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Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management
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Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 8763

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alexandra Fiocco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
Interests: aging; stress; cognitive aging; biopsychosocial determinants; mindfulness meditation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over 1 in 4 Canadians report daily stress levels in the high to severe range. Chronic perceived stress is an insidious phenomenon associated with adverse health outcomes. Research suggests that chronic or intermittent activation of stress-sensitive systems is associated with increased risk for a number of neurological, psychological, and physical ailments across the lifespan. Consequently, the development of low-cost strategies that minimize the effect of stress on individuals of all ages is paramount. It is therefore important to bring together scientists, clinicians, and innovators who are dedicated to turning stress-related theory into practice.

In May of 2021, the inaugural Canadian Stress Research Summit (CSRS, https://www.ryerson.ca/canadian-srs/) welcomed over 200 delegates to disseminate stress-related research across Canada. We are excited to extend the 2021 CSRS theme Stress Across the Lifespan: From Risk to Management to a Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH).

We are welcoming full paper submissions of research that was presented at the 2021 CSRS for publication in IJERPH (Impact Factor 3.390). Delegates of the 2021 conference will receive a 20% discount on the Article Processing Charges. We are also welcoming outside submissions that focus on stress-related research in Canada.

Dr. Alexandra Fiocco
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Canada
  • stress
  • stress management
  • trauma
  • lifespan approach
  • developmental stress
  • stress biomarkers
  • sex and gender differences
  • stress vulnerability
  • stress neurotoxicity
  • resilience
  • stress ailments

Published Papers (4 papers)

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9 pages, 782 KiB  
Article
Neuroticism and Stress in Older Adults: The Buffering Role of Self-Esteem
by Maya E. Amestoy, Danielle D’Amico and Alexandra J. Fiocco
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(12), 6102; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20126102 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2130
Abstract
Background: Chronic stress is associated with accelerated aging and poor health outcomes in older adults. According to the Transactional Model of Stress (TMS), distress is experienced when one perceives the stressor, or threat, to outweigh the ability to cope. The experience of distress [...] Read more.
Background: Chronic stress is associated with accelerated aging and poor health outcomes in older adults. According to the Transactional Model of Stress (TMS), distress is experienced when one perceives the stressor, or threat, to outweigh the ability to cope. The experience of distress is correlated with trait neuroticism, which is associated with greater perceptions of stress and stress reactivity, as well as a tendency to engage in maladaptive coping strategies. However, as individual personality traits do not act in isolation, this study aimed to investigate the moderating role of self-esteem in the relationship between neuroticism and distress using a TMS framework. Methods: A total of 201 healthy older adults (Mage = 68.65 years) completed questionnaires measuring self-esteem, neuroticism, perceived stress, and positive coping. Results: Greater neuroticism was significantly associated with less positive coping at low (b = −0.02, p < 0.001) and mean self-esteem levels (b = −0.01, p < 0.001), but not at high self-esteem levels (b = −0.01, p = 0.06). No moderating effect was found for perceived stress or overall distress. Conclusion: The results support the association between trait neuroticism and indices of stress and suggest a potential buffering effect of self-esteem in moderating the negative association between neuroticism and positive coping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management)
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18 pages, 1085 KiB  
Article
Work-Related Psychosocial Factors and Global Cognitive Function: Are Telomere Length and Low-Grade Inflammation Potential Mediators of This Association?
by Caroline S. Duchaine, Chantal Brisson, Caroline Diorio, Denis Talbot, Elizabeth Maunsell, Pierre-Hugues Carmichael, Yves Giguère, Mahée Gilbert-Ouimet, Xavier Trudel, Ruth Ndjaboué, Michel Vézina, Alain Milot, Benoît Mâsse, Clermont E. Dionne and Danielle Laurin
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4929; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20064929 - 10 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1512
Abstract
The identification of modifiable factors that could maintain cognitive function is a public health priority. It is thought that some work-related psychosocial factors help developing cognitive reserve through high intellectual complexity. However, they also have well-known adverse health effects and are considered to [...] Read more.
The identification of modifiable factors that could maintain cognitive function is a public health priority. It is thought that some work-related psychosocial factors help developing cognitive reserve through high intellectual complexity. However, they also have well-known adverse health effects and are considered to be chronic psychosocial stressors. Indeed, these stressors could increase low-grade inflammation and promote oxidative stress associated with accelerated telomere shortening. Both low-grade inflammation and shorter telomeres have been associated with a cognitive decline. This study aimed to evaluate the total, direct, and indirect effects of work-related psychosocial factors on global cognitive function overall and by sex, through telomere length and an inflammatory index. A random sample of 2219 participants followed over 17 years was included in this study, with blood samples and data with cognitive function drawn from a longitudinal study of 9188 white-collar workers (51% female). Work-related psychosocial factors were evaluated according to the Demand–Control–Support and the Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. Global cognitive function was evaluated with the validated Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Telomere length and inflammatory biomarkers were measured using standardised protocols. The direct and indirect effects were estimated using a novel mediation analysis method developed for multiple correlated mediators. Associations were observed between passive work or low job control, and shorter telomeres among females, and between low social support at work, ERI or iso-strain, and a higher inflammatory index among males. An association was observed with higher cognitive performance for longer telomeres, but not for the inflammatory index. Passive work overall, and low reward were associated with lower cognitive performance in males; whereas, high psychological demand in both males and females and high job strain in females were associated with a higher cognitive performance. However, none of these associations were mediated by telomere length or the inflammatory index. This study suggests that some work-related psychosocial factors could be associated with shorter telomeres and low-grade inflammation, but these associations do not explain the relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and global cognitive function. A better understanding of the biological pathways, by which these factors affect cognitive function, could guide future preventive strategies to maintain cognitive function and promote healthy aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management)
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12 pages, 781 KiB  
Article
Anxiety in the Classroom: Only Girls’ Anxiety Is Related to Same-Sex Peers’ Anxiety
by Sandrine Charbonneau, Audrey-Ann Journault, Rebecca Cernik, Charlotte Longpré, Nathalie Wan, Charles-Édouard Giguère and Sonia Lupien
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 84; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20010084 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3152
Abstract
Many teens report experiencing anxiety in school, which can negatively impact their well-being. Considering that adolescents tend to adopt the same behaviors as their classmates with whom they spend, on average, 923 h every year, the current exploratory study (1) assessed whether an [...] Read more.
Many teens report experiencing anxiety in school, which can negatively impact their well-being. Considering that adolescents tend to adopt the same behaviors as their classmates with whom they spend, on average, 923 h every year, the current exploratory study (1) assessed whether an association exists between a student’s state anxiety score and his/her classmates’ average trait anxiety scores and (2) examined whether this association differed between boys and girls, as well as between elementary school and high school students. During two consecutive school years, 1044 Canadian students (59% girls) from six elementary schools (aged 10–12) and seven high schools (aged 15–17) completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. Multilevel analyses revealed a same-sex peer effect of classmates’ anxiety in girls only (β = 0.40, p < 0.001). This effect was similar for elementary and high school girls (β = 0.07, p = 0.27). Interestingly, no association was found for boys, same-sex peers (β = 0.11, p = 0.25), or opposite-sex peers (β = −0.01, p = 1.00). Our results suggest that factors related to sex may reinforce anxiety in school settings. Future studies should confirm these results and explore the mechanisms involved in this sex-specific difference. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management)
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9 pages, 303 KiB  
Conference Report
Stress across the Lifespan: From Risk to Management—Conference Report on the Inaugural Canadian Stress Research Summit
by Alexandra J. Fiocco
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 11015; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191711015 - 03 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
In 2021, the Toronto Metropolitan University Institute for Stress and Wellbeing Research welcomed over 200 conference delegates across Canada to the inaugural Canadian Stress Research Summit (CSRS) to share ideas and foster collaboration among Canadian scholars. This conference was unique from existing international [...] Read more.
In 2021, the Toronto Metropolitan University Institute for Stress and Wellbeing Research welcomed over 200 conference delegates across Canada to the inaugural Canadian Stress Research Summit (CSRS) to share ideas and foster collaboration among Canadian scholars. This conference was unique from existing international stress-related conferences as it bridged science and community. The objective of this conference report is to provide an overview of the 3-day virtual inaugural stress conference, offering a summary of the keynote addresses, themed symposia, spotlight presentations, graphical designs of selected presentations, and conference feedback. Overall, the CSRS highlighted important methodological considerations in understanding the relationship between stress exposure and various outcomes of interest that pertain to the mental health and wellbeing of Canadians. Furthermore, there is a need for continued work to understand stress across the lifespan from an inclusive and diverse Canadian lens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management)
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