Perceived stress among staff in Saudi Arabian dental colleges before and after an accreditation process: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Accreditation processes are extensively employed to guarantee the quality of higher education institutions.However,this process can potentially generate a stressful atmosphere for staff,thus impacting their ability to perform optimally under pressure.AIM To examine the knowledge of the National Commission for Academic Assessment and Accreditation(NCAAA)and its effects on perceived stress among dental college staff before and after the program accreditation process.METHODS The present cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 300 employees from three dental colleges.The same employees had to fill out the questionnaire 1 mo after the NCAAA process.RESULTS Approximately 51.33%of the included employees believed that NCAAA is essential to attract quality students to join the program before and after the program.A total of 44.67%felt that their stress was high before,and 31.33%had low stress levels before and after NCAAA.These findings were statistically significant(P≤0.05).CONCLUSION NCAAA raised the prestige of the institution and specific programmes and increased prospects to attract better students,staff,and money,according to the employees.In addition to their needed teaching,research,and other service responsibilities,this work requires a tremendous amount of faculty effort and may cause them stress.

Latent profile analysis of perceived stress and influencing factors in colorectal cancer patients

Objective:To understand the latent categories of perceived stress in colorectal cancer patients and analyze the characteristics of different categories of patients.Methods:A total of 255 colorectal cancer patients receiving treatment in the gastrointestinal surgery and oncology depar tments of a ter tiary Grade A hospital in Sichuan Province,from January 2023 to June 2023,were selected as the study subjects.General information questionnaire,Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale(CPSS),and Comprehensive Score Table for Patient-Repor ted Outcome Measures of Economic Toxicity(COST-PROM)were used for data collection.Results:Perceived stress in colorectal cancer patients was classified into 3 latent categories:C1“Low stress-stable type”(19.2%),C2“Moderate stress-uncontrolled type”(23.9%),and C3“High stress-anxious type”(56.9%).The average score of perceived stress was(34.07±5.08).Compared with C1 type,patients with a monthly household income of≤3000 RMB were more likely to belong to the C2 and C3 types(P<0.05),and patients without a stoma were less likely to belong to C3 type(P<0.05).Compared with C2 type,male patients were more likely to belong to C3 type(P<0.05),and patients without a stoma were less likely to belong to C3 type(P<0.05).Compared with C3 type,patients with higher economic toxicity scores were more likely to be classified into C1 and C2 types(P<0.05).Conclusions:Perceived stress in colorectal cancer patients exhibits distinct categorical features.Male gender,lower income,presence of a stoma,and higher economic toxicity are associated with higher levels of perceived stress in colorectal cancer patients.

Perceived stress and coping capacities among frontline healthcare workers of AIIMS during COVID-19 pandemic:A cross-sectional study

Objective:To assess perceived stress and coping capacity of frontline health workers from AIIMS during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:This cross-sectional study conducted from May to July 2021 enrolled 694 participants.An online questionnaire based on Google Forms was developed to collect the data.Participants were assessed using the validated Perceived Stress Scale and the Coping Resources Inventory Scale.Results:The age of participants were 27(23-52)years old.The majority of respondents(73.5%)felt moderately stressed.Of the 694 participants,83.0%of the 576 participants had average stress management skills.Sex,marital status,and profession were significantly associated with perceived stress.In addition,marital status and profession were significantly associated with coping capacity.Conclusions:The majority of participants have moderate stress levels and average coping skills.Frontline healthcare workers have to maintain mental and physical health.Achieving this requires early screening and stress management for healthcare workers.

Hope During the COVID-19 Epidemic Decreased Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Mediated by Perceived Stress:Coping Style Differences Among Patients with COVID-19

Objective:This study aimed to investigate whether perceived stress mediated the relationship between hope and anxiety/depression symptoms among patients with COVID-19 during the epidemic.In addition,the potential moderating effect of coping styles was examined.Methods:From February 26 to March 10,2020,patients with COVID-19 were asked to complete a questionnaire online,which included demographic characteristics,as well as the SCL-90-Anxiety,SCL-90-Depression,Chinese Perceived Stress Scale(CPSS),Herth Hope Index(HHI),and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire(TCSQ).Hierarchical linear regression was performed to explore independent factors of anxiety/depression.A multi-group structural equation modeling with the collected data from patients in the Negative Coping style(NC)group and Positive Coping style(PC)group was used to test the hypothesized mechanism.Results:In total,382 valid questionnaires of patients were obtained,including 96 from NC patients and 286 from PC patients.In the hierarchical linear regression,hope and perceived stress were independent risk factors for both anxiety and depression in the total sample and PC group.However,hope was not independently related to anxiety/depression in the NC group.As hypothesized,the hope of patients had significant and negative indirect effects on both anxiety and depression that were mediated by perceived stress,However,the direct effect from stress on anxiety and depression was stronger for NC patients than for PC patients.Besides,hope had significant direct effects on anxiety/depression in PC patients,but not in NC patients.Conclusion:During the COVID-19 epidemic,perceived stress could mediate the relationship between hope and anxiety/depression symptoms among COVID-19 patients,with coping style moderating this cultivation process.

Effects of College Students’ Perceived Stress on Anxiety in the Time of COVID-19: The Chain Mediation Role of Psychological Resilience and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy

COVID-19 has changed the way of learning and life of college students.The purpose is to explore the relationship between perceived stress and anxiety,and the mediating effect of resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in college students during COVID-19.309 students from three colleges were selected as research participants(average age 19.79±1.11 years).SPSS was used to measure the correlation between variables.Amos was used to test the path coefficient and mediating effect of the hypothetical model.The results show that:Firstly,perceived stress has a significantly and positively predictive effect on anxiety.Secondly,psychological resilience and regu-latory emotional self-efficacy independently played a significant and partially mediating effect between perceived stress and anxiety.Among them,perceived stress had a negative predictive effect on psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.Psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy had a negative predictive effect on anxiety.Thirdly,psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy play a chain mediation role between psychological stress and anxiety.Regulatory emotional self-efficacy cannot only directly predict the level of anxiety,but also indirectly predict the level of anxiety by regulating psychological resilience.This study reveals the relationship between college students’perceived stress and anxiety,and the mediating effect of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in the new time of COVID-19.The chain mediation role of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy reminds college mental health educators that improving students’regulatory emotional self-efficacy is an important way to promote students’mental health.

The Relationship between College Graduate’s Dual Self-Consciousness and Job Search Clarity: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between college graduates’dual self-consciousness,job search clarity and perceived stress,and reveal the mediating role of perceived stress between dual self-consciousness and job search clarity.In this study,467 college graduates were investigated using the Dual Self-Consciousness Scale,Job Search Clarity Scale,and Perceived Stress Scale.After controlling for gender,age,and region,the results revealed that:(1)private self-consciousness has a significant positive predictive effect on job search clarity;(2)perceived stress has a significant negative predictive effect on job search clarity;(3)perceived stress plays partial mediation effects between private self-consciousness and job search clarity;(4)perceived stress plays complete mediation effects between public self-consciousness and job search clarity;(5)perceived stress has suppressing effects between public self-consciousness and job search clarity.

Sequential Mediating Effect of Proactive Coping and Perceived Stress in the Relationships between Self-Esteem Stability and Life Satisfaction

While the effect of self-esteem stability on life satisfaction is widely verified,it is not very known how coping strategies explain this relationship.The present study focused on proactive coping,a preliminary step to minimize the impact of expected stressors,and a process of recognizing stressful events as challenges and actively managing them.Specifically,this study(N=280)examined whether proactive coping and perceived stress mediated the relationship between self-esteem stability and life satisfaction in a sequential manner.The results indicate that proactive coping and perceived stress sequentially mediated the relationship between self-esteem stability and life satisfaction,respectively.This demonstrates that proactive coping and perceived stress are factors that link self-esteem and life satisfaction.However,there was no direct effect between self-esteem and life satisfaction.These findings suggest the need to consider combining proactive coping interventions to increase the effectiveness of a self-esteem stability promotion program.The practical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies in Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Enrolled in a Hybrid-Learning Curriculum during the Pandemic

Physical therapy students can experience elevated levels of stress due to the pressure to be successful, changes in the environment, personal concerns, the lack of spare time, increased work, or financial burdens. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived stress and coping strategies of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students enrolled in a hybrid-learning curriculum during the COVID-19 pademic. A total of 73 students enrolled in the DPT hybrid-learning curriculum responded to a survey which consisted of socio-demographics, the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the 28-item Brief COPE. A general question regarding stress relating to COVID-19 was presented as a sliding percentage. Data analysis included a Spearman correlation, a Kruskal-Wallis test, and a linear regression to evaluate coping mechanisms against PSS scores. The mean (± SD) score on the PSS was 22.65 (± 10.21) and the Brief COPE was 59.18 (± 10.61). A non-significant negative correlation was found between the PSS and Brief COPE (r = -0.024). A third of the variation in the perceived stress score could be accounted for by students utilizing coping mechanisms regardless of other factors (R2 = 0.35). No significant differences were found when comparing PSS and Brief Cope to age, hours worked per week and term. Perceived stress was higher in females compared to males, but the results were not significant. Stress related to COVID-19 mean percentage reported by DPT students was 49.03%. During a global pandemic, DPT students enrolled in a hybrid-learning curriculum reported elevated levels of stress but reported higher adaptive versus maladaptive coping strategies. It can be beneficial that universities evaluate the stress and coping methods of students to potentially avoid the negative impacts of stress.

Association of Perceived Stress and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in College Students: A Systematic Review

Stress and anxiety are common entities in college students, and only a handful of students can handle these stressors appropriately, while others may show physical signs and symptoms. The main purpose of this systematic review was to examine the association between perceived stress and gastrointestinal symptoms. A detailed search was conducted using five databases: PubMed, Research Gate, Science Direct, American Journal of Gastroenterology, and Google scholar. Ten papers were finalized after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Newcastle Ottawa scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included articles as all the included articles were cross-sectional studies. The systematic review of these finalized articles found that most studies revealed the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in college students and were linked to perceived stress.

Day Time Sleepiness and Quality of Life Predicts Perceived Stress among Youth

The study examined the predictor of perceived stress among youth.The variables used in the current study were day time sleepiness,quality of life and perceived stress.The sample consists of 150 youth(81Male&69 Female)with in the age range of 18-24 years.The Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS),World Health Organization Quality of Life(WHO-BRIEF),and Perceived Stress Scale(PSS)were used.The data were interpreted after obtaining the descriptive statistics i.e.Mean and SD,Pearson’s Product Moment correlation and step wise multiple regression analysis.The findings indicated that day time sleepiness and quality of life have a significant positive relation with perceived stress among youth.The step wise regression analysis found day time sleepiness and psychological health related quality of life are the predictors of perceived stress.Both the variable accounts for 39%of total variance in perceived stress among youth.

Division of labor, perceived labor-related stress and well-being among European couples

Background: The objective of this study was to analyze how involvement in paid and unpaid work and perceived labor-related stress are related to the well-being of married or cohabiting men and women in Europe. Methods: Data from the European Social Survey round two has been used. The sample consists of 5800 women and 6952 men, aged between 18-65 years. Exposure variables were divided into labor involvement, time spent on paid and unpaid work, and labor-related stress. Multiple logistic regressions with 95 % confidence interval were used. Results: Women spent more hours on housework than men did, but fewer hours on paid work. Women tended to perceive higher degrees of housework-related stress than men did. Furthermore, women who experienced houseworkrelated stress tended to have higher odds of reporting a low level of perceived well-being than men, while men had higher odds of reporting a low level of perceived well-being when they experienced work/family conflicts. Conclusion: For both men and women, the perceptions of labor involvement are of more importance for the well-being than the actual time spent on paid and unpaid work. This implies that, when studying the relationship between labor involvement and well-being, perceived stress should be considered.

Research on the Intervention Effect of Vibroacoustic Therapy in the Treatment of Patients with Depression

Research purpose:This study implemented somatosensory music therapy on patients with depressive disorders,and explored the effects of somatosensory music therapy on the degree of depression,positive and negative emotions,intuitive stress and autonomic nervous function of patients.Research method:We collected 66 patients diagnosed with depression from the Department of Psychological Medicine of Henan Provincial People’s Hospital,and divided them into a control group and an intervention group according to the random number table,with 33 people in each group.The control group received routine psychiatric treatment and nursing.On the basis of the control group,the intervention group received somatosensory music therapy 3 times a week,30 min each time,for 4 consecutive weeks.The Hamilton Depression Scale,Positive and Negative Emotion Scale,Perceived Stress Scale,and Heart Rate Variability Index were collected and analyzed at baseline(T0),2 weeks after treatment(T1)and 4 weeks after treatment(T2).Research results:After 4 weeks of treatment,the HAMD scores of the two groups decreased to varying degrees,and the difference between the groups was statistically significant(p<0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the scores of positive emotions in both groups increased to varying degrees,and the scores of negative emotions increased to varying degrees.The scores decreased to varying degrees,and there were statistically significant differences between the positive and negative emotion groups(p<0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the CPSS scores of the two groups decreased to varying degrees,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(p<0.05).Analyzing the main effect of intervention factors alone,after 4 weeks of treatment,SDNN and RMSSD indexes all increased to varying degrees,and the degree of increase in the intervention group was greater than that in the control group,and the difference between the groups was statistically significant(p<0.05).Research conclusion:assisting somatosensory music therapy for patients with depressive disorders can improve depressive symptoms,increase positive emotions,reduce negative emotions,and reduce perceived stress.These are beneficial to restore the balance of autonomic nervous system,and are effective for the treatment of depression.

Clinicopathological features,psychological status,and prognosis of 33 patients with occult breast cancer

BACKGROUND Occult breast cancer(OBC)has traditionally been considered to be a carcinoma of unknown primary origin with a favorable prognosis and can be treated as stage II-III breast cancer.Due to the small number of cases and limited clinical experience,treatments vary greatly around the world and no standardized treatment has yet been established.AIM To investigate the clinicopathological features,psychological status and prognostic features of patients with OBC.METHODS The clinicopathological data of 33 OBC patients diagnosed and treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and Xuzhou Central Hospital from November 2015 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The psychological status of OBC patients was evaluated by the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale.Patients’emotions,stress perception and psychological resilience were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule,the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale,and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC),respectively.Patient survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival curves were plotted for analysis with the log-rank test.Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed using the Cox regression model.RESULTS The 33 OBC patients included 32 females and 1 male.Of the 33 patients,30(91%)had axillary tumors,3(9%)had a neck mass as the primary symptom;18(54.5%)had estrogen receptor-positive tumors,17(51.5%)had progesterone receptor-positive tumors,and 18(54.5%)had Her-2-positive tumors;24(72.7%)received surgical treatment,including 18 patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy,1 patient who underwent breast-conserving surgery plus axillary lymph node dissection(ALND),and 5 patients who underwent ALND alone;12 patients received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy.All 30 patients developed anxiety and depression,with low positive affect scores and high negative affect scores,accompanied by a high stress level and poor psychological resilience.There were no differences in the psychological status of patients according to age,body mass index,or menopausal status.The overall survival and disease-free survival(DFS)of all the patients were 83.3%and 55.7%,respectively.Univariate analysis demonstrated that the initial tumor site(P=0.021)and node stage(P=0.020)were factors that may affect patient prognosis.The 5-year DFS rate of OBC patients who received radiotherapy was greater(P<0.001),while the use of different surgical methods(P=0.687)had no statistically significant effect on patient outcomes.Multivariate analysis revealed that radiotherapy(P=0.031)was an independent prognostic factor.Receiving radiotherapy had a significant effect on the CD-RISC score(P=0.02).CONCLUSION OBC is a rare breast disease whose diagnosis and treatment are currently controversial.There was no significant difference in the efficacy of other less invasive surgical procedures compared to those of modified radical mastectomy.In addition,radiotherapy can significantly improve patient outcomes.We should pay attention to the psychological state of patients while they receive antitumor therapy.

Defining Stress among Corrections Professionals

Corrections professionals experience high levels of acute and chronic work-related stress. This stress leads to increased mental and physical illness, early disability and mortality, and increased healthcare costs. Reducing stress requires identifying and prioritizing factors that contribute to it. Corrections professionals (n = 296) working at six different Oregon Department of Corrections facilities completed a cross-sectional survey, including demographics, work history and validated stress and occupational constructs. The outcome of perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4 Short Form). Using a linear mixed effects regression model, we found that perceived stress increases with increased work-related stress (p = 0.02), work hours (p = 0.03), operational stressors (p = 0.002), and lack of procedural injustice (p = 0.03) and decreases with more time employed at current facility (p = 0.06), improved job satisfaction (p < 0.001), and among married or partnered individuals (p = 0.05). Identifying these predictors of stress can inform the development of policy changes to mitigate the stress of this challenged work force.

Prevalence and Influencing Factors on Fatigue of First-line Nurses Combating with COVID-19 in China:A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Summary:Nurses'work-related fatigue has been recognized as a threat to nurse health and patient safety.The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of fatigue among first-line nurses combating with COVID-19 in Wuhan,China,and to analyze its influencing factors on fatigue.A multi-center,descriptive,cross-sectional design with a convenience sample was used.The statistical population consisted of the first-line nurses in 7 tertiary general hospitals from March 3,2020 to March 10,2020 in Wuhan of China.A total of 2667 samples from 2768 contacted participants completed the investgation,with a response rate of 96.35%.Social-demographic questionnaire,work-related questionnaire,Fatigue Scale-14,Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7,Patient Health Questionnaire-9,and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale were used to conduct online survey.The descriptive statistic of nurses'social-demographic characteristics was conducted,and the related variables of work,anxiety,depression,perceived stress and fatigue were analyzed by Z-tests,nonparametric test and Pearson's correlation analysis.The significant factors which resulted in nurses'fatigue were further analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis.The median score for the first-line nurses'fatigue in Wuhan was 4(2,8).The median score of physical and mental fatigue of them was 3(1,6)and 1(0,3)respectively.According to the scoring criteria,35.06%nurses(w=935)of all participants were in the fatigue status,their median score of fatigue was 10(8,11),and the median score of physical and mental fatigue of them was 7(5,8)and 3(2,4)respectively.Multiple linear regression analysis revealed the participants in the risk groups of anxiety,depression and perceived stress had higher scores on physical and mental fatigue and the statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the variables and nurses'fatigue,the frequency of exercise and nurses'fatigue had a statistically significant negative correlation,and average daily working hours had a significantly positive correlation with nurses'fatigue,and the frequency of weekly night shift had a low positive correlation with nurses'fatigue(P<0.01).There was a moderate level of fatigue among the first-line nurses fighting against COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan,China.Government and health authorities need to formulate and take effective intervention strategies according to the relevant risk factors,and undertake preventive measures aimed at reducing health hazards due to increased work-related fatigue among first-line nurses,and to enhance their health status and provide a safe occupational environment worldwide.Promoting both medical and nursing safety while combating with the pandemic currently is warranted.

Community Workers’Social Support and Sleep Quality during the Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19):A Moderated Mediation Model

To explore the relationship between social support and sleep quality of community workers in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019(the COVID-19 infection epidemic),this research constructed a mediating effect model to explore the mediating psychological mechanism of social support influencing sleep quality of front-line community workers.A total of 500 front-line community workers in Wuhan were investigated.We used the perceived social support scale(PSSS),the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC),the perceived stress scale(PSS),and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)to measure social support,psychological resilience,perceived stress and sleep quality.Specifically,the higher the PSQI,the worse the sleep quality.Pearson correlation structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between these factors.The results showed that:(1)There was a significant negative correlation between social support,psychological resilience,and perceived stress of community workers and PSQI,that means,the higher the level of social support,psychological resilience,and perceived stress,the higher the sleep quality.(2)Social support positively predicted psychological resilience and perceived stress,and perceived stress negatively predicted PSQI.(3)Social support can affect sleep quality through the mediating role of psychological resilience and perceived stress,and the mediating role includes two paths:the single mediating role of perceived stress and the chain mediating role of psychological resilience-perceived stress.(4)Gender moderates the relation-ship between social support and perceived stress,and the influence of social support on perceived stress of women is higher than that of men.Gender moderates the relationship between psychological resilience and PSQI,and only women’s psychological resilience had a negatively predictive effect on PSQI,while men did not,which means that psychological resilience of female frontline community workers can positively predict sleep quality.This research reveals the relationship between social support and sleep quality and its mechanism and verifies that social support can indirectly affect physical health through psychological resilience and perceived stress.It provides reference suggestions and intervention guidance for improving the sleep quality of community workers.

Effects of two types of exercise training on psychological well-being,sleep,quality of life and physical fitness in patients with high-grade glioma(WHO III and IV):study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background:There is existing evidence on whether and to what degree regular exercise training improves the quality of life(QoL)among cancer survivors.However,in regards to patients with high-grade glioma(HGG;WHO grade III and IV),no conclusive study has been performed so far.The present trial aims to fill this gap by examining whether psychological well-being,sleep,QoL and physical fitness might be improved with two different types of exercise,as compared to an active control condition.Active control condition represent individuals participating at regular meetings to talk about their current life situation,though,the meetings were not intended as that of the psychotherapy group.Regular meetings are of the same frequency,duration,and intensity as the exercise interventions.Methods:A total of 45 patients with HGG after undergoing neurosurgery and adjuvant radiotherapy,chemotherapy,or chemoradiotherapy will be consecutively and randomly assigned to(a)an endurance training,(b)a resistance training or(c)to an active control condition.The intervention will last for 6 consecutive weeks,consisting of 2 weekly sessions(30-45 min per session).Measurements would take place at three time points,namely at the beginning of the study(baseline),3 weeks after the beginning of the study,and 6 weeks after the beginning of the study.The last measurement also represents the end of the study.Aerobic exercise performance will be assessed objectively with a 6-min walking test,and a handgrip test will be used to assess the upper body strength.Further,participants will complete a battery of questionnaires covering sociodemographic information,QoL,sleep quality and sleep patterns,coping with stress,state-and trait-anxiety,depression,and fatigue.In parallel,experts will use the Hamilton Depres-sion Rating Scale to determine and rate participants’symptoms of depression.Significance:The present study will be the first to investigate and compare the impact of two different exercise modalities,namely endurance and resistance training,on physical fitness and dimensions of well-being,and sleep among patients with HGG who underwent neurosurgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy,chemotherapy,or chemoradiotherapy.Importantly,unlike the majority of previous studies,the control condition consists of an active set-up to detect possible factual beneficial effects of exercise training,irrespective of social interactions.