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Fukumoto, Syuichi; Morishita, Aya; Furutachi, Kohei; Terashima, Takehiko; Nakayama, Tsutomu; Yokogoshi, Hidehiko
doi: 10.1002/smi.1158pmid: N/A
Citrus essential oils, including lemon essential oil, have long been used widely in aromatherapy and alternative medicine. This study was designed to assess the effects of flavour components in lemon essential oil on physical and psychological stress. In this evaluation, acute cold stress and communication box techniques were used to apply stress after intraperitoneal administration of essential oil components such as limonene, γ‐terpinene and citral. Serum corticosterone and monoamines in brain tissues were then determined. In the present study, it found the presence of perillic acid, a limonene metabolite, at concentrations of 1.5–2.5 μg/mL in serum and 0.4–0.6 μg/g in brain tissue collected 3 h after administration. The research also showed that the lemon components R‐limonene, citral and γ‐terpinene inhibited elevation of serum corticosterone levels and cerebral monoamine levels. S‐limonene, a stereoisomer of R‐limonene, seemed to have stronger effect than other monoterpenes and inhibited brain monoamines elevation on psychological stress. These findings suggest that limonenes, and particularly S‐limonene, have a potent stress‐alleviating effect, and the possibility that different stereoisomers of limonene have different levels of activity in their effect on stress responses. These results suggest a possibility that ingestion of lemon essential oil containing components such as limonene and citral alleviates both physical and psychological stress. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ellen, Steven; Olver, James; Norman, Trevor; Burrows, Graham D.
doi: 10.1002/smi.1165pmid: N/A
Gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) is quantitatively the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and benzodiazepines (BZs) act via a binding site on the GABA receptor complex. The neurobiology of the GABA‐BZ receptor complex is being increasingly understood as imaging and pharmacological techniques to study the receptor complex both indirectly and directly improve. This paper outlines the evidence for BZ receptor abnormalities in panic disorder and post‐traumatic stress disorder. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sarkar, Sobhanjan; Mukhopadhyay, Barun
doi: 10.1002/smi.1159pmid: N/A
Psychosocial factors (including psychosocial stress) are documented to be related to morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their risk factors. The present study examines whether perceived psychosocial stress affects blood pressures, blood lipids and obesity among the Bhutias, a tribal population of Sikkim. A total of 428 Bhutias of both sexes aged 20 years and above inhabiting both urban and rural areas participated after providing informed consent. Data on blood pressures, blood lipids, anthropometrics and a variety of lifestyle‐related factors including perceived stress level were collected following standard methods. The results clearly indicate that perceived stress significantly affects more than one CVD risk factor selected for study both in males and females. Perceived stress significantly affects diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC) and ratio of TC and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in males, while in females, although significant effect of stress does not exist on blood pressures, significant effects of stress are discernible on Low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, TC/HDL as well as adiposity/obesity measures such as body mass index, waist circumference and waist–hip ratio. Perceived stress remains an independent factor affecting CVD risk factors even after controlling other significant lifestyle‐related predictors. Again, hypertension, both systolic and diastolic, overweight and obesity, have also been significantly affected by perceived stress. It appears that contribution of psychosocial stress in addition to other lifestyle‐related factors remains substantial among a tribal population inhabiting the eastern Himalaya and experiencing rapid socio‐cultural changes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fourie, Lukas; Rothmann, Sebastiaan; van de Vijver, Fons J. R.
doi: 10.1002/smi.1163pmid: N/A
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of job demands, job resources and sense of coherence on the burnout and work engagement of non‐professional counsellors in South African banks. A cross‐sectional survey design was used. The sample consisted of 165 non‐professional counsellors doing trauma counselling in three of the major banks in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory—Human Services Survey, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Orientation to Life Questionnaire and Job Characteristics Scale were administered. A good fit was found for a model in which sense of coherence was a positive predictor of perceived low job demands and high availability of job resources and work wellness (low burnout and high work engagement). Non‐professional counsellors with a stronger sense of coherence experienced more work wellness (low burnout and high work engagement) than those with a weaker level of coherence, presumably because stimuli from the environment are perceived as making cognitive sense, as under control of both the counsellor and significant others, and as motivationally relevant and meaningful. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aguilar‐Zavala, Herlinda; Garay‐Sevilla, Ma. Eugenia; Malacara, Juan Manuel; Pérez‐Luque, Elva Leticia
doi: 10.1002/smi.1162pmid: N/A
Stress is evaluated using tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), Heat Shock Protein 60 (Hsp60) and other markers in chronic diseases. We examined the association of Hsp60, cortisol, TNF‐α and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) serum levels with psychological and socio‐economic factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM‐2). We studied 151 DM‐2 patients in groups with <1 year and >5 years since diagnosis. Clinical data, family income and questionnaires of anxiety, depression, perceived stress, social support, glucose, glycated haemoglobin, lipids, Hsp60, cortisol, IL‐6 and TNF‐α were collected. Patients with >5 years since diagnosis of DM‐2 had lower body mass index (p < 0.016), higher glucose (p < 0.005) and HbA1c (p < 0.005) levels. The group of recent diagnosis had higher Hsp60 (p < 0.00003). Hsp60 was associated negatively with years since diagnosis (p < 0.000012), and positively with glucose (p < 0.029). Cortisol was positively associated with glucose levels (p < 0.019) and family income (p < 0.037). TNF‐α was associated with years since diagnosis (p < 0.004) and perceived stress (p < 0.018). At early stages of DM‐2, Hsp60 increases with glucose levels, cortisol is associated with glucose levels. At later stages TNF‐α increases, associated with perceived stress. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
doi: 10.1002/smi.1160pmid: N/A
Achievement goal theory has proved to be very influential in our understanding of student's regulation of academic and non‐academic behaviours. Recently, Elliot and McGregor proposed mastery‐avoidance goals in the trichotomous model of achievement motivation. The purpose of the present studies was to examine the regulation of mastery‐avoidance goals with regard to persistence, affect and arousal. In Study 1, 96 college students' regulation of their own behaviour was assessed during a stressful exam. Results showed that mastery‐avoidance goals were associated with significantly elevated cognitive anxiety, negative affect and fear of failure. Study 2 attempted to replicate and extend the findings of Study 1 by examining the regulation of affect and arousal using self‐report and physiological assessments, during stressful in‐class presentations (n = 70). Results indicated that negative affect was significantly predicted by adoption of mastery‐avoidance goals. Modelling the effects using Multilevel Random Coefficient Modelling showed that students espousing mastery‐avoidance goals were significantly more aroused, compared to students who adopted any other type of goal orientation, at both the intercept level and the slope (linear or quadratic). It is concluded that mastery‐avoidance goals have deleterious effects on student's regulation of their emotional experience in stressful achievement situations and should be avoided by all means. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Savič, Brigita Skela; Pagon, Milan
doi: 10.1002/smi.1164pmid: N/A
This paper discusses the study that considered the predictors of individual involvement in a health care team, following research evidence that the level of personal involvement in an organization correlates negatively with stress levels. The aim was to establish whether organizational culture, teamwork and leadership models play a role in successful individual involvement in a health care team. The sample included 835 respondents from 14 Slovene hospitals and 3 personnel categories: doctors, nurses and non‐health care professionals chosen by randomly distributed questionnaires. There were 101 leaders in the respondents group. Linear regression model included eight independent variables and two dependent variables. The results showed that the variance of successful individual involvement correlates most highly with teamwork in an organization (ΔR2 = 0.319) and most important predictor for successful individual involvement was transformational leadership (ΔR2 = 0.411). Also, secondary regression analyses showed that the variance of successful individual involvement in a health care team can be explained differently according to the three personnel categories. From the management point of view, the research provided an insight into the motivation of health care professionals—including ways to motivate them and recognize their work, consequently reducing employee stress levels in Slovene hospitals. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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