Stress MedicineVolume 16, Issue 3 p. 133-137 Editorial Editorial: Stress, depression and the immune system B. E. Leonard, B. E. Leonard Pharmacology Department, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandSearch for more papers by this author B. E. Leonard, B. E. Leonard Pharmacology Department, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 12 April 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(200004)16:3<133::AID-SMI876>3.0.CO;2-9Citations: 3AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume16, Issue3April 2000Pages 133-137 RelatedInformation
Most research studies of stress and coping in a person's life utilize only one or two measures. As scientists, therefore, we become accustomed to seeing these topics in a limited perspective. As health care practitioners, however, we profit front a broader view of these fields. Practitioners of health promotion strive to alert patients and clients to several areas Of life adjustment pertinent to health and disease. The Stress and Coping Inventory (SCI) was designed for this kind of health promotion, primarily as an educational instrument and secondarily as a research tool. Reliability testing, using Cronbach alpha correlations, was Performed utilizing a sample of 1772 individuals. lntercorrelations run between SCI stress and coping indicators were all in the predicted direction and several were at moderately high orders of magnitude. Analysis of variance was carried out for stress and coping measures according to subjects' reports of recent health problems. Finally, stepwise multiple regression analysis was done, including validation, cross-validation. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
We evaluated the state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation in the peripheral blood of 33 patients with stress and 33 patients with infection/inflammation. Both groups had a similar white blood cell count (9542 +/- 3067 and 10,512 +/- 2758 cells per cmm, respectively). It was found that the percentage of aggregated leukocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with infection/inflammation was significantly higher than in the patients with stress (24.7 +/- 11 per cent versus 15.8 +/- 6 per cent; p < 0.0001). When we analyzed the size distribution of the aggregated cells we also found a significant difference between the number of couplets (2.7 +/- 1.9 versus 1.6 +/- 0.9; p = 0.006), triplets (0.6 +/- 1.3 versus 0.2 +/- 0.2; p = 0.05), quadruplets (0.14 +/- 0.2 versus 0.03 +/- 0.07; p = 0.005) or quintets (0.04 +/- 0.1 versus 0.003 +/- 0.002; p = 0.05) between these two groups. Thus, by using a simple slide test to reveal the state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation in the peripheral blood one could favor the diagnosis of infection/inflammation induced leukocytosis as opposed to a stress-related one. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sleep disorders and daytime fatigue are common health problems in middle-aged and elderly populations, and they vary greatly between occupational groups. There is widespread evidence that working hours and job stress may explain these differences. In this study the relationship of job demands and job control to sleep disorders was investigated. The subjects were 3079 middle-aged working men. The data were collected with a questionnaire including scales on sleep quality, job stress and lifestyle. The main effects of job demands and job control on insomnia, sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue were highly significant. Some interaction effects of the stressors were also noted. Lifestyle factors were not found as significant mediators or confounders of the effects. The associations between the stressors and sleep disorders were greater in the daytime workers than in the shift workers. The main conclusion is that job stressors have a direct relationship to sleep disorders, independent of working hours and lifestyle. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
There is insufficient research on rating psychological well-being and distress in clinical populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential characteristics of instruments assessing well-being and distress in 20 remitted patients with affective (mood and anxiety) disorders and 20 healthy control subjects matched for sociodemographical variables. Remitted patients displayed significantly higher levels of psychological distress - as measured by Paykel's Clinical Interview for Depression (CID), Van Pragg's Scale for Personality Disturbances and Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire (SQ) - and significantly less well-being - as measured by Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being (PWB) and the SQ - than control subjects. The correlations between scales of psychological distress and well-being were found to be complex in both patients and controls. Psychotherapeutic treatment of residual symptomatology in patients disclosed a differential sensitivity of the scales to change. The results thus suggest that well-being cannot be equated to lack of distress (as implicitly endorsed by current psychiatric paradigms), and the need for a multidimensional assessment in stress medicine. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
We investigated the effects of autogenic training (AT) on patients with emotional symptoms as a response to a distress condition. All of the patients were assessed with the Profile of Mood States (POMS), as well as other inventories and interviews. After this phase, even before the beginning of the AT course, an improvement in the POMS scores was observed, thus demonstrating the ‘drug–doctor phenomenon’ reported by Balint. The control subjects (N=47), put on a waiting list, showed no further improvements from this phase of the study; the experimental subjects (N=87), who had completed the 3-month AT course, showed a further, significant amelioration, reaching mean POMS standard scores. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stress MedicineVolume 16, Issue 3 p. 192-193 Book Review Stress and Strain (Fast Facts—Indispensable Guides to Clinical Practice). C. L. Cooper and J. C. Quick, Health Press Limited, Oxford, 1999. No. of pages: 52, references, index. Price: not given. ISBN 1-899541-13-6 Stacey B. Day, Stacey B. Day New YorkSearch for more papers by this author Stacey B. Day, Stacey B. Day New YorkSearch for more papers by this author First published: 12 April 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(200004)16:3<192::AID-SMI854>3.0.CO;2-EAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume16, Issue3April 2000Pages 192-193 RelatedInformation
Several intervening variables may influence motor evoked potentials (MEP) from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Among the most common are motor (e.g. executed or intended muscle contraction) and sensory factors. However, little is known about the effects of a well defined stressor on MEPs and thus on central motor control. We studied 11 healthy right-handed volunteers (five men and six women), aged 21–32 years (mean 25.2 years, SD=3.5). All subjects underwent a 20 min rest and a 20 min stress period (sequence-controlled, cross-over design). The stressor employed a competitive videogame. MEPs from the left abductor digiti minimi muscle were obtained immediately after rest and stress. We found that six (54.5 per cent) subjects presented a significant increase (p<0.05) of MEP amplitudes from rest to stress, three (27.3 per cent; p<0.05) decreased, and two (18.2 per cent) did not change. F- and M-waves did not change significantly. Psychological testing (state and trait anxiety inventory, STAI) revealed that individuals who presented an increase in MEP latency scored lower in state and trait anxiety than others, probably indicating a lower vulnerability to stress. We believe that the observed increase in MEP amplitudes, combined with a decrease in MEP latency, can be regarded as neurophysiological evidence of stress-induced facilitation related to higher excitability of the corticospinal system and/or presynaptic neurons. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stress MedicineVolume 16, Issue 5 p. 327-327 Book Review Beat stress together. Wayne M. Sotile and Mary O. Sotile, John Wiley, New York, pp. 208, £9.95 paperback. ISBN-0-471-35627-1. Susan Cartwright, Susan Cartwright Senior Lecturer in Organizational Psychology, Manchester School of Management, UMIST, Manchester, UKSearch for more papers by this author Susan Cartwright, Susan Cartwright Senior Lecturer in Organizational Psychology, Manchester School of Management, UMIST, Manchester, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 16 October 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1700(200010)16:5<327::AID-SMI870>3.0.CO;2-5AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume16, Issue5October 2000Pages 327-327 RelatedInformation
This study investigated work status congruence, work outcomes, and psychologic well-being among nursing staff. Data were collected from 744 hospital-based nurses using anonymous questionnaires. Nurses indicated whether they were currently working full-time or part-time and whether they preferred to work full-time or part-time. Two work status groups--congruent and incongruent--were then compared. Nursing staff having congruent work status were generally more satisfied and reported higher levels of psychologic well-being.
Stress MedicineVolume 16, Issue 2 p. 63-64 Editorial Editorial: future research in occupational stress Cary L. Cooper, Cary L. Cooper University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, EnglandSearch for more papers by this author Cary L. Cooper, Cary L. Cooper University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, EnglandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 29 March 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(200003)16:2<63::AID-SMI865>3.0.CO;2-8Citations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume16, Issue2March 2000Pages 63-64 RelatedInformation
The effects of various stressors and sources of social support on the psychological distress of immigrants were examined. Key variables were measured using the Perceived Immigration Related Stressors Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Talbieh Brief Distress Inventory. Data were collected from a community-based sample of 565 adult individuals who recently emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel. The most significant stressors reported by immigrants were material-related, followed by culture-, information-, and health-related stressors. Those who perceived that social support was readily available had lower distress ratings than others who believed that social support was not forthcoming. Subjects reported significantly greater social support from family and significant others, than from friends. Social resources (especially support from friends) deterred distress under low stress conditions, but lost the deterring effect as stressors increased. Multiple regression analyses indicated that various combinations of stressors and social support resources explained 50 per cent of the variance in psychological distress under low stress conditions and 27 per cent of the variance as stress intensity increased. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that (1) social-stress factors affect psychological distress and symptoms, (2) social support resources mediate the effects of stressors on psychological distress, and (3) variability in psychological distress is rooted in differential stress-support patterns. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This paper is concerned with the subjective understanding of the work context and how it becomes stressful for an individual. It seeks to establish the individual dimensions of each person's situation in terms of the factors that are Perceived to be stressful and also the ideas that underlie the meaning of stress for each person. Five case studies from medical work settings are used in this idiographic analysis of work stress. The situational elements relevant to each person were identified for a psychiatrist, theatre nurse, paediatrician, neurologist and optometry assistant. Repertory grid analysis was then used to extract the underlying constructs that gave meaning to stress for each person. Results indicated completely idiosyncratic perceptions of the meaning of stress and diverse situational determinants. It is argued that current approaches to theorising about stress in terms of general elements and common perceptions are challenged by these findings. Five separate cluster analyses of constructs and situations emphasised the vastly different situations or circumstances for each individual. In contrast to the findings of nomothetic research, a theoretical perspective evolving from the personal construction of the situation may be the significant determinant of anxiety and stressful reactions for each person. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This study used contextual stress measurement to look at the occupational sequelae of stress. One hundred and five civil aviation pilots were interviewed. Events and difficulties were dated and rated for contextual threat; dating information was also obtained for distress symptoms and air traffic incidents. There lucre significant relationships between stress and air incidents, between stress and distress, and between distress and incidents. Some symptoms (sleep disturbances, loss of energy and tiredness) Were more likely to be associated with reported incidents than others. The results are in line with previous suggestions that the effect of stress on job performance is via distress. Distress-related sleep disturbances may he particularly crucial. Further work using contextual stress measurement is needed to clarify the causal pathways involved. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stress MedicineVolume 16, Issue 4 p. 195-197 Editorial Stress induced animal models of depression Trevor R. Norman, Corresponding Author Trevor R. Norman Department of Psychiatry, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, AustraliaDepartment of Psychiatry, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia.Search for more papers by this authorC. McGrath, C. McGrath Department of Psychiatry, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author Trevor R. Norman, Corresponding Author Trevor R. Norman Department of Psychiatry, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, AustraliaDepartment of Psychiatry, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia.Search for more papers by this authorC. McGrath, C. McGrath Department of Psychiatry, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 05 July 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1700(200007)16:4<195::AID-SMI880>3.0.CO;2-8Citations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume16, Issue4July 2000Pages 195-197 RelatedInformation
Violence in the workplace is a serious Public health issue. Facilities frequently address this matter through risk management strategies that include monitoring access, surveillance, target hardening, and campus security. Post-incident crisis response intervention is often offered in the aftermath of violence events. However, recent replicated findings of one post-incident crisis response intervention, The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP), document an association between fielding an ASAP team and subsequent sharp declines in levels of violence. The implications of this post-incident crisis response approach as art additional and important risk management strategy are considered. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
According to modern stress theory, the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical system (HPA axis) is an important part of the body's arousal system in physically straining (such as in infections) as well as in psychologically arousing situations. When demands for arousal have been excessively high for a long time, the HPA may show disturbance in its regulatory ability. Interleukins (IL) constitute an important part of the communication between the HPA axis and the immune system. The aim of the present study was to explore part of the circadian serum cortisol variation as well as interleukin 6 (IL-6) in relation to acute low back and neck/shoulder pain and potential psychosocial stressors. In a defined geographical area, men and women who consulted any caregiver (traditional as well as alternative) for an acute spine pain condition preceded by six months without consultations constituted the case group. Age and gender matched men and women from the population register constituted the referent group. During an examination day all subjects went through ergonomic and psychosocial examinations (questionnaires, interviews and clinical examinations). Blood samples were drawn in the morning (8 am) as well as midday (noon) in a subsample of 243 individuals (86 cases and 157 referents) and analyzed for IL-6 (midday sample) and cortisol (morning and midday sample). Female cases had higher IL-6 levels (p<0.05) and those seeking care for low back pain had a smaller cortisol variation between morning and midday values than referents. In men, low self-reported decision latitude at work (possibility to issue control) was significantly associated with higher IL-6 concentration and low social support at work with low morning cortisol values. In women, high job satisfaction was associated with low IL-6 concentrations and lower midday cortisol levels. Statistically strong correlations were found between IL-6 and the degree of cortisol decrease between morning and midday (p<0.01). Reduced cortisol variation among female low back pain cases may indicate a disturbance in the HPA axis. A high IL-6 level may arise in the course of a long-lasting aroused psychosocial situation with concomitant impaired cortisol regulation. It could be speculated that the hormonal disturbances found reflect an impaired psychosocial state. Serum IL-6 may be a useful serum marker for psychosocial adverse conditions in epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
There is a lack of socio-demographic data and Psychological variables on subjects suffering distress a few years after immigration. A total of 201 subjects, 80 men and 121 women, were investigated 5 years after immigrating from the former USSR to Israel. The level of distress was compared in subjects who differed in their level of education, employment status, subjective estimation of the immigration stress and integration into society. The level of distress was higher in women, especially in those who are not employed according to their level of education. It was also higher in subjects (21.4 per cent) who feel that their life crisis is ongoing, that they are not integrated into society and have a negative experience as a result of immigration. Thus, the level of distress corresponds to the subjective estimation of integration into the new society. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In this exploratory study, 30 couples, of which one partner had cancer, were tested with a questionnaire developed for evaluating the occurrence and degree of severity of physiological, psychological and psychosocial stressors. The questionnaire, filled out by the two partners separately, appeared to succeed well in documenting the types of stressors both the Patient and the spouse deemed relevant. It also appeared to provide an integrated picture of the patient's and the spouse's reactions to the patient's stress, considered in terms of emotional appraisal, cognitive appraisal, coping intentions and coping. Spouses were found to attribute greater psychological/psychosocial stress to the patients than the patients did themselves and to reflect greater uncertainty in their appraisal of concrete stress situations. Their environment-directed coping suggested that the spouses had the ability to control uncertainty in a manner allowing them to direct their efforts outwards in a desired direction. The questionnaire was seen as potentially useful for judging what psychological and psychosocial interventions are appropriate in such cases. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
