A Randomized Pilot Study of Rhythm-Based Music with Movement Strategies on Stress and Interaction Behaviors of Infant Caregivers

Consistent, prolonged, and nurturing interactions of a primary caregiver with an infant is necessary for optimal development of the infant. Lowering parental stress can promote positive caregiver-infant social interaction behaviors. Studies show that when caregivers use rhythm-based music and movement strategies during interactions with their infants, non-verbal communication, mutual attunement, and self-reported stress levels improve. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine caregiver benefits (stress hormones and positive interaction behaviors) when learning rhythm-based music with movement strategies while interacting with their infant. This was achieved through randomization of caregiver/infant dyads to a treatment (instructional intervention) or control condition with no instruction. Significantly lower salivary cortisol levels and lower salivary cortisol/DHEA ratio values pre-post were observed for the treatment condition as compared to control. These findings suggest that learning and using rhythm-based music and movement interventions are promising for lowering stress in caregivers. The impact of the intervention with families at risk due to stress-related environmental factors should be further investigated. In addition, observing social emotional behaviors and stress hormone levels of the infant is suggested.

Download Full-text

Salivary Cortisol Levels and Depressive Symptomatology in Consumers and Nonconsumers of Self-Help Books: A Pilot Study

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2016/3136743 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Catherine Raymond ◽

Marie-France Marin ◽

Anne Hand ◽

Shireen Sindi ◽

Robert-Paul Juster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Book Industry ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

The Self ◽

Cortisol Reactivity ◽

Self Help ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Impact

The self-help industry generates billions of dollars yearly in North America. Despite the popularity of this movement, there has been surprisingly little research assessing the characteristics of self-help books consumers, and whether this consumption is associated with physiological and/or psychological markers of stress. The goal of this pilot study was to perform the first psychoneuroendocrine analysis of consumers of self-help books in comparison to nonconsumers. We tested diurnal and reactive salivary cortisol levels, personality, and depressive symptoms in 32 consumers and nonconsumers of self-help books. In an explorative secondary analysis, we also split consumers of self-help books as a function of their preference for problem-focusedversusgrowth-oriented self-help books. The results showed that while consumers of growth-oriented self-help books presented increased cortisol reactivity to a psychosocial stressor compared to other groups, consumers of problem-focused self-help books presented higher depressive symptomatology. The results of this pilot study show that consumers with preference for either problem-focused or growth-oriented self-help books present different physiological and psychological markers of stress when compared to nonconsumers of self-help books. This preliminary study underlines the need for additional research on this issue in order to determine the impact the self-help book industry may have on consumers’ stress.

Download Full-text

Decreasing Stress for Parents of Special Needs Children through a Web-Based Mindfulness Program: A Pilot Study

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice ◽

10.46743/1540-580x/2020.1887 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth Shaffer ◽

Jennifer Lape ◽

Joyce Salls

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Special Needs ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Children With Special Needs ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Stress Scale ◽

Mindfulness Practices ◽

The Impact

Purpose: Parents often experience moderate to severe levels of stress due to the challenges of raising a child with special needs. Previous research has proven that excessive parental stress negatively impacts both the parent and child’s health. However, few organizations have been identified which offer intervention programs focusing directly on decreasing parental stress. This pilot study investigates the effectiveness of a 6-week online mindfulness-based course in reducing stress experienced by parents of children with special needs. Method: A pre-test, post-test pilot design, as well as a participatory action approach, were employed to determine the impact of the online mindfulness-based course in reducing perceived stress experienced by parents of children with special needs. Eleven parents participated in the pilot study. The course was facilitated by an occupational therapist (the first author) trained and experienced in mindfulness practices and a parent of two children with special needs. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - Stress subscale (DASS-SS), The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15 (FFMQ-15), and author-generated measures were administered pre- and post-intervention to determine changes in perceived stress levels, as well as, the impact and application of mindfulness practices. Results: The DASS-SS measuring the parents’ perceived stress level revealed a 30% mean reduction in stress when comparing pre-and post-intervention scores. The PSS revealed a 21% mean reduction in perceived stress score post-intervention. The FFMQ-15 (used to measure changes in the integration of mindfulness practices into the parent’s daily routine) indicated a 4% increase in the groups’ mindfulness practices comparing pre- and post-intervention scores. Responses to the author-generated measure revealed that 82% of parents believed they could better handle challenging situations post-intervention; 100% of the parents agreed that the course made them more mindful of their thoughts. Conclusion: Results indicate that an introductory online mindfulness-based parenting program can be an effective intervention for reducing the stress experienced by parents of children with special needs.

Download Full-text

FC24-03 - Lack of cortisol response during exposure therapy in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)73651-3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 1948-1948

Author(s):

M. Kellner ◽

C. Muhtz ◽

A. Yassouridis ◽

K. Wiedemann

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Exposure Therapy ◽

Cortisol Response ◽

Stress Hormone ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Initial Sessions ◽

The Impact

IntroductionExposure therapy with response prevention (ERP) is the most effective treatment for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but associated with considerable temporary stress during initial sessions.ObjectivesAmazingly, only scant information is available about stress hormone release during exposure therapy and its implication on therapy outcome in OCD.AimsTo characterize hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activation during ERP treatment in OCD.Methods15 patients with OCD were studied twice from 13:00 to 16:00 - on the day before and of their first ERP therapy session (14:00 to 15:00). Subjective units of distress (SUD, 100 mm visual analogue scale) and salivary cortisol concentrations were assessed every 20 minutes.ResultsBefore and during (but not after) ERP SUD were significantly increased versus the control day (mean SUD before ERP: 49.8 vs. 31.4, mean peak vaules during ERP: 72.6 vs. 34.0). Salivary cortisol decresed significantly during the study period (as expected according to the regular diurnal rhythm), but no significant differences between ERP and the control day were detected at any time point.ConclusionsDespite clear-cut psychological stress before and during ERP, no increased release of cortisol was observed. Our findings resemble respective results in panic disorder. Possible neurobiological underpinnings of this unexpected regulatory pattern will be discussed. Furthermore, we will speculate on the impact of lacking cortisol response on extinction learning during ERP.

Download Full-text

Maternal mental distress and cortisol levels in pregnancies with congenital heart disease

Cardiology in the Young ◽

10.1017/s1047951121003504 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Yao Wu ◽

Nickie Andescavage ◽

Catherine Lopez ◽

Jessica Lynn Quistorff ◽

Mary T. Donofrio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Stress Hormones ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objectives: Prenatal maternal stress is associated with adverse offspring outcomes, which may be mediated by maternal stress hormones. However, evidence supporting the association between maternal stress and cortisol levels in high-risk pregnancies is limited. This study aims to determine the relationship between self-reported maternal mental distress and maternal salivary cortisol levels in pregnancies complicated by foetal CHD compared with healthy pregnancies. Methods: We recruited women with pregnancies complicated by foetal CHD and healthy pregnancies. Maternal saliva was collected between 22 and 40 gestational weeks. Standardized questionnaires measuring stress, depression, and anxiety were completed by patients. Generalized estimating equation was used to evaluate associations between maternal mental distress scales and cortisol levels. Results: We studied 165 women (55 CHD, 110 controls) and collected 504 cortisol samples (160 CHD, 344 controls). Women carrying CHD foetuses had higher stress, anxiety, and depression scores compared to women carrying healthy foetuses. However, maternal cortisol levels did not significantly differ in CHD and controls. Cortisol levels were higher in women carrying foetuses with functionally single-ventricle versus two-ventricle CHD. In both CHD and controls, there was no significant association between maternal stress, depression or anxiety scores and cortisol levels. Conclusion: Our data suggest that self-reported maternal stress, anxiety, and depression are not associated with maternal salivary cortisol levels in CHD and healthy pregnancies. The impact of maternal mental distress on foetal health may be through other mediating pathways other than maternal cortisol concentrations.

Download Full-text