scholarly journals Examining Response to Negative Life Events Through Fitness Tracker Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Faust ◽  
Keith Feldman ◽  
Suwen Lin ◽  
Stephen Mattingly ◽  
Sidney D'Mello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
The United States ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Life Event

Negative life events, such as the death of a loved one, are an unavoidable part of life. These events can be overwhelmingly stressful and may lead to the development of mental health disorders. To mitigate these adverse developments, prior literature has utilized measures of psychological responses to negative life events to better understand their effects on mental health. However, psychological changes represent only one aspect of an individual's potential response. We posit measuring additional dimensions of health, such as physical health, may also be beneficial, as physical health itself may be affected by negative life events and measuring its response could provide context to changes in mental health. Therefore, the primary aim of this work was to quantify how an individual's physical health changes in response to negative life events by testing for deviations in their physiological and behavioral state (PB-state). After capturing post-event, PB-state responses, our second aim sought to contextualize changes within known factors of psychological response to negative life events, namely coping strategies. To do so, we utilized a cohort of professionals across the United States monitored for 1 year and who experienced a negative life event while under observation. Garmin Vivosmart-3 devices provided a multidimensional representation of one's PB-state by collecting measures of resting heart rate, physical activity, and sleep. To test for deviations in PB-state following negative life events, One-Class Support Vector Machines were trained on a window of time prior to the event, which established a PB-state baseline. The model then evaluated participant's PB-state on the day of the life event and each day that followed, assigning each day a level of deviance relative to the participant's baseline. Resulting response curves were then examined in association with the use of various coping strategies using Bayesian gamma-hurdle regression models. The results from our objectives suggest that physical determinants of health also deviate in response to negative life events and that these deviations can be mitigated through different coping strategies. Taken together, these observations stress the need to examine physical determinants of health alongside psychological determinants when investigating the effects of negative life events.

For better or worse: Negative life events and sibling relationships

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke Voorpostel ◽  
Tanja van der Lippe ◽  
Henk Flap
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Sibling Relationships ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Physical Illness ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Financial Problems ◽  
Life Event ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Law

Using Dutch data ( N = 6630), this article examines how sibling relationships (including full biological, half- and adopted siblings) differed for persons who experienced a negative life event (divorce, physical illness, psychological problems, addiction, problems with the law, victimization of abuse or financial problems) and those who did not. Results showed that people who experienced serious negative life events in the past often had less active, less supportive and more strained sibling ties. The group that experienced a physical illness formed an exception, showing more supportive and active sibling ties, but also higher levels of conflict. Results suggest inequality between persons who have experienced negative life events and those who have not in terms of access to positive and supportive sibling relationships.

Examining Relations Between Negative Life Events, Time Spent in the United States, Language Use, and Mental Health Outcomes in Latino Adolescents

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 389-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia L. Rubens ◽  
Paula J. Fite ◽  
Joy Gabrielli ◽  
Spencer C. Evans ◽  
Michelle L. Hendrickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Latino Adolescents

scholarly journals Disentangling the causal inter-relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in women: a longitudinal twin study

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 1801-1814 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wichers ◽  
H. H. Maes ◽  
N. Jacobs ◽  
C. Derom ◽  
E. Thiery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Model Fitting ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study

BackgroundNegative life events are strongly associated with the development of depression. However, the etiologic relationship between life events and depression is complex. Evidence suggests that life events can cause depression, and depression increases the risk for life events. Additionally, third factors influencing both phenotypes may be involved. In this work we sought to disentangle these relationships using a genetically informative longitudinal design.MethodAdult female twins (n=536, including 281 twin pairs) were followed up for measurements of negative life event exposure and depressive symptoms. Four follow-ups were completed, each approximately 3 months apart. Model fitting was carried out using the Mx program.ResultsThe best-fitting model included causal paths from life events to depressive symptoms for genetic and shared environmental risk factors, whereas paths from depressive symptoms to life events were apparent for shared environmental factors. Shared latent influence on both phenotypes was found for individual-specific effects.ConclusionsLife events and depressive symptoms have complex inter-relationships that differ across sources of variance. The results of the model, if replicated, indicate that reducing life event exposure would reduce depressive symptoms and that lowering depressive symptoms would decrease the occurrence of negative life events.

The impact of life events in female patients with fibromyalgia and in female healthy controls

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
U.M. Anderberg ◽  
I. Marteinsdottir ◽  
T. Theorell ◽  
L. von Knorring
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Common Life ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Healthy Women ◽  
The Impact

SummaryThe aim was to investigate if female fibromyalgia patients (FMS) had experienced more negative life events than healthy women. Furthermore, the life events experienced in relation to onset of the FMS were evaluated. Another important area was to investigate the impact of the events experienced in the patients compared to healthy women.A new inventory was constructed to assess life events during childhood, adolescence and in adulthood as well as life events experienced in relation to the onset of the disorder. Forty female FMS patients and 38 healthy age-matched women participated in the study.During childhood or adolescence 51% of the patients had experienced very negative life events as compared to 28% of the controls. Conflict with parents was the most common life event. Before onset, 65% of the patients experienced some negative life event. Economic problems and conflicts with husband/partner were common. During the last year, 51% of the patients had life events which they experienced as very negative, compared to 24.5% of the controls (P < 0.01).Stressful life events in childhood/adolescence and in adulthood seem to be very common in FMS. Furthermore, the life events were experienced as more negative than the life events experienced by healthy controls.

scholarly journals Co-Designing and Evaluating a Self-Care Curriculum of an App for Chinese Immigrant Caregivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 507-508
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Mandong Liu ◽  
Iris Chi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Self Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Self ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Chinese Immigrant ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Support Resources

Abstract Chinese immigrant caregivers face unique self-care difficulties in the United States due to language barriers, cultural isolation, and occupational stress. This study aimed to conduct a formative evaluation on a caregiver self-care curriculum of an app designed for Chinese immigrants in the United States. Using a co-design approach in 2019, 22 Chinese immigrant caregivers in Los Angeles county were recruited through purposive sampling method. The directed content analysis was adopted to analyze the qualitative data using NVivo 12.1.0 software. We organized the findings under two main contents: self-care and caregiving. Three categories were identified under the self-care content: physical health, emotional and mental health, and support resources. Sixteen subcategories under physical health (e.g., dietary supplements), five subcategories under emotional and mental health (e.g., depression) and eight subcategories under support resources (e.g., support and networking group, senior center) are suggested. Two categories were identified under the caregiving content: caregiving knowledge and skills, and community resources. Fourteen subcategories under caregiving knowledge and skills (e.g., care assessment) and six subcategories under community resources (e.g., medical emergency call) were mentioned. With this useful information, we could further refine the self-care curriculum to be more linguistically, culturally and occupationally sensitive for Chinese immigrant caregivers. Empowerment approach for enhancing the ability to caregiving and self-care should be emphasized in content design for immigrant caregivers. The co-design approach is crucial for planning of the program and intervention curriculum to improve understanding of the users’ needs and better cater them.

The associations between family characteristics and depressive symptoms in older adults: a community-based survey in rural China

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1226-1234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Gong ◽  
Xiaopiao Wen ◽  
Chaoping Guan ◽  
Zhiqing Wang ◽  
Yuan Liang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
The Past

ABSTRACTBackground: The aim of the current study was to investigate the associations between family characteristics and depressive symptoms, and provide new evidence and recommendations for prevention and intervention in the depressive symptoms of older adults.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted door-to-door, utilizing a sample of 1,317 individuals aged 60 years and above in rural China. The five family characteristic variables recorded were: living with spouse, living with descendant, support of family members, self-reported family economic status in the previous year, and family-related negative life events that occurred anytime in the past with a continuous psychological effect during the past 12 months. Gender, age, years of schooling, and self-rated physical health status were taken as potential confounders. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine independent effects on depressive symptoms.Results: In addition to the potential confounders, only family-related negative life events, support of family members, and self-reported family economic status had significant effects on depressive symptoms in older adults. Experiencing a family-related negative life event was the most significant variable (OR = 11.70, 95% CI: 7.72–17.73), the second was support of family members (OR = 6.93, 95% CI: 3.26–14.70), while family economic status was less important than support of family members (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.08–5.25).Conclusion: This study, from the perspective of family characteristics on depressive symptoms in older adults, showed a strong correlation between being exposed to harmful family environments and depressive symptoms among the elderly. Efforts to address family risk factors and strengthen family cohesiveness deserve a higher priority, given the importance of these factors, compared with other efforts such as promoting economic development.

scholarly journals Holistic Health: Does It Really Include Mental Health?

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2092-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly K. McClanahan ◽  
Marlene B. Huff ◽  
Hatim A. Omar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mind And Body ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
The U.S

Holistic health, incorporating mind and body as equally important and unified components of health, is a concept utilized in some health care arenas in the United States (U.S.) over the past 30 years. However, in the U.S., mental health is not seen as conceptually integral to physical health and, thus, holistic health cannot be realized until the historical concept of mind-body dualism, continuing stigma regarding mental illness, lack of mental health parity in insurance, and inaccurate public perceptions regarding mental illness are adequately addressed and resolved. Until then, mental and physical health will continue to be viewed as disparate entities rather than parts of a unified whole. We conclude that the U.S. currently does not generally incorporate the tenets of holistic health in its view of the mental and physical health of its citizens, and provide some suggestions for changing that viewpoint.

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