View clinical trials related to Stress, Psychological.
Filter by:The study will examine urinary sodium excretion induced by psychological stress and its diurnal pattern as a novel biological mechanism that may underlie an abnormal diurnal pattern of blood pressure. The study will test the hypotheses that lower stress-induced sodium excretion is associated with an abnormal diurnal pattern of sodium excretion, and that an abnormal diurnal pattern of sodium excretion is associated with an abnormal diurnal pattern of blood pressure. Primary Aim 1: To examine the association between urinary sodium excretion after provoked psychological stress and the diurnal pattern of sodium excretion. Primary Aim 2: To examine the association between the diurnal pattern of sodium excretion and the diurnal pattern of BP. Secondary Aim: To examine whether the association between urinary sodium excretion after provoked stress and the diurnal pattern of sodium excretion is modified by ecological momentary levels of perceived stress, experienced during the daytime period. Exploratory Aim: To determine the socio-demographic, behavioral, and psychological traits, chronic stress, and biological stress-related factors that are associated with lower stress-induced sodium excretion. Identification of these factors will help determine who is at risk for having a differential sodium excretion response to psychological stress.
Early life stress (ELS) is associated with a number of psychiatric and medical conditions later in life, thought to be caused by subsequent disruptions in biological processes involved in regulation of stress responses. Given that these alterations have long-lasting effects, there is a great need for effective preventative interventions. The long-term goal of this project is to identify early interventions that may most powerfully mitigate risk for psychiatric illness among adolescents with exposure to early life stress (ELS), with a focus on interventions that can be widely and effectively implemented, have the potential for long-lasting benefits, and can effectively engage targeted neurobiological processes and networks. The specific aims of the present study are to 1) examine how ELS impacts biological processes associated with regulation of stress, and 2) identify how MBI impacts affective symptoms and biological processes dysregulated by ELS. This study supports the efforts to reduce the effects of early adversity in children by testing an impact of an effective psychological intervention on disrupted biological processes caused by early adversity. Successful achievement of the proposed aims will contribute to a) the knowledge base needed to reduce the effects of trauma and stress in children and families and b) the development of easily implemented and disseminated preventative interventions. The proposed study will utilize a multi-method design to examine the effect of mindfulness on biological processes (i.e., stress responses) disrupted by exposure to ELS among adolescents age 13 to 15. Adolescents will first complete self-report measures of childhood adverse experiences, trauma, and neglect. Forty eligible adolescents will be next randomly assigned to either an eight session mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention for teens or no treatment. Pre- and post-intervention assessment will include (a) self-report measures of symptoms and emotion regulation, (b) a blood draw for assessment of inflammatory markers and gene expression, and (c) a stress task with saliva cortisol collected before and after this task.
The objective of this project is to examine the clinical effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention on reducing depressive symptoms among socio-economically disadvantaged, racial/ethnic minority adults and explore factors related to implementation in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). This research will be used to develop a generalizable model for delivery of streamlined mental health interventions in community based settings that will be broadly disseminated and scalable to other populations. Black and Hispanic adults are more likely than those who are White to receive depression treatment in primary care, where antidepressants are the most commonly offered treatment. However, Black and Hispanic adults are less likely than Whites to find antidepressants acceptable. A mindfulness depression intervention provided within primary care may be more accessible and acceptable for low-income, racial/ethnic minority individuals, a severely underserved population. The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to test the clinical effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention (M-Body) on reducing depressive symptoms, compared to usual care, among low-income racial/ethnic minority adults in a FQHC. The M-Body intervention is based on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and has been tailored for the FQHC setting and patient population. Adults (N=254) with depressive symptoms will be recruited from a FQHC in the Chicago, IL area that serves majority racial/ethnic minority individuals (90%) living at or below the poverty line (74%). Half of the patients will be randomized to the M-Body intervention arm where they will receive 8-weeks of mindfulness training led by FQHC staff and the other half will be randomized to usual care. Information on factors relevant to implementation of the intervention in the FQHC will be obtained by convening a series of workgroups and individual interviews with FQHC staff, executive leadership and community stakeholders. Specific Aims: 1) Determine the effectiveness of M-Body on reducing depressive symptoms compared to enhanced usual care for racial/ethnic minority adults in a FQHC; 2) Explore potential mediators (stress related biomarkers, mindfulness) and moderators (age, personal, social, environmental stressors) of the intervention's effect; 3) Conduct a broad assessment of organizational and individual agency factors related to preparation and implementation of the M-Body intervention in a FQHC using a mixed methods approach.
The aim of this study is to determine if and how the "Probiotic Product" affects functional brain responses in healthy subjects during an emotional- and arithmetic stress task, respectively and in terms of microbe-brain-gut interactions.
This pilot study aims to find the most effective relaxation technique to help primiparous mothers who are breastfeeding their infant. The effect of five different relaxation techniques on physical and psychological changes in Chinese mothers will be investigated. The interventions to be used in this study include: guided relaxation meditation tape, music tape, relaxation lighting, combined relaxation meditation and lighting, and combined music and lighting.
Mothers who were enrolled in the Mood, Mother and Infant study will be eligible to participate in the 6-year follow-up maternal visit. At the time of this visit, mothers will be randomized to a single 24 IU dose of nasal oxytocin or placebo. Following administration of the study drug, women will participate in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and blood samples will be collected to quantify HPA axis reactivity.
While the stress response, characterised by an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol, has evolved to ensure the survival of the organism in face of danger, chronic stress due to psychological stressors can be harmful. The opposite of the stress response is the "relaxation response". Mind-body techniques such as meditation, guided imagery and music therapy are thought to induce this response. The relaxation response is characterized as a wakeful hypometabolic state, where a decrease in central nervous system arousal is observed. Some studies reported a reduction in stress hormones, and in symptoms of anxiety and depression following the use of mind-body relaxation techniques. Other studies noted a reduction in stress measured using physiological measurements such as heart rate and blood pressure. Light therapy is another technique that is suggested to induce physiological changes similar to those seen in the relaxation response. Some studies have shown a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production following exposure to blue light. These relaxation therapies can be useful for the general population and for vulnerable groups where alternative therapies, such as medication and psychotherapy, are difficult. Limited amount of studies have quantified the decrease in stress in physiological measurements such as heart rate and blood pressure. The aim of this study is to investigate which relaxation technique among five different interventions (and one control) is the most effective in improving relaxation and reducing stress in adult women of reproductive age (18-45 years). The results of this study will be used to inform the intervention of a study testing the impact of relaxation therapy on breastfeeding outcomes in mothers of late preterm infants.
The aim of the current research is to characterize the complex interaction between stress and cognitive workload. Furthermore, the investigators aim to create a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) inspired Electroencephalogram (EEG) brain-based bio-marker for cognitive load under stress. Secondary project 1 aim: The aim of this study is to characterize the link between sensorimotor network (SMN) within and between functional connectivity following the stress response and its association with physiological indices and self-report measures. Secondary project 2 aim: To elucidate temporal alterations of topological patterns (i.e., integration and segregation), the investigators seek to examine resting state fMRI data before and after a cognitive load task and an acute stress induction.
Researchers in education have found that teachers often differ in their nonverbal behaviors toward children from different social groups and these behaviors correlate with achievement gaps and academic stereotypes about the groups. Early elementary school, when achievement gaps first emerge, is also the time when White, majority children begin to show group-level biases, and when racial minority children are able to detect discrimination and experience anxiety related to their membership in a particular social group. Therefore, if children are sensitive to teacher nonverbal behaviors, these behaviors could contribute to majority children's group biases, and may impact minority children's awareness of being in a negatively stereotyped group. In fact, children are adept at perceiving adult nonverbal behaviors and using these behaviors to guide their own behaviors and to make judgments about others. The primary goal of this research is to examine the effect of biased nonverbal teacher behaviors on group biases for children from positively stereotyped groups, and on affect and anxiety for children from negatively stereotyped groups. The investigators hypothesize that group biases in teacher behaviors will influence children's attitudes about groups, and will result in negative affect and anxiety for students in groups targeted by negative nonverbal teacher behaviors.
Background The flow of asylum seekers and refugees moving to European and bordering countries has progressively increased in the last years. This population is exposed to physical and mental challenges before and during displacement, and suffer continuing hardships after arrival in a High-Income Country. As a consequence, asylum seekers and refugees are extremely vulnerable to some common mental health conditions, i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and other forms of disabling psychological distress. The World Health Organization has developed a new 5-session self-help intervention called Self-Help Plus (SH+) for managing stress and coping with adversity. SH+ has been evaluated in RCTs in low- and middle-income countries, however, there is no rigorous evidence on its cost-effectiveness in preventing the onset of mental disorders in HIC. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the SH+ in asylum seekers and refugees with psychological distress resettled in six sites of five European countries (Italy, Austria, Germany, Finland, and two sites in the UK), as compared with enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). The primary outcome is the reduction in the incidence of any mental disorders. Secondary outcomes are mental health symptoms, psychological functioning, well-being, drop-out rates, and economic outcomes. Design This is a multicentre parallel-group randomized controlled trial, in which participants will have an equal probability (1:1) of being randomly allocated to the SH+ or the ETAU. Methodology Asylum seekers and refugees who screen positive at the General Health Questionnaire (≥ 3) and without a formal diagnosis of any psychiatric disorders according to the M.I.N.I. International Neuropsychiatric Interview will enter the study. After random allocation they will receive the SH+ or the ETAU. Assessments will be performed by masked assessors immediately after intervention, at 6 months, and a 12 months after randomization. Time frame The recruitment phase will last 12 months. After the screening, eligible participants will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. The SH+ delivery will be conducted in around 5 weeks. Expected outcomes A reduction in the incidence of psychiatric diagnoses at 6-month follow-up, and a general improvement in mental health symptoms, psychological functioning, well-being, and economic outcomes at each assessment.