to address nursing students' spiritual health. This may help nursing students to manage their stress, to reduce depressive symptoms and to enhance health-promoting behaviours. [source] Chronic Stress, Sense of Belonging, and Depression Among Survivors of Traumatic Brain InjuryJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 3 2002Esther Bay Purpose: To test whether chronic stress, interpersonal relatedness, and cognitive burden could explain depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: A nonprobability sample of 75 mild-to-moderately injured TBI survivors and their significant others, were recruited from five TBI day-rehabilitation programs. All participants were within 2 years of the date of injury and were living in the community. Methods: During face-to-face interviews, demographic information, and estimates of brain injury severity were obtained and participants completed a cognitive battery of tests of directed attention and short-term memory, responses to the Perceived Stress Scale, Interpersonal Relatedness Inventory, Sense of Belonging Instrument, Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale;. Findings: Chronic stress was significantly and positively related to post-TBI depression. Depression and postinjury sense of belonging were negatively related. Social support and results from the cognitive battery did not explain depression. Conclusions: Postinjury chronic stress and sense of belonging were strong predictors of post-injury depression and are variables amenable to interventions by nurses in community health, neurological centers, or rehabilitation clinics. Future studies are needed to examine how these variables change over time during the recovery process. [source] The relationship of sleep quality and posttraumatic stress to potential sleep disorders in sexual assault survivors with nightmares, insomnia, and PTSDJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 4 2001Barry Krakow Abstract Sleep quality and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined in 151 sexual assault survivors, 77% of whom had previously reported symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) or sleep movement disorders (SMD) or both. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Posttraumatic Stress Scale (PSS). High PSQI scores reflected extremely poor sleep quality and correlated with PSS scores. PSQI scores were greater in participants with potential SDB or SMD or both. PSQI or PSS scores coupled with body-mass index and use of antidepressants or anxiolytics predicted potential sleep disorders. The relationship between sleep and posttraumatic stress appears to be more complex than can be explained by the current PTSD paradigm; and, sleep breathing and sleep movement disorders may be associated with this complexity. [source] Response of patients with panic disorder and symptoms of hypomania to cognitive behavior therapy for panicBIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 2 2003Rudy C Bowen Objectives:, The purpose of this cohort study was to determine in patients with Panic Disorder (PD): (1) the prevalence of subsyndromal symptoms of hypomania, and (2) whether subsyndromal hypomania symptoms affect the outcome of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for panic. Methods:, Using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, and DSM-III-R criteria we identified 18 individuals with a history of symptoms of hypomania among 56 patients with PD. Patients were treated in an open CBT group program. They were assessed before treatment and 6 and 12 months later. We used the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Pearlin-Schooler Mastery Scale (PMS), and the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS) at all assessments. Results:, The total group significantly improved on all measures. The Clinically Significant Change was 71.4% and the Reliable Change Index 48.2%. Between 6 and 12 months, there was a trend for the hypomania symptom subgroup (PH) to continue to improve on the BSI Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Pearlin,Schooler Mastery Scale, and the Social Adjustment Scale but to lose gains on the BSI Phobic Anxiety and Somatization subscales compared with the group without symptoms of hypomania (PNH). Conclusions:, Thirty-two percent of patients with PD had symptoms of hypomania. With CBT for panic, patients with PD and symptoms of hypomania improve as much as those without hypomania symptoms. The presence or absence of symptoms of hypomania might help explain the inconsistent effects of depression and personality disorders on the treatment of PD. [source] Self-rated importance of religion predicts one-year outcome of patients with panic disorderDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 5 2006F.R.C.P.(C.), Rudy Bowen M.D.C.M. Abstract Cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication are efficacious treatments for panic disorder, but individual attributes such as coping and motivation are important determinants of treatment response. A sample of 56 patients with panic disorder, treated with group cognitive-behavioral therapy, were reassessed 6 months and 12 months after initial assessment. We studied the effect of self-rated importance of religion, perceived stress, self-esteem, mastery, and interpersonal alienation on outcome as measured by the General Severity Index of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI.GSI). Importance of religion was a predictor of BSI.GSI symptom improvement at 1 year. Over time, improvement was seen for the religion is very important subgroup in the BSI.GSI and Perceived Stress Scales. This study suggests that one mechanism by which high importance of religion reduces psychiatric symptoms is through reducing perceived stress. Depression and Anxiety 23:266,273, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Evaluation of a community-based mental health drug and alcohol nurse in the care of people living with HIV/AIDSJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2009J. ALLEN rn ba (hons) m psych (counselling psychology) There is a growing need for advanced practice mental health and drug and alcohol nursing roles in the care of people living with HIV/AIDS; however, limited publications address these domains. This study evaluated a community-based mental health drug and alcohol nurse role caring for people living with HIV/AIDS (Mental Health D&A Nurse) in a large not-for-profit district nursing organization providing care to people living with HIV/AIDS in an Australian city. Outcomes from a client assessment and 6,8-week follow-up by the Mental Health D&A Nurse are presented as captured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS 21), Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HONOS) and WHOQoL BREF. Mean scores and caseness were analysed, and significant differences were found on the ,impairment' and ,social problems' subscales of the HONOS. Results of semi-structured interviews with clients describe effective and supportive mental health care and health-promoting education following visits by the Mental Health D&A Nurse. These positive findings support continuing implementation of the role within this community setting and indicate that even greater benefits will ensue as the role develops further. Findings are of interest to clinicians and policy makers seeking to implement similar roles in community-based HIV/AIDS care. [source] Differences in cognitive factors between "true drug" versus "placebo pattern" response to fluoxetine as defined by pattern analysisHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 4 2006Amy H. Farabaugh Abstract Objective Pattern analysis has identified two types of response patterns to antidepressants: "true drug" response (TDR) and "placebo pattern" response (PPR). This study examines the relationship between cognitive factors and TDR and PPR to fluoxetine. Methods We assessed 310 outpatients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) who were enrolled in an 8-week open trial of fluoxetine 20,mg/day. Response patterns were determined using the clinical global impressions-improvement (CGI-I). We administered the following self-rated scales to all patients at the baseline visit and at endpoint: perceived stress scale (PSS), cognitions questionnaire (CQ), Beck hopelessness scale (BHS) and dysfunctional attitudes scale (DAS). Results One hundred and thirty-four patients had TDR, 66 patients had PPR, and 110 patients were non-responders (NR). Demographic variables and severity of depression at baseline (HAMD-17) were not significantly different between the two response pattern groups. We compared cognitive factors before and after treatment across patients with TDR and PPR, and there were no significant differences at baseline in CQ, PSS, BHS, and DAS scores. At endpoint, outpatients with PPR had significantly lower scores on the PSS (p,<,0.001) compared to the patients with TDR, even after adjusting for multiple comparisons and severity of depression at endpoint. Conclusions Significant differences in cognitive/psychological factors, specifically lower post-treatment perceived stress, accompany "placebo" pattern of response to antidepressant treatment and differentiate it from "true drug" response pattern, as defined by pattern analysis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Stability and prediction of parenting stressINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2007Monica Östberg Abstract The study focused on stability and prediction of parenting stress experiences over a 6-year period. Mothers (N=93) who had received a clinical intervention for feeding or sleeping problems during infancy (Time 1; T 1) were followed-up when the children were 5,10 years old (Time 2; T 2). An age- and sex-of-child matched normal group was used for comparison of stress levels at T 2. Parenting stress was measured by the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire, which consists of a general parenting stress scale and sub-scales tapping different aspects of parenting stress experiences. T 1 predictors were clinical assessments of child problem load, maternal unresponsiveness, and family psychosocial problems. T 2 predictors were mother-reported concurrent child problem load and psychosocial problems. The individual stability in stress experiences was moderate. Effect sizes indicated that mothers with early clinical contacts had reduced their stress to levels close to those in the normal sample. Parenting stress at T 2 could be predicted from early and from concurrent child and family problems. The results point to the relevance of early clinical assessments and to the importance of a sub-area approach in parenting stress research, as there were differences between stress sub-areas regarding both prediction and stability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The informant questionnaire on cognitive decline in the elderly (IQCODE) is associated with informant stressINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 11 2009Harald A. Nygaard Abstract Objective To study the association between informant stress and appraisal of patients' cognitive functioning as reported by the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly,IQCODE. Methods Routinely collected data from a geriatric outpatient department (207 dyads) during the years 1995,1998 were analysed. Relative stress scale (RSS) has been categorised for possible low, intermediate and high risk of psychiatric morbidity and caregivers were combined to four groups (female and male spouses and female and male non-spouses, respectively). The relationship between IQCODE (dependent) and categorised RSS and informant groups and patient age was further studied by means of the general linear model (GLM,UNIANOVA). Results In general, spouses reported better cognitive functioning than non-spouses. There was a significant association between IQCODE and RSS (p,<,0.001), and the composite variable informant group and informant gender (p,<,0.001). The main effect of the interaction term RSS,×,informant group,+,informant gender was not significant. Post hoc test, however, revealed a significant effect of the interaction term RSS,×,female spouses (p,<,0.001) on IQCODE. Conclusion IQCODE is associated with informant stress. Categorisation of RSS score into groups of low, intermediate and high risk for psychiatric morbidity can be a valuable contribution to a more meaningful application of RSS in general practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Resources and coping with stressful eventsJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2009Gil Luria This longitudinal, quasi-field experiment tested whether perceived stress and increase in perceived stress are related to the resources of the individual, namely, personality (core self evaluation scale (CSES)), physical fitness, social support (acceptance and/or rejection by peers), and cognitive abilities. Perceived stress scale (PSS) was administered at two points in time to participants in a two-day selection process for a military unit, whose stressful environment formed the manipulation in this study. Baseline PSS was obtained from soldiers before the selection activity, when threatened with resource loss. PSS was next administered during the selection activity, when individuals had to cope with actual loss of resources and difficulty in regaining them. As expected, participants perceived more stress during the selection activity. Participants with higher CSES, higher cognitive abilities and higher levels of social support perceived lower stress levels prior to the activity. The increase in stress level was lower for participants with better fitness levels, but greater for participants rejected by their peers. Exploratory analysis of resource overlap was conducted and revealed a contribution of few key resources to coping, even in the presence of other resources. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An Exploration of the Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Cortisol Rhythms in Colorado RanchersTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Emily Schulze MA ABSTRACT:,Context: Although the effects of stress on health have been studied in numerous urban-dwelling populations, fewer studies have addressed these effects in rural populations, such as farmers and ranchers. Purpose: The present study focuses on seasonal levels of depressed affect and perceived stress in Western Colorado ranchers, and how those phenomena related to their levels of cortisol. Methods: Twenty-one (21) ranchers, who were permittees on the Colorado Grand Mesa, completed the study. Participants identified 2-week time periods during the year representing relative high, medium, and low stress. During each period, participants took saliva samples, rated stress levels, and completed a daily health diary. In addition, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the perceived stress scale (PSS), and a life events scale (LES) were administered. Results: Results showed a strong relationship between BDI-II and PSS scores (r = 0.748, P < .01). The decreased daytime cortisol decline supports the notion that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis negative feedback loop is disrupted in chronic stress and depression, thus resulting in chronically elevated cortisol levels. Conclusion: This study supports the relationship between stress, depression, and HPA dysregulation in ranchers. [source] Immigrant girls perceive less stressACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 7 2008F Lindblad Abstract Aim: To develop a new stress scale and use it for investigating impact of ethnicity on perception of stress. Subjects and Methods: One thousand one hundred and twenty-four students (grades 6,9) from 14 schools filled in a questionnaire at school with questions about age, sex, use of language at home (proxy for cultural background), stress and stressors. Factor analysis and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results: Two-stress dimensions were identified, ,pressure'(7 items, Cronbach's alpha 0.862) and ,activation'(4 items, Cronbach's alpha 0.767). Scores on the two scales and a separate ,stress' item were higher in girls and increased with grade. Use of another language than Swedish at home showed a significant effect only for activation, with lower scores in girls. The interaction effect between sex and language was significant for all variables and was due mainly to lower stress in girls using another language than Swedish at home. Conclusion: This new stress scale has some promising qualities like a condensed format, basis in a specific stress concept and formulated to be as age and culture independent as possible. Immigrant girls seem to perceive less stress than Swedish born girls, which opens up for questions about protective mechanisms. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||