The Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Bio-behavioral Processes in Cardiovascular Disease

BackgroundAlthough a substantial body of research points to a link between psychological distress and inflammatory responses in middle-aged and older adults, particularly those with cardiovascular disease, the relationship between inflammation and distress in young, healthy individuals has not been established. This study was designed to investigate the cross-sectional association between psychological distress and inflammatory proteins in a young, healthy representative population of English adults.MethodParticipants were 1338 individuals aged 16–34 years from the 2006 Health Survey for England (HSE). Blood samples to measure plasma fibrinogen and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), as well as measures of psychological distress (using the General Health Questionnaire 12-item scale, GHQ-12) and covariates, were collected during home visits. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between psychological distress and fibrinogen and hsCRP.ResultsHigher self-rated distress was positively associated with fibrinogen level in this young population, independently of age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, smoking, and alcohol and medication use (β=0.024, p<0.01). Psychological distress was not related to hsCRP.ConclusionsPsychological distress may negatively impact inflammatory processes in young adulthood before the onset of chronic health problems such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Longitudinal research is needed to elucidate the relationship between distress and inflammation in young adults and its significance for later disease states.

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The impact of perceived control on psychological distress and health behavior adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease

Journal of Nursing Education and Practice ◽

10.5430/jnep.v9n2p76 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 76

Author(s):

Kalon R. Eways ◽

Kymberley K. Bennett ◽

Kadie M. Harry ◽

Jillian M.R. Clark ◽

Elizabeth J. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Self Report ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Background: Symptoms of depression and anxiety have been shown to negatively impact physical health outcomes among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, an important step in developing interventions to reduce risk for cardiac event recurrence is to identify the emotional and cognitive predictors of psychological distress. This study examined one possible cognitive predictor: perceived control (PC). Specifically, this study tested whether symptoms of depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between PC and adherence to health behavior recommendations in patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program.Methods: Self-report measures were administered to 146 CR patients at the beginning of CR and 12-weeks later, at the end of CR.Results: Anxiety and depressive symptoms did not mediate the relationship between PC and health behavior adherence. Rather, PC was cross-sectionally related to symptoms of psychological distress, and it predicted health behavior adherence 12-weeks later.Conclusions: Results imply that PC has long-term effects on health behavior adherence, an important outcome in CR that reduces risk for recurrence.

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The Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Bio-behavioral Processes in Cardiovascular Disease

Brain and Heart Dynamics ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-28008-6_14 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 229-239

Author(s):

Stefania Balzarotti ◽

Barbara Colombo ◽

Amanda Christensen

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

The Relationship

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Interpersonal Stress and Poor Health

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000003 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 3-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Mette M. Aanes ◽

Maurice B. Mittelmark ◽

Jørn Hetland

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Somatic Symptoms ◽

Total Effect ◽

Subjective Feeling ◽

Interpersonal Stress ◽

The Relationship

This paper investigated whether the lack of social connectedness, as measured by the subjective feeling of loneliness, mediates the well-known relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological distress. Furthermore, a relationship between interpersonal stress and somatic symptoms was hypothesized. The study sample included 3,268 women and 3,220 men in Western Norway. The main findings were that interpersonal stress was significantly related to psychological distress as well as to somatic symptoms, both directly and indirectly via paths mediated by loneliness. The size of the indirect effects varied, suggesting that the importance of loneliness as a possible mediator differs for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and somatic symptoms. In the case of depressive symptoms, more than 75% of the total effect was mediated through loneliness, while in the case of somatic symptoms just over 40% of the total effect was mediated through loneliness. This study supports the hypotheses that social connectedness mediates a relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological distress. The study also provides the first link between interpersonal stress, as measured by the Bergen Social Relationships Scale, and somatic symptoms, extending earlier research on the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological distress.

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