Timing of Stressful Life Events Affects Stability and Change of Neuroticism

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriëtte Riese ◽  
Harold Snieder ◽  
Bertus F. Jeronimus ◽  
Tellervo Korhonen ◽  
Richard J. Rose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Twin Pair ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Dizygotic Twin ◽  
Stability And Change ◽  
Set Point ◽  
High Baseline

Neuroticism is a predictor of many health problems. To study the determinants of within–subject change in neuroticism, three hypotheses were tested: (i) subjects who experienced stressful life events (SLEs) show an increase in neuroticism; (ii) high baseline neuroticism moderated this effect; and (iii) recent SLEs had a greater impact on neuroticism than distant SLEs. Data came from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Neuroticism data were collected in 1975 and 1981 and SLEs data in 1981 (n = 21 085). By entering baseline neuroticism as a predictor for neuroticism at follow–up, the outcome measure was change in neuroticism. Changes in neuroticism were predicted from SLE indices or their interaction with baseline neuroticism. Timing of SLEs was taken into account by distinguishing recent from distant SLEs. To control for confounding by shared genes and environments, both within–twin pair and between–twin pair effects were tested for monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs separately. Neuroticism's six–year stability was high (r = .58, p < .001). Exposure to SLEs modestly increased neuroticism (βs > .55, ps < .001), unconfounded by shared genes. This effect was not moderated by high baseline neuroticism. Recent SLEs (.09 < βs < .15) had more impact than distant SLEs (.03 < βs < .11; ps < .01). In conclusion, the findings strongly supported a model of environmentally driven SLEs causing dynamic fluctuations around a person's set point of neuroticism. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

scholarly journals Stressful life events are not associated with the development of dementia

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Sundström ◽  
Michael Rönnlund ◽  
Rolf Adolfsson ◽  
Lars-Göran Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Emotional Adjustment ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Positive Life Events

ABSTRACTBackground:The impact of stressful life events as a risk factor of dementia diseases is inconclusive. We sought to determine whether stressful negative life events are associated with incidental dementia in a population-based study with long-term follow-up. We also tested the hypothesis that the occurrence of positive life events could mitigate or overcome the possible adverse effects of negative life events on dementia conversion.Methods:The study involved 2,462 dementia-free participants aged 55 years and older. Information on life events was ascertained at baseline from a comprehensive Life Event Inventory, which included 56 questions about specific life events. For each life event, the emotional impact (both positive and negative) and emotional adjustment were asked for.Results:During follow-up, 423 participants developed dementia; of these, 240 developed Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cox regression analysis showed no association between the total number of negative life events and the incidence of dementia when adjusted solely for age and gender (hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.92–1.02), or with multiple adjustments for a range of covariates (hazard ratio = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.91–1.01). Similarly, neither emotional impact nor emotional adjustment to these life events was associated with incident dementia. A separate analysis of AD did not alter the results.Conclusions:The result of this population-based study finds no association between negative or positive life events and dementia. Accordingly, our results reject the hypothesis that stressful life events trigger the onset of dementia diseases.

scholarly journals 0554 Insomnia Disorder Predicts Stressful Life Events in Individuals Who Have Recently Experienced Involuntary Job Loss

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A212-A213
Author(s):  
I Skobic ◽  
G Howe ◽  
P L Haynes
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Job Loss ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Stress Generation ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Involuntary Job Loss ◽  
Insomnia Disorder

Abstract Introduction The stress generation hypothesis posits that depressed (versus non-depressed) individuals generate more stressful life events, especially events for which they are at least partly responsible (i.e., dependent events). Insomnia disorder interferes with emotion regulation, potentially leading to impaired decision-making and increased stress generation. We hypothesized that insomnia disorder would lead to an increased number of stressful life events in our sample of adults who have recently experienced involuntary job loss. Methods Assessing Daily Activity Patterns through Occupational Transitions is a longitudinal study examining linkages between job-loss, sleep, obesity, and mental health. We used baseline and 3-month follow-up data from 137 participants who completed the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule, a contextual life event measure. Insomnia disorder was coded yes if participants met ICSD-3 criteria for a current chronic or acute insomnia disorder on the Duke Structured Interview for Sleep Disorders. Covariates included age, gender, and race. Linear and logistic regression were employed to assess changes in number of events over time. Secondary analysis examined the relationship between insomnia and dependent stressful life events specifically. Results When controlling for covariates, insomnia disorder at study baseline predicted the number of stressful life events generated between baseline and 3-month follow-up (β =.60, se=.30, t=1.99, p=.05). Conversely, events at baseline did not predict insomnia disorder at follow-up when controlling for baseline insomnia disorder (OR=.98, CI=.82-1.17). Secondary analysis revealed a trend toward increased generation of dependent events among individuals with insomnia disorder (β =.37, se=.23, t = 1.6, p=.11). Conclusion Our analyses provide preliminary evidence for a causal relationship between insomnia disorder and stress generation. Additional research is needed to replicate and examine the mechanisms behind this relationship. This extension of the stress generation hypothesis may have important implications for harm reduction interventions for insomnia disorder. Support #1R01HL117995-01A1.

Long-term outcome in pharmacotherapy-resistant patients with panic disorder treated with cognitive-behavior therapy: 5-year follow-up

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 157-157
Author(s):  
E. Heldt ◽  
C. Blaya ◽  
L. Kipper ◽  
G. Salum Junior ◽  
V.N. Hirakata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Treatment Response ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Cognitive Behavior ◽  
Long Term Treatment

BackgroundThere is a limitation of data about factors associated with treatment response in panic disorder (PD) patients at long-term follow-up period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment response of pharmacotherapy-resistant patients with PD after 5 years of cognitive-behavior group therapy (CBGT) and to identify factors that predict this outcome.MethodSixty-four patients who completed 12 sessions of CBGT were followed for 5-year. Outcome measures were evaluated by the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and quality of life (QoL) using WHOQOL-bref. Demographic and clinical features, stressful life events were the variables investigated as predictors of CBGT response across follow-up period.ResultsTreatment was associated with significant reduction in symptoms severity (agoraphobia, anticipatory anxiety and panic attacks) with maintenance of gains at 5-year of follow-up (p < 0.05). Twenty-four (40%) of the sample remained in remission after 5 years, 12 (20%) relapsed during the follow-up period and 24 (40%) were non-responder to CBGT. The poor CBGT response had an important negative impact in QoL. Regression analyzes showed that comorbidity with dysthymia (p = 0.017) and stressful life events (p = 0.012) as the most important predictors to worse response.ConclusionsThe improvement in all evaluations suggested that brief CBGT for pharmacotherapy-resistant patients could be an alternative as next-step strategy for residual symptoms with maintenance of the gains after 5 years as assessed across follow-up period. New strategies should be tried for resistant patients, such as those with dysthymia comorbidity, and some specific tool in order to cope with adverse events.

Stressful Life Events and Cognitive Decline: Sex Differences in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow-Up

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. S139
Author(s):  
Cynthia A. Munro ◽  
Alexandra M. Wennberg ◽  
William W. Eaton ◽  
Constantine G. Lyketsos ◽  
Adam P. Spira
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Catchment Area ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Epidemiologic Catchment Area

Do stressful life-events or sociodemographic variables associate with depression and alexithymia among a general population?—a 3-year follow-up study

2004 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 254-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Honkalampi ◽  
Heli Koivumaa-Honkanen ◽  
Jukka Hintikka ◽  
Risto Antikainen ◽  
Kaisa Haatainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Sociodemographic Variables ◽  
Follow Up Study

The influence of life events on the subsequent course of psychotic illness: A prospective follow-up of the Camberwell Collaborative Psychosis Study

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Van Os ◽  
T. A. Fahy ◽  
P. Bebbington ◽  
P. Jones ◽  
S. Wilkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Event ◽  
Acute Onset ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Functional Psychosis ◽  
Maintenance Medication ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients

SynopsisFifty-nine psychotic patients with acute onset of illness, who had been interviewed about their experience of stressful life events before the episode, were followed up for an average of 42 months. Thirty patients (51%) had experienced a stressful life event in the 3 months immediately before onset (EV +), 29 had not (EV −).In patients with an RDC diagnosis of affective disorder or unspecified functional psychosis, the presence of stressful life events was associated subsequently with milder symptom severity, less time spent in hospital, more treatment for depressive symptoms and less for psychotic symptoms. In schizophrenia, differences were less apparent, but patients with event associated episodes had less need of anti-psychotic maintenance medication over the follow-up period and tended to have spent more time in complete remission. EV + schizophrenic subjects also had higher morbid risk for schizophrenia in their first degree relatives, and tended to be female and to have less typical symptoms than EV − schizophrenic patients.

scholarly journals Stressful life events moderate the effect of neural reward responsiveness in childhood on depressive symptoms in adolescence

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 1548-1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon L. Goldstein ◽  
Ellen M. Kessel ◽  
Autumn Kujawa ◽  
Megan C. Finsaas ◽  
Joanne Davila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Depression Symptoms

AbstractBackgroundReward processing deficits have been implicated in the etiology of depression. A blunted reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential elicited by feedback to monetary gain relative to loss, predicts new onsets and increases in depression symptoms. Etiological models of depression also highlight stressful life events. However, no studies have examined whether stressful life events moderate the effect of the RewP on subsequent depression symptoms. We examined this question during the key developmental transition from childhood to adolescence.MethodsA community sample of 369 children (mean age of 9) completed a self-report measure of depression symptoms. The RewP to winning v. losing was elicited using a monetary reward task. Three years later, we assessed stressful life events occurring in the year prior to the follow-up. Youth depressive symptoms were rated by the children and their parents at baseline and follow-up.ResultsStressful life events moderated the effect of the RewP on depression symptoms at follow-up such that a blunted RewP predicted higher depression symptoms in individuals with higher levels of stressful life events. This effect was also evident when events that were independent of the youth's behavior were examined separately.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the RewP reflects a vulnerability for depression that is activated by stress.

Do Stressful Life Events Predict Eating Disorder Relapse?: Six-year Outcomes from the Collaborative Personality Disorders Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
C. Grilo ◽  
M. Pagano ◽  
R. Stout
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Axis I ◽  
Dsm Iv

Aims:To examine the natural course of eating disorders (ED) prospectively over 6 years and to examine link between stressful life events (SLEs) and ED relapse among women with personality-disorders (PDs).Method:Subjects were 132 female patients with bulimia nervosa (N=40) or EDNOS (N=92) in the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. EDs were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I, and monitored with the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation during follow-up. PDs were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV PD (DIPD-IV), and monitored with the Follow-Along version of the DIPD-IV during follow-up. SLEs were assessed with the Life Events Assessment (LEA). Follow-up assessments were conducted at 6- and 12-months and then yearly through 72 months. Proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to examine the link between time-varying levels of SLEs and ED relapse. Cox regressions controlled for the same covariates used in prior work: duration of ED, number of co-morbid psychiatric disorders, and time-varying status of PDs.Results:Of the 132 patients, 59% had remissions from ED, 68% of whom subsequently relapsed over the course of 6 years (BN and EDNOS did not differ in relapse). Total number of negative SLEs reported by ED patients significantly predicted subsequent ED relapse (HazardRatio=1.5, p< .05). The types of SLEs that predicted ED relapse were elevated work stressors (HazardRatio=3.0, p< .01) and elevated recreation stressors (HazardRatio=3.1, p< .05).Conclusion:Higher work stress and higher recreation stress represent significant warning signs for triggering relapse for women in remission from BN and EDNOS.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Stressful Life Events or Demographic Factors: Which are Important in Women's Depression? A 2-Year Follow-Up Population Study

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 627-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Honkalampi ◽  
Kirsi Honkalampi ◽  
Jukka Hintikka ◽  
Kaisa Haatainen ◽  
Heli Koivumaa-Honkanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Use Of Health Services

Objective: The aim of this study was to simultaneously test adverse background factors, namely adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), stressful life events and prior depressive symptoms, for their ability to predict recovery and non-recovery from depression in women among the general population. Method: A stratified random sample of women (n=835) from the general population was collected at baseline in 1999. Depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-21), ACEs and background factors were assessed by postal questionnaire at baseline. Two years later, stressful life events during the study phase, social support, use of health services and current depression (BDI≥13) were similarly assessed. Results: Adverse childhood experiences were common among depressed women and these past experiences together with the use of health services were associated with recovery from depression. Financial difficulties and a poor subjective health status associated with non-recovery and current stressful life events increased the likelihood of depression on follow-up. Furthermore, the important variables explaining depression on follow-up were the quality of social support and the existence of prior depressive symptoms at baseline. Conclusions: Our results suggest that women's current depression especially associates with stressful life events, insufficient social support, poor subjective health and financial difficulties. It seems possible that past adverse experiences predispose women to depression, but current stressful events actualize these symptoms. In addition, use of health services are associated with recovery in women who had ACEs.

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