Influence of mental stress on platelet bioactivity

It is well established that various mental stress conditions contribute, or at least influence, underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in somatic, as well as in psychiatric disorders; blood platelets are supposed to represent a possible link in this respect. The anculeated platelets are the smallest corpuscular elements circulating in the human blood. They display different serotonergic markers which seem to reflect the central nervous serotonin metabolism. They are known as main effectors in haematological processes but recent research highlights their role in the innate and adaptive immune system. Platelets are containing a multitude of pro-inflammatory and immune-modulatory bioactive compounds in their granules and are expressing immune-competent surface markers. Research gives hint that platelets activation and reactivity is increased by mental stress. This leads to enhanced cross talk with the immune system via paracrine secretion, receptor interaction and formation of platelet leucocyteaggregates. Recently it has been demonstrated that the immune system can have a remarkable impact in the development of psychiatric disorders. Thereforeplatelets represent an interesting research area in psychiatry and their role as a possible biomarker has been investigated. We review the influence of mental stress on what is termed platelet bioactivity in this article, which subsumes the mainly immune-modulatory activity of platelets in healthy volunteers, elderly persons with chronic care-giving strain, patients with cardiovascular diseases who are prone to psychosocial stress, as well as in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Research data suggest that stress enhances platelet activity, reactivity and immune-modulatory capacities.

Psychological stress impact neurotrophic factor levels in patients with androgenetic alopecia and correlated with disease progression

BACKGROUND Androgenetic alopecia(AGA)is a common form of hair loss that can be influenced by psychological factors.AIM To investigate the impact of mental stress on neurotrophic factors in patients with AGA and correlate the findings with the progression of AGA.METHODS A total of 120 patients with AGA were analyzed in this study,which were divided into a non-stress group(n=30)and a stress group(n=90)on the basis of the presence or absence of psychological stress confirmed by Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 scale.The baseline demographic characteristics,serum cortisol levels,hair growth parameters,neurotrophic factors,and AGA progression scores between the non-stress and stress groups were compared.Correlation analyses were conducted to assess the relationships among stress,neurotrophic factors,hair loss progression,and AGA progression.RESULTS This study revealed significantly higher cortisol levels throughout the day in the stress group than in the non-stress group.The stress group exhibited lower levels of nerve growth factor,brain-derived neurotrophic factor,and glial cell linederived neurotrophic factor and higher expression levels of neurotrophin(NT)-3 and NT-4 than the non-stress group.Hair parameters indicated lower hair diameter,decreased hair density,and more severe AGA grading in the stress group,whereas follicle count and terminal/vellus hair ratio showed no significant differences between the two groups.After 1 year of treatment with 5%minoxidil,efficacy was observed to be lower but AGA progression was notably more pronounced in the stress group than in the non-stress group.Disease progression was positively correlated with high stress and NT-4 levels.CONCLUSION This study provides compelling evidence of the influence of mental stress on neurotrophic factors and its correlation with the progression of AGA.The findings underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to the management of AGA that considers the physiological and psychosocial aspects.Further research is warranted to validate the findings and explore targeted therapeutic interventions for individuals with stress-related AGA.

Relation between Stress Conditions, Uncertainty and Incongruity Intolerance, Rigidity and Mental Health: Experimental Demonstrations

An innovative critique of existing studies on creativity has revealed the opportunity of distinguishing between different varieties of creative tasks, and namely creativity for “Continuity”, “Opposition” and “Detachment”, considering relations between products and perceived models. This theoretical contribution has led to a specific evaluation procedure: the COD Creativity test. Considering the influences of dynamic processes on creative processes, it is worth experimentally studying the effects of short-term stress or comfort treatments. The similarities and differences between various existing studies are examined. A non-invasive but effective procedure, compared to classic techniques, is described: the “drawing recall” of stressful or relaxing real experiences, accompanied by detailed evaluations of the emotional sphere. In a specific investigation, creativity turned out to be significantly lower after acute stress with respect to comfort treatment. In conclusion, the cognitive, decisional and activity processes involved in creativity operations can be considered as strictly reflecting emotional dynamic processes, as well as the experiences gained during the stress or comfort treatments. Results are explained considering the role of conflict overload in stress as a factor of incongruity and uncertainty intolerance, inhibiting the production of bizarre and unusual ideas and configurations, and thus reducing essential aspects relevant to the evaluation of creativity levels. From clinical point of view, we underline that decades of research has generally shown that being more rigid is associated with poorer mental health. Our experimental study gives confirmation of the link between stress and intolerance of uncertainty and incongruity;this correlation could augment the negative impact of stressors on anxiety levels. In summary, people with high level of intolerance of uncertainty and, generally, with high level of intolerance of incongruity, develop mental rigidity, and this traits constellation represent a risk for mental health.

Level of Stress, Predisposing Factors and Status of Mental Health among Pharmacy Students of a Private University of Dhaka, Bangladesh: A Cross Sectional Study

Stress during tertiary educational period has significant negative effect on the performance of a student. Mental distress is increasing among students and is one of the important public health concerns. This study was carried out to investigate the socio demographic characteristics of students, level of their stress feeling, and status of mental health and to find out the co-relation of different factors associated with the level of stress feelings. A cross sectional study was conducted among the students of the Department of Pharmacy of UAP. A total of 504 students (181 male students and 323 female students) participated in this study. Feeling of severe stress was almost equal to both sexes. But, moderate level of stress was more associated with female students (N = 253, F = 78.33%) and overall female students were more stressful than male. Thought towards future career ranked one among many reasons of stress in students (59.67% for male students and 37.46% for female students). In terms of academic achievements, feeling of stress was higher in female students compared to male students (34.98% for female students vs. 15.47% for male students). Other factors such as unrealistic expectations, family relationship and affairs, socio economic condition, being of too busy also significantly participate in the development of stress in young mind. Mental health status was estimated by considering some facts such as state of shock due to unwanted life events, lacking of expression of emotions, reduced feeling of pleasure, unusual thinking, fear of any specific objects, short term memory loss, self identity disorder and lack of self confidence. We co-related different risk factors like age, gender, socio-economic condition, unrealistic thought patter to different levels of stress feeling. Feelings of stress were most among the student of 21 - 25 years of age. Socio-economic condition is always a great factor of stress, middle class society has more stress compared to other socio-economic classes. Psychological counseling is required in educational institution to detect and prevent mental distress and stress among students.

Effects of Community Mental Health Centers on Oxidative Stress in Patients with Schizophrenia

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate of oxidative stress between the schizophrenic patients who regularly continued to Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) and the patients who did not continue to CMHC. By this study, the effects of CMHC on oxidative stress between these two group of patients were assessed. Methods: Total number of 86 volunteers were enrolled in this study;43 (27 males, 16 females) patients who regularly continued (average 2 years, at least 3 days a week) to CMHC and 43 (25 males, 18 females) patients who regularly did not continue to CMHC. Total antioxidative stress (TAS), total oxidative stress (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), paraoxanase (PON1), arylesterase (ARE) and total thiol (T.Thl) levels were measured with a novel automated method. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the patients. Results: TOS, PANSS-Negative subscale and PANSS-Total subscale were found to be significantly higher in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC, than the group of patients who were continuing to CMHC. ARE and T.thl were found significantly lower in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC. There was a significant positive correlation between PANSS-Negative Subscale and TOS, OSI in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC. There was a positive correlation between PANSS-Negative Subscale and TOS in the group of patients who were continuing to CMHC. Conclusions: Oxidative stress and negative symptoms of schizophrenia in the group of patients who were continuing to CMHC were less than in the group of patients who were not continuing to CMHC. Thus, regular follow up at CMHC is very important in the treatment of schizophrenia patients.

The Therapeutic Role of Guided Mental Imagery in Treating Stress and Insomnia: A Neuropsychological Perspective

Excessive distress and insomnia are much too common in the modern world and often lead to a myriad of detrimental effects including loss of cognitive ability and even physical ailments such as cancer. Current pharmaceutical treatments can be addictive, detrimental to health, and in the case of insomnia don’t produce naturalistic sleep. We present a viewpoint on a potential adjunctive treatment of distress and insomnia that harnesses specific mental imagery as a component of mind/body relaxation technique. Via our perspective on the modern nature of stress and insomnia, our theoretical perspective on how specific guided mental imagery can be used to treat these ailments, and our review on the current literature on treatment with mental imagery, we hope to stimulate further research into mental health treatment with mental imagery which has traditionally been neglected. This perspective on the pathology of insomnia and distress is founded in prevailing “dysevolution” and hyper-arousal theories. Hyper-arousal is characterized in part by a vicious cycle of chronic physiological and emotional stimulation/distress. We argue for spatially based mental imagery in the form of nighttime-sky imagery to attenuate such pathology by breaking one away from a vicious cycle of stimulation and distress and discuss neuropsychological bases for its potential treatment mechanisms which include the autonomic nervous system and a phenomenal foundation of conscious cognition.

An Analysis of the Lifestyle and Mental Health Status of Adult People Living in Dhaka City: A Cross-Sectional Study in Post COVID-19 Era

Introduction: The Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 affected all the megacities of the world and made the mental health and lifestyle of people paralyzed. According to different studies, such difficulties were different in scale in different cities depending on the demographic attributes of the people. This phenomenon has created the essence of the current study to examine the health conditions in terms of their mental health, lifestyle, and demographic attributes during and immediate past of the COVID-19 era. Method: It was a cross-sectional study covering the people of Dhaka City Corporation. For this purpose, a multistage sampling method was applied, under which the respondents were selected randomly and a self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire was developed based on the DASS 21, as it was suitable to measure the components of mental health in the form of depression, anxiety, and stress. Descriptive analysis and cross-tabulation were applied to find out the association between dependent and independent variables, whereas, a chi-square test was performed to examine the hypothesis. Finally, multivariate analysis was done to find out the risk factors. Three logistic regression models were developed for three dependent variables. Result: The findings of the analysis revealed that the lifestyle of people had severely influenced the components of their mental health conditions during and immediate past of COVID-19 in the Dhaka City Corporation, which varies to some extent depending on the demographic attributes of those. Conclusion: The above findings are statistically significant enough to conclude about the essence of taking preventive measures regarding mental health issues in the future. However, the limitations of this study-keeping it within the urban areas and the educated people, have also created the venue for future researchers to move with their research endeavors in the rural areas nationwide and thus generalize the results.

Human Stress Recognition by Correlating Vision and EEG Data

Because stress has such a powerful impact on human health,we must be able to identify it automatically in our everyday lives.The human activity recognition(HAR)system use data from several kinds of sensors to try to recognize and evaluate human actions automatically recognize and evaluate human actions.Using the multimodal dataset DEAP(Database for Emotion Analysis using Physiological Signals),this paper presents deep learning(DL)technique for effectively detecting human stress.The combination of vision-based and sensor-based approaches for recognizing human stress will help us achieve the increased efficiency of current stress recognition systems and predict probable actions in advance of when fatal.Based on visual and EEG(Electroencephalogram)data,this research aims to enhance the performance and extract the dominating characteristics of stress detection.For the stress identification test,we utilized the DEAP dataset,which included video and EEG data.We also demonstrate that combining video and EEG characteristics may increase overall performance,with the suggested stochastic features providing the most accurate results.In the first step,CNN(Convolutional Neural Network)extracts feature vectors from video frames and EEG data.Feature Level(FL)fusion that combines the features extracted from video and EEG data.We use XGBoost as our classifier model to predict stress,and we put it into action.The stress recognition accuracy of the proposed method is compared to existing methods of Decision Tree(DT),Random Forest(RF),AdaBoost,Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA),and KNearest Neighborhood(KNN).When we compared our technique to existing state-of-the-art approaches,we found that the suggested DL methodology combining multimodal and heterogeneous inputs may improve stress identification.

Maternal stress exposure during pregnancy impairs ultrastructural changes in the white matter and reduces cognitive function in offspring mice

Objective:To explore whether maternal stress exposure during pregnancy impairs cognitive function and white matter ultrastructure in offspring mice.Methods:The parent rats were divided into two groups:pressure exposure group(group PE)and control group(group C),and the positive date of vaginal smear of female SD rats was day 0 of gestation.Female mice in group PE were exposed to binding pressure(3 times/day)on day 14-20 of gestation for 45 min-1 h/time.Behavioral tests(Morris water maze and Y maze)were performed on 1-month-old offspring mice followed by cardiac perfusion of fixed brain specimens and placement in mixed fixative solution.The total volume of white matter,total length and volume of myelinated nerve fibers and total length and volume of myelin sheath were calculated using modern stereoscopic methods,and the inner and outer diameter and inner and outer circumference of the myelin sheath were analyzed.Results:1)Behavioral tests:compared with the group C,the average latency of the 3th and 4th day in the group PE were significantly prolonged,the percentage of the resting time in the quadrant of the platform and the frequency of acrossing the effective area of platform in the fifth day of space exploration experiment were significantly reduced of Morris water maze test,and visiting distance,duration and numbers in novel arm significantly increased of Y-maze test(P<0.05).2)Compared with group C,the total volume of white matter,total length of myelinated nerve fibers,total volume of myelinated nerve fibers and myelin sheath in the group PE were significantly reduced(P<0.05),the inner diameter and outer diameter of myelin sheath decreased significantly(P<0.05),and the inner perimeter,outer perimeter and inner and outer perimeter differences increased significantly(P<0.05).3)There was a correlation between behavioral test results and white matter ultrastructure measurement results.Conclusions:Maternal stress exposure during pregnancy could impair the cognitive function and white matter and its ultrastructure in the offspring,and there was a correlation between decreased cognitive function and white matter damages.

Sleep and Stress of Late Middle Age Males Who Are Forced to Live in Emergency Temporary Houses and Post-Earthquake Public Houses for a Long Period Due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident

It has been revealed that prolonged shelter life caused by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in conjunction with the Great East Japan Earthquake influences sleep and mental health of the residents, and therefore its influence on their physical and emotional health has become a concern. Therefore, in this study, the authors aimed at clarifying actual situations of sleep and stress of middle age males living in shelters for a long period in each of emergency temporary houses and post-earthquake public houses. For 5 males who moved from emergency temporary houses to post-earthquake public houses, their objective and subjective sleep states were measured with Actigraph and PSQI, respectively. Furthermore, their objective and subjective stresses were measured with saliva stress biomarkers and GHQ28, respectively. Their data were analyzed by paired t-test. As result, in comparison between the life in the emergency temporary houses and post-earthquake public houses, significant variation was not recognized in their objective sleep states and saliva stress biomarkers though their subjective sleep and subjective stress were significantly worsened after moving to the post-earthquake public houses.

Health Problem and Occupational Stress among Chinese Doctors

This paper provides an overview of research into mental health problem and occupational stress among Chinese doctors in recent 10 years. It indicates that doctors in general hospitals have worse mental status. Occupational stress comes from over workload, high demanding from patients, occupational risk, effort-reward imbalance and fierce competition for job promotion. For medical staffs battling against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), or working in catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake-affected areas, they have elevated stress and worrying levels of psychological distress. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental health problem among them. The most common diseases the Chinese doctors usually suffered were cervical spondylosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, fatty liver and hyperglycemia. It could be important for health administrators to note that mental health appears to be an?increasing problem in Chinese doctors and corresponding helping measure should be made.

Occupational Stress, Coping Strategies, and Quality of Life among Nurses in General and Psychiatric Setting in Jeddah City—KSA

Purpose: This study is aimed at comparing the level of occupational stress, ways of coping and the quality of life among nurses. Methods: Descriptive explanatory design was used with 278 nurses working in King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Jeddah, Mental Health Hospital in Jeddah, and Dr. Suleiman Fakeeh Hospital in Jeddah. Findings: Psychiatric nurses experience greater occupational stress than general nurses (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the psychiatric and general nurses in relation to coping strategies (p = 0.38). Conclusion: Healthcare institutions should adapt stress evaluation and coping models specific to their unit. Practical Implication: Implementation of programs in each healthcare unit to educate nurses how to deal with work stressors and their negative effects.

Occupational stress and its related factors among university teachers in Japan

The purpose of this research was to investigate occupational stress and its related factors among university teachers in Japan. Questionnaire surveys were mailed to 924 university teachers in Japan with a response rate of 43.8%, N = 405. The General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), short Japanese version of brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) and the Work Situation Questionnaires (WSQ) developed by the authors were administered to participants. Results indicated that university teachers had some mental health problems in relation to gender, professional position, conditions of taking paid leave, job satisfaction, job control, social support, and coping skills. These findings provide evidence that in order to improve the mental health of university, teachers need to take their paid leave freely. It is important to keep high their job satisfaction levels, job control levels, and social support. The results also indicated that the ineffective coping styles lead to poor mental health. In addition, the findings identified the necessity for support of female teachers and younger lecturers, who had a greater tendency toward poor mental health.

Mental Health Intervention in the Workplace amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this project is to examine why the mental health of employees should be prioritized in the workplace. Most employees have likely experienced a visible illness or injury at some point during their careers. It is easier to identify these physical ailments that may adversely affect an employee’s performance at work, such as a broken leg or the common cold. However, there are conditions that are much less visible that negatively impact employees every day, and mental health is one of them. A person’s mental health is a significant factor in their work life that should not be ignored. While it may be difficult to recognize when someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, or another form of mental illness on the surface, employers should not automatically assume their entire staff is okay. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with an increase in civil unrest in society, employers must reevaluate the way they conduct business, starting with the treatment of their employees. To aid employers with prioritizing mental health at work, this paper’s objectives are to address the stigma associated with mental health issues/illness, develop recommendations for inclusive work environments, increase an employer’s investment in mental health, reduce employee turnover, and normalize respect in the workplace. The findings are discussed, and recommendations are provided. Employers who intentionally prioritize and invest in their employees’ mental health will significantly reduce the costs associated with attracting and recruiting new staff due to high turnover rates. Additionally, their reputation as a preferred employer will increase.

Work Related Stress among Saudi Nurses Working in Intensive Care Units

Background and Aim: Work-Related Stress in nurses is considered a common problem worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to identify the sources of stress among nurses in Saudi Arabia to understand the effect of these stressors on their mental health and physical health. Materials and Methods: A self-administrative questionnaire to assess sources of work stress, physical health, and mental health was administrated to 213 nurses working in intensive care units. Results: The results demonstrated that workload, lack of resources and support, and dealing with death and dying are the principal sources of work’s stress. Nurses reported that back pain, headache, and fatigue are the most common health problems while nervousness (32.4%) and exhaustion (30%) were the most frequent mental health problem. Moreover, the results revealed a positive correlation between Work-Related Stress and Health Problems. Conclusion: This study contributes to the emerging body of knowledge about work-related stress in the nursing profession and it is strongly supporting the need for strategic plan and intervention programs to reduce stress symptoms among nurses in Saudi Arabia.

Perceptions, Feelings, and Meanings of the Early Stress for the Adult with Depression: A Theoretical Model

This study aimed to elaborate on theoretical model of the perceptions, feelings, and meanings of early stress for people with depression. To perform a qualitative study based on the Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theory, we interviewed 12 patients diagnosed with depression. It was structured a model based on “walking between traumatic childhood and the adult life with depression,” integrating eight inter-articulated categories that represent the perceptions, feelings, and meanings of the experiences of the depressed individual with a history of early stress. The theoretical model constructed meanings and conditions that affect the individual from a traumatic childhood to depression in adulthood.

The Effect of Workplace-Based Sports Participation on the Mental Status of Japanese Workers

Whether workplace-based sports are part of a company’s employee welfare program in terms of mental status is unknown. This study examined the impact of workplace-based sports participation on the mental status of Japanese workers. It involved a single-arm intervention comprising participation in a company’s volleyball team. Data on mental status were collected using a simplified version of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Overall, 11 individuals participated, 9 (81.8%) of whom were women;the mean participant age was 38.2 years. Because the intervention was conducted during busy periods, the median (25th and 75th percentiles) score for qualitative job overload significantly increased from 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) to 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) (p = 0.03). Nonetheless, the fatigue score significantly decreased from 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) to 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) (p = 0.03). These results indicate that participation in workplace-based sports can prevent the deterioration of mental status during busy periods.

The Effect of Workplace-Based Sports Participation on the Mental Status of Japanese Workers

Whether workplace-based sports are part of a company’s employee welfare program in terms of mental status is unknown. This study examined the impact of workplace-based sports participation on the mental status of Japanese workers. It involved a single-arm intervention comprising participation in a company’s volleyball team. Data on mental status were collected using a simplified version of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Overall, 11 individuals participated, 9 (81.8%) of whom were women;the mean participant age was 38.2 years. Because the intervention was conducted during busy periods, the median (25th and 75th percentiles) score for qualitative job overload significantly increased from 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) to 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) (p = 0.03). Nonetheless, the fatigue score significantly decreased from 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) to 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) (p = 0.03). These results indicate that participation in workplace-based sports can prevent the deterioration of mental status during busy periods.