1.
Mental and physical health effects of meaningful work and rewarding family responsibilities.
Dich, N, Lund, R, Hansen, ÅM, Rod, NH
PloS one. 2019;(4):e0214916
Abstract
Positive feelings about work and family responsibilities benefit psychological well-being, but their physical health effects remain unexplored. The study assessed whether meaningful work and reward from taking care of family benefitted physical health to the same degree as mental health. Participants were 181 Danes aged 49-51. Participants reported on working conditions, providing care to family, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress. Physical health was operationalized as a physiological dysregulation (e.g., hypertension, high levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, high body mass index). A multidimensional index of physiological dysregulation was created using parameters of cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune function. As expected, meaningful work and sense of reward from taking care of family members were associated with better mental health. However, in women, the very same factors were positively associated with higher physiological dysregulation. We conclude that work and family factors promoting psychological well-being may have physical health trade-offs, particularly in women.
2.
Adult attachment and physical health.
Pietromonaco, PR, Beck, LA
Current opinion in psychology. 2019;:115-120
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Abstract
This article examines how individual differences in adult attachment shape regulatory strategies and relationship behaviors, which in turn influence health-related responses, behaviors, and outcomes. We review links between attachment and physiological responses to stress (e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses, cardiovascular responses, immune responses), health behavior (e.g., substance use, diet), and downstream health and disease outcomes. Recent evidence suggests that attachment insecurity (attachment anxiety and/or attachment avoidance) is associated with dysregulated physiological responses to stress, risky health behaviors, susceptibility to physical illness, and poorer disease outcomes. These associations depend, in part, on the relationship context, including the other partner's attachment style and behavior. We suggest that a dyadic approach considering both partners' attachment styles and behaviors will enhance interventions to promote health.
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Work- related Stress, over-nutrition and cognitive disability.
Ippoliti, F, Corbosiero, P, Canitano, N, Massoni, F, Ricciardi, MR, Ricci, L, Archer, T, Ricci, S
La Clinica terapeutica. 2017;(1):e42-e47
Abstract
Work-related stress may exert a negative impact on a variety of physical and psychological attributes relating to the health of employees and work organizations. Several studies conducted in Italy have shown that workers and employees who express less satisfaction show increased symptoms of obesity and cognitive disability. The latest evidence underlines the pathogenic relationship between stress and neurological disease through inflammatory neuro- immune activation. The aim of this review was to describe the relationship between workplace stress and adverse changes in lifestyle that develop into obesity, neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction. The molecular mechanisms involved and guidelines for the prevention of these trends are discussed briefly.
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Chronic stress is associated with reduced circulating hematopoietic progenitor cell number: A maternal caregiving model.
Aschbacher, K, Milush, JM, Gilbert, A, Almeida, C, Sinclair, E, Epling, L, Grenon, SM, Marco, EJ, Puterman, E, Epel, E
Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2017;:245-252
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic psychological stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells (CPCs) maintain vascular homeostasis, correlate with preclinical atherosclerosis, and prospectively predict cardiovascular events. We hypothesize that (1) chronic caregiving stress is related to reduced CPC number, and (2) this may be explained in part by negative interactions within the family. METHODS We investigated levels of stress and CPCs in 68 healthy mothers - 31 of these had children with an autism spectrum disorder (M-ASD) and 37 had neurotypical children (M-NT). Participants provided fasting blood samples, and CD45+CD34+KDR+ and CD45+CD133+KDR+ CPCs were assayed by flow cytometry. We averaged the blom-transformed scores of both CPCs to create one index. Participants completed the perceived stress scale (PSS), the inventory for depressive symptoms (IDS), and reported on daily interactions with their children and partners, averaged over 7 nights. RESULTS M-ASD exhibited lower CPCs than M-NT (Cohen's d=0.83; p⩽0.01), controlling for age, BMI, and physical activity. Across the whole sample, positive interactions were related to higher CPCs, and negative interactions to lower CPCs (allp's<0.05). The adverse effects of group on CPCs were significantly mediated through negative interactions with the child (indirect β=-0.24, p⩽0.01). In the full model, greater age (β=-0.19, p=0.04), BMI (β=-0.18, p=0.04), and negative interactions with the child (β=-0.33, p<0.01) were independently associated with lower CPCs. M-ASD had a less healthy lipid profile (total cholesterol/HDL), which in turn, was associated with lower CPCs. CONCLUSIONS Chronic stress adversely impacts CPC number, an early-stage biomarker that predicts subclinical atherosclerosis and future CVD events, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory factors. Among maternal caregivers, child-related interpersonal stress appears to be a key psychological predictor of stress-related CVD risk.