Humor Use Moderates the Relation of Stressful Life Events With Psychological Distress

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 845-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi L. Fritz ◽  
Leslie N. Russek ◽  
Melissa M. Dillon
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Fibromyalgia Syndrome ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Aggressive Humor ◽  
Physical Adjustment

Three studies examined humor and adjustment to stressful events. In Study 1, patients with fibromyalgia syndrome ( N = 22) reported on mental and physical adjustment, social interaction, and reappraisal of their illness. Dispositional humor was associated with reduced distress and fewer physical symptoms. Study 2 ( N = 109) examined undergraduates’ reports of stressful events. Dispositional, self-enhancing, affiliative, and self-defeating humor showed direct effects on distress, which were mediated by social interaction and reappraisal. Moreover, dispositional and aggressive humor showed stress-buffering effects. Study 3 ( N = 105) examined undergraduates’ adjustment to the September 11, 2001, attacks at 1 and 3 months postattack. At T1, affiliative humor showed a stress-buffering effect on distress. Social interaction mediated the relation of self-enhancing humor with reduced T1 distress, and mediated relations of aggressive and self-defeating humor with greater distress. Relations of T1 dispositional and self-defeating humor to changes in T2 distress were mediated by reappraisal.

The Impact of Stressful Life Events and Social Support on Drinking among Older Adults: A General Population Survey

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Jennison
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
The Impact

This article is an analysis of stressful life events, the buffering hypothesis, and alcohol use in a national sample of 1,418 respondents 60 years of age and over. The results indicate that older adults who experience stressful losses are significantly more likely to drink excessively than those who have not experienced such losses or who have experienced them to a lesser extent. Increased drinking among older adults may therefore be a reaction to life circumstances in which alcohol represents an attempt to cope with traumatic loss, personal as well as within the kinship network. Supportive resources of spouse, family, friends, and church appear to have a stress-buffering effects that reduces the excessive-drinking response to life crisis. Data suggest, however, that older persons are vulnerable to the magnitude of losses experienced as they grow older and lose more of their family, friends, and peers. These stressors appear to seriously impact their drinking behavior and are not effectively buffered. Respondents report that drinking may increase during periods of prolonged exposure to emotionally depleting life change and loss, when supportive needs may exceed the capacities of personal and social support resources.

Appreciation of Others Buffers the Associations of Stressful Life Events with Depressive and Physical Symptoms

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1071-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan T. Deichert ◽  
Micah Prairie Chicken ◽  
Lexus Hodgman
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Stressful Life

scholarly journals Do “Dark” Personality Features Buffer Against Adversity? The Associations Between Cumulative Life Stress, the Dark Triad, and Mental Distress

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401882238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Lyons ◽  
Kate Evans ◽  
Samuli Helle
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Online Study ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact

Stressful life events have a major impact on adverse mental health outcomes, although not all individuals are equally affected. According to the buffering hypothesis, there may be personality traits that protect individuals against mental distress in the face of adversity, playing thus a moderating role between life stressors and mental distress. In the present online study ( N = 574), Dark Triad of personality (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) were investigated as moderators between cumulative stressful life events and mental distress (i.e., psychosis, anxiety, and depression). Those who experienced more stressful events during lifetime, and scored higher in Machiavellianism, had higher scores on a psychosis instrument. Narcissism buffered the impact of stressful events on psychosis and depression. The results are discussed in terms of unique profiles associated with each of the traits.

scholarly journals Moderate emotional reactions to stressful life events are associated with lowest risk of increased alcohol consumption: evidence from the Whitehall II study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 754-758
Author(s):  
Nadya Dich ◽  
Stacey N Doan
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Major Life

AbstractBackgroundResearch investigating the associations between stress-related negative emotions and alcohol consumption often assumes a linear dose–response relationship. Based on the current theories of emotions, we questioned this assumption and hypothesized that both very low and very high levels of negative emotional response (NER) to stressful life events are related to increased alcohol consumption.MethodsWe used data from Phases 1 (1985–88) and 2 (1989–90) of the British Whitehall II study. At both phases, participants reported on their alcohol consumption, recent stressful events and the NER to the events. Two thousand and sixteen participants without recent stressful events at baseline were selected. Logistic regression was used to model the association between emotional response at baseline and increased frequency of alcohol consumption between the two phases.ResultsThe likelihood of increased alcohol consumption increased with the number of recent stressful events. Among participants with at least one event, 17% increased alcohol consumption, compared with 14% of those who reported no events. Participants with average NER were at lowest risk (14%) of increasing alcohol consumption after major life events. Those with highest NER were significantly more likely to increase alcohol consumption (20%) than those with average NER, but the difference between those with highest NER and those with lowest NER (17%) was not statistically significant.ConclusionsIncreases in alcohol consumption following stressful events are least likely if people experience moderate levels of NER to events. Negative emotions in moderate doses should not be regarded as a risk factor for unhealthy behaviours, but rather a potentially protective factor.

scholarly journals Stressful life events, perceived stress, and 12-month course of geriatric depression: Direct effects and moderation by the 5-HTTLPRandCOMTVal158Met polymorphisms

Stress ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony S. Zannas ◽  
Douglas R. McQuoid ◽  
David C. Steffens ◽  
George P. Chrousos ◽  
Warren D. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Geriatric Depression

scholarly journals Life events, difficulties and dilemmas in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome: a case–control study

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1185-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
SIMON HATCHER ◽  
ALLAN HOUSE
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Liaison Psychiatry ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome

Background. The role of stress in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome is unclear. Our objectives in this study were first, to determine the relation between the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome and stressful life events and difficulties. Secondly, we examined the role of a particular type of problem, dilemmas, in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome.Method. We used a case–control design with 64 consecutive referrals from an Infectious Diseases/Liaison Psychiatry Fatigue clinic and 64 age- and sex-matched controls from a general practice population control group in Leeds. We had two main outcome measures; the odds ratios of the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome after experiencing a severe life event, severe difficulties or both in the year and 3 months preceding onset; and the proportion of subjects in each group who experienced a dilemma prior to onset.Results. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were more likely to experience severe events and difficulties in the 3 months (OR=9, 95% CI 3·2 to 25·1) and year (OR=4·3, 95% CI 1·8 to 10·2) prior to onset of their illness than population controls. In the 3 months prior to onset 19 of the 64 patients (30%) experienced a dilemma compared to none of the controls.Conclusions. Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with stressful events and difficulties prior to onset. Those events and difficulties characterized as being dilemmas seem to be particularly important.

scholarly journals Do positive or negative stressful events predict the development of new brain lesions in people with multiple sclerosis?

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 349-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Burns ◽  
E. Nawacki ◽  
M. J. Kwasny ◽  
D. Pelletier ◽  
D. C. Mohr
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Brain Lesions ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mri Scans

BackgroundStressful life events have long been suspected to contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity. The few studies examining the relationship between stressful events and neuroimaging markers have been small and inconsistent. This study examined whether different types of stressful events and perceived stress could predict the development of brain lesions.MethodThis was a secondary analysis of 121 patients with MS followed for 48 weeks during a randomized controlled trial comparing stress management therapy for MS (SMT-MS) to a waitlist control (WLC). Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans every 8 weeks. Every month, patients completed an interview measure assessing stressful life events and self-report measures of perceived stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, which were used to predict the presence of gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) and T2 lesions on MRI scans 29–62 days later. Participants classified stressful events as positive or negative. Negative events were considered ‘major’ if they involved physical threat or threat to the patient's family structure, and ‘moderate’ otherwise.ResultsPositive stressful events predicted decreased risk for subsequent Gd+ lesions in the control group [odds ratio (OR) 0.53 for each additional positive stressful event, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30–0.91] and less risk for new or enlarging T2 lesions regardless of group assignment (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55–0.99). Across groups, major negative stressful events predicted Gd+ lesions (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.18–2.64) and new or enlarging T2 lesions (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.11–2.23) whereas moderate negative stressful events, perceived stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms did not.ConclusionsMajor negative stressful events predict increased risk for Gd+ and T2 lesions whereas positive stressful events predict decreased risk.

scholarly journals Causal relationshipsamongperception of Life Stressful Events, Self-efficacy, Coping Strategies, Stress and Life Attributions among Higher Diploma Students at Assiut College of Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
Afaf M. Geis ◽  
Mostafa A. Elhudaybi
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
And Coping

The study aimed to test a model of the relationship between perception of stressful life events and perceived self-efficacy as well as coping strategies with life attributions of higher diploma students at Assiut faculty of education by testing direct and indirect effects between perceiving stressful life events and the study variables. In addition, the study aimed to find out whether there are differences in perceived self-efficacy and coping strategies as well as attributionsbetween those with positive and negative perception of stressful life events.Also, differences in perceiving stressful life events were tested across classes of the demographic variables: gender, specialization, place of living, and marital status. The sample included 410 students. Results showed that there was a causal relationship in which perception of stressful life events was affected by perceived self-efficacy (direct effect is .631, indirect effect is .356), by coping strategies (direct effect is .676, indirect effect is .313), and life attributions (direct effect is .781, indirect effect is .211). There were significant differences in perceived self-efficacy, and coping strategies as well as the problem centered coping strategies in favor of those with positive perception of stressful life events. There were significant differences in the perception of stressful life events due to demographic variables including place of living and specialization in favor of humanities majors and those who lived in cities. 

scholarly journals Stressful life events among incarcerated women and men: Association with depression, loneliness, hopelessness, and suicidality

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly E. Moore ◽  
Shania Siebert ◽  
Garrett Brown ◽  
Julia Felton ◽  
Jennifer E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Justice-involved populations report a higher than average number of pre-incarceration stressful life events. However, few studies have described stressful life events which occur during incarceration, explored gender differences in these events, or evaluated the effect of these events on well-being. Method This study draws from a sample of male and female adults incarcerated in 6 prison facilities across two states (n = 160) to identify the number and type of stressful life events they experienced during incarceration, gender differences in stressful events, and the relationship between stressful life events and markers of well-being (i.e., depression, hopelessness, loneliness, suicidality). We also examined whether perceived social support would buffer the relationship between stressful events and well-being outcomes. Results Participants on average reported experiencing 4 stressful life events during their current incarceration, the most common being relocation to another cell and being made fun of/insulted by someone in the prison. There were few gender differences in types of events experienced. Regression analyses showed that stressful life events were associated with more loneliness, as well as suicidality, but only when participants had low perceived social support. Conclusions Stressful life events, and drawing on social support networks to cope with stress, should be addressed in the context of correctional treatments to reduce suicide risk during incarceration.

The Impact of Recent Undesirable Life Events on Psychiatric Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence

1987 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. M. Goodyer ◽  
I. Kolvin ◽  
Sonia Gatzanis
Keyword(s):  
Relative Risk ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Behavioural Disorders ◽  
Multiple Events ◽  
The Impact

The timing and number of recent stressful life events occurring in the year before onset of emotional or behavioural disorder was examined in a consecutive sample of children. Overall, events increase the relative risk of psychiatric disorder by 3–6 times. Events occur throughout the 12 months, but tend to cluster in the 16 weeks nearest onset of symptoms. The number of events influences the onset of disorder: cases with multiple events are more likely to have an event within 16 weeks of onset; cases with single events are more likely to have the event 36–52 weeks before onset. Cases whose onset occurs within 4 weeks of an event may have experienced single or multiple events. The results support the concept of additivity of recent stressful events in some cases of emotional and behavioural disorders in childhood.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document