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Gender And Stress: Challenges Faced By Women Principal Operators In Agriculture In The United States, Bernadette Marson, Roxanne Bruce

Journal of International Women's Studies

Working in agriculture is demanding and complex, which can lead to stress-induced health and mental health problems, including suicide. There is limited scholarly literature on the topic of women and stress in the agricultural industry, so this research study aims to fill this gap by reporting on the challenging lived experiences of women working in agriculture—a frequently overlooked population. We used a phenomenological design to perform semi-structured interviews exclusively with women (at least eighteen years old) who work in agriculture as principal operators—the primary decision-makers of their enterprise. A thematic analysis was conducted with the data from the twenty-five women …

Acute And Chronic Oral Administration Of Cannabidiol-Dominant Cannabis Products: Sex- And Formulation-Dependent Effects On Anxiety-Like Behavioral Patterns In Rats, Carlos R. Maestas-Olguin

Psychology ETDs

Interest in the anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid found within the genus, Cannabis, has grown significantly in recent years. However, preclinical investigations of CBD’s anxiolytic potential often elect to forgo translationally relevant models that maximize external validity in favor of greater internal and mechanistic validity. As a result, the effects of relatively low dose (< 3mg/kg) oral CBD administration on anxiety-like behaviors are not yet fully characterized. The present studies examined the impact of two orally delivered CBD-dominant cannabis products – a “full-spectrum” formulation derived from the whole plant and a CBD isolate derived from the same chemovar – on innate defensive behaviors exhibited by adult male and female rats in various tests of anxiety. Results indicated that acute and chronic low dose oral CBD administration attenuated anxiety-like behavior in rats, regardless of sex or formulation. These findings extend the growing corpus of literature describing anxiolytic-like effects of CBD.

Playfulness And Awe: How Ecodramatherapy Can Facilitate The Experience Of Positive Emotional States To Reduce Perceived Stress, Corey Jennifer Maier

Expressive Therapies Theses

This paper investigates the question, “can a play and awe-based Ecodramatherapy intervention help to reduce levels of perceived stress in a group of food forest volunteers?” Methods for investigation and subsequent discussion of results draw from the Biophilia Hypothesis, Stress Reduction Theory, and Trait Activation Theory to guide conceptualization. Based on a review of the literature suggesting that playfulness and awe have an effect on both perceived and physiological stress, the author created an Ecodramatherapy intervention designed to evoke playfulness and awe for a group of 4 stressed food forest volunteers. The volunteer group was of mixed ethnicities and genders …

Birth Control Use Alters Memory For A Stressful Experience, Julia N. Gross, Kristie Payment, Boyd R. Rorabaugh, Phillip R. Zoladz

Aurora

Hormonal birth control methods are widely used; however, some users suffer considerable side effects. Previous research suggests oral contraceptive users exhibit a blunted cortisol response to psychosocial stressors and alterations in emotional memory, including differential recall of emotional images and details of emotional stories. However, no studies have examined how birth control influences memory for a stressful experience.

The present study analyzes data previously collected from female undergraduate students. In this study, participants reported contraceptive use, then underwent a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or the friendly-TSST (f-TSST). The TSST required participants to deliver a ten-minute, …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Improving Quality Of Care In Breast Cancer, Deborah Schindele

Group: Northern Arizona University School of Nursing, DNP Doctoral Papers

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women and leads to decreased quality of life owing to increased anxiety, depression, fatigue, stress, and a lack of social support. The American Society for Integrative Oncology ranks mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) as the most highly recommended integrative interventions known to decrease anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients. However, they were not regularly used or recommended by support group facilitators of the project. A quality improvement project was implemented with the five support group facilitators to address this deficit. The purpose was to …

Psychosocial Predictors Of Depression And Anxiety In Thai Stroke Caregivers, Chanatip Tongyonk, Sorawit Wainipitapong, Chavit Tunvirachaisakul, Aurauma Chutinet, Michael Maes, Thitiporn Supasitthumrong

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Caregivers of stroke survivors often face significant psychological challenges, yet limited research in Thailand has explored how patient and caregiver characteristics jointly influence caregiver mental health outcomes.

Objective: To identify characteristics of ischemic stroke patients and their caregivers that may predict distress, sadness, and anxiety symptoms in the caregivers.

Method: To measure caregivers' burden, stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Zarit Burden Interview (22-item ZBI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were utilized. To define a multi-step mediation model, we used partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Result: 97 stroke patients and their …

The Impact Of Stress On Selective Attention Among College Student Athletes, Jayla K. Mcgaffin

Honors Theses

Student athletes face unique stressors from balancing academic and athletic demands (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020), which may deplete cognitive resources and impair focus. The present study examined the relationship between perceived stress and selective attention among college student athletes. Stress was conceptualized as the interaction between external pressures and individual coping responses (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Twenty undergraduate student athletes from the University of New Haven completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and a computerized Flanker task measuring selective attention, but only eighteen were used in the final correlation analysis. It was hypothesized that higher levels of perceived …

Exploring The Stress Coping Strategies Of Indonesian Elementary School Teachers: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Anak Agung Gede Agung, I Ketut Gading, Basilius Redan Werang, Ni Luh Putu Agetania

The Qualitative Report

Teachers play a pivotal role in delivering quality education and shaping students’ future lives. The growing demands and responsibilities on teachers can lead to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, which threatens their well-being—a condition commonly referred to as work stress. Our study aimed to explore the strategies used by elementary school teachers in Bali Province to cope with work-related stress. This study adopts a qualitative research approach with elementary schools in Bali Province, Indonesia, serving as the research setting. A phenomenological research design was employed, involving 25 purposively selected teachers as participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed …

Combined Ema Tools To Assess Stress And Glycemia In Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes, Jorden G. Rieke

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

This study aims to provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of using combined ecological momentary assessment (EMA) tools to assess psychological stress and glycemia in young adults with T1D.

Interparental Relationship Quality Reduces Parental Stress And Subsequent Family Dysfunction Across Pregnancy And Early Childhood, Rachel Clara-Beth Beck

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In this multiple paper dissertation, I found that a higher quality interparental relationship, characterized by more emotional intimacy, support, responsiveness and better conflict management skills, plays a key role in reducing stress and its subsequent impact on family dynamics. Aims and hypotheses were tested using longitudinal data collected from mixed-sex couples during the pregnancy-postpartum transition and into early childhood. In study #1, higher quality interparental support during pregnancy was associated with lower postpartum stress which, in turn, predicted fewer parent–infant bonding impairments. In study #2, a mutually responsive orientation in the couple relationship during pregnancy interacted with intrapersonal regulatory resources …

The Effect Of Stress Hormones On Memory Formation And Academic Performance, Emma L. Hooks

Senior Honors Theses

With chronic stress becoming increasingly prevalent in academic settings, researchers have identified significant effects on learning and academic performance. Cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone, is released following the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and plays a vital role in the stress response. Although acute increases in cortisol can improve attention and memory, sustained activation of the stress response can impair memory, executive functioning, and academic performance. This thesis draws on neuroscience, psychology, and education research to examine how chronic cortisol exposure affects the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and how the effects manifest in learning and academic performance, particularly in developmental …

The Power Of Belief: Investigating The Intersection Of Religious Observance, Social Support, And Psychological Distress, Victoria R. Atwater

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Religion can act as a protective factor against stress and depression (Koenig et al., 2009; Krok, 2008) and can be examined through an individual’s relationship with religion or the efficacy of religious practices on mental health. In this study, 206 participants completed an online questionnaire that measured stress, depression, religious coping, religiosity (intrinsic religiosity, organized religious activities and non-organized religious activities), and social support using validated scales. The results indicate a positive correlation between stress, depression, and negative religious coping as predicted. While intrinsic religiosity and positive religious coping did not significantly influence stress or depression, organized religious activities were …

The Effect Of Self-Disclosure To Dogs On Stress, Coping, And Emotional Well-Being, Lilian Crawford

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Self-disclosure has been defined as the voluntary sharing of personal thoughts and experiences with another individual, and in recent years, it has been associated with improvements in psychological and physiological well-being. Recent research into animal-assisted therapy has also demonstrated the emotional benefits of interacting with dogs. However, the current research has not yet explored how the specific act of self-disclosure to dogs affects emotional well-being. The present study explored the effects of self-disclosure to dogs on stress, ability to cope, and emotional well-being. Participants (N = 113) included dog owners who were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: self-disclosure …

The Invisible Toll: Black College Women And The Intersection Of Academic Stress, Rest Deficiency And Exhaustion At Clemson University, Jomya Ford

All Theses

Leisure has been an under-explored aspect of Black women’s lives in higher education, particularly within predominantly white institutions (PWIs), where limited culturally relevant opportunities and racialized isolation shape daily experiences. Constraints around rest, rooted in racism and gendered expectations, continue to influence how Black college women navigate academic pressure, deficiency narratives, and exhaustion. Guided by intersectionality, this qualitative study draws on semi‑structured interviews with Black undergraduate and graduate women at a PWI to explore how cultural upbringing, institutional climates, and internalized expectations shape their definitions and practices of rest. Findings show that while participants recognize rest as necessary, they rarely …

Three Deep Breaths, Gillianne Lisa B. Corpuz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Today’s youth are experiencing higher rates of stress and anxiety, especially those that are system-involved and/or at-risk. The Epicenter of Monterey County is a one-stop resource center for system-involved and/or at-risk youth ages 14-24 to receive support with housing, health/wellness, employment and education. The project is aimed to support The Epicenter’s health/wellness aspect. This capstone project serves the purpose of providing both the staff and community youth members at The Epicenter with an opportunity to learn an accessible way to take care of themselves, both body and mind. This would be done through a series of workshops walking through a …

Addressing College Students Stress Through Coping Strategies, Daisy Valdez Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

College students often experience stress due to time management, responsibilities, and finances. This stress can negatively impact them by leading to mental health issues and affecting their academic performance. This capstone focuses on creating a plan in which students are able to handle stressful situations and have greater awareness of stress. The workshop taught students about common stress factors, the impact they have on students, how to manage negative thoughts, and coping strategies. Participants completed activities such as creating their own stress bubbles, a negative and helpful thought worksheet, and a Kahoot quiz on coping skills. Results showed that students …

Understanding And Managing Stress In The Public Sector: A Focus On Municipal Government, Emmanuel N. Asante

Master of Public Administration for Senior Leadership

This Capstone examines workplace stress among municipal government employees, using the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, as a practical case study. Municipal employees play a critical role in delivering essential public services, yet they often work under challenging conditions, including heavy workloads, limited resources, strict rules, and high public expectations. Over time, these pressures can negatively affect employee well-being, job performance, and the quality of services provided to residents.

The purpose of this project is to understand better the causes and effects of workplace stress in local government and to identify practical ways municipalities can address it. The study uses an …

Unmasking Emotional Labor: Visualizing The Challenges Experienced By Human Resources Professionals, Abigail (Abby) Leff

Honors College Theses

The field of human resources (HR) requires a complex balance of advocating for others and enforcing organizational policies, all the while managing its own emotional challenges. This dynamic demands that HR professionals engage in intense emotional labor without sufficient organizational support, the burden of which can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and psychological consequences. Despite the prevalence of these dynamics, the emotional experiences of HR professionals are under-researched. This literature review explores emotional labor and burnout HR professionals face, evaluates available resources in the field, and examines coping strategies that HR professionals use. The research is applied to an …

Air Pollution And Self-Reported Health Outcomes In The United States, Alina Dervisevic

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between short-term PM2.5 exposure and self-reported health outcomes among U.S. adults using BRFSS data from 2000 to 2012 linked to county-level pollution and weather data. Results show that PM2.5 exposure is associated with worse mental health and gender specific behavioral responses.

Increasing Awareness Of Compassion Fatigue, Stress, And Burnout In A Helping Profession, Lyndsey L. Lacey

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many people in helping professions may be unaware of how to manage the stressors that come with helping others. When people in helping professions do not manage stress well, they may experience compassion fatigue or burnout, which can lead to worsened job performance and depression. When people in these professions learn about managing stress and avoiding compassion fatigue and burnout, they may be more effective at their job, improve the quality of care the client receives, and support their colleagues. In order to address this issue, I created a one-day stress management workshop for behavioral technicians at Breakthrough Behavior in …

Burnout Among Oncology Social Workers, Evelyn Camacho

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Burnout among oncology social workers has become an important issue within healthcare because of the emotional intensity and demands that come with working closely with cancer patients and their families. Oncology social workers often provide emotional support, counseling, and guidance to patients throughout difficult stages of treatment, recurrence, and end-of-life care, which can place a heavy strain on their own mental and emotional well-being. Over time, constant exposure to grief, trauma, and high workloads can contribute to emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and difficulties maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Although oncology social workers play a major role in patient care, their …

Moderating Effects Of Defense Mechanisms On The Link Between Dark Triad Traits And Stress: A Replication With Addition Of Early Trauma, Ngayin Cheng

Student Theses

Literature suggested Dark Triad traits, comprised of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, are linked to adverse childhood environment and maladaptive coping that contribute to negative mental health outcomes, but Richardson and Boag's study (Richardson & Boag, 2016) was one of the few studies that first found Dark Triad traits are associated with immature defenses and higher perceived stress simultaneously. This replicated study aims to verify the original findings of their research by examining how defense mechanisms moderate the relationship between Dark Triad traits and perceived stress. A sample of 199 participants completed self-report measures assessing the Dark Triad traits, defense styles, …

Antidepressant-Like Effects Of Extinction Learning As An Animal Model Of Behavioral Therapy, Jing Liu, Sarah E Bulin, David A Morilak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Exposure-based behavioral therapy, the most effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also reduces depressive symptoms. However, neurobiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exposure-based behavioral therapy on depression remain unknown. Our lab has established fear extinction as a rat model of exposure therapy to investigate the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic behavioral effects in chronically stressed rats. In this study, we demonstrated that extinction learning reduced immobility in the forced-swim test and reversed chronic stress-induced reduction in sucrose preference. Chemogenetic inactivation of pyramidal neurons in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) prevented these antidepressant-like effects of extinction. Extinction learning enhanced …

Resilience, Stress, And Emotion Regulation In College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model Of Tiktok Engagement, Samuel Bibat, Jon Thang, Hui Zhang, Hannah Carrie, Jessica Golden

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study examined associations between stress, resilience, emotion regulation (ER), and TikTok use. Data were collected from 101 undergraduate students (M_age = 20.04, SD_age = 4.02) at a Midwestern private university. Participants completed self-report measures of TikTok use and intensity (i.e., emotional attachment), resilience, perceived stress, and intrapersonal and interpersonal ER. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS macro models. Stress mediated the relationship between resilience and TikTok use but not intensity. Interpersonal ER moderated the resilience–stress link, with higher interpersonal ER amplifying the negative association between resilience and stress, which in turn was linked …

Plasma Proteins Associated With Psychosocial Factors And Heart Disease: The Jackson Heart Study, Sara N O'Brien, Madeline G Gillman, Michael D Green, Daniel E Cruz, James S Floyd, Susan Hankinson, Daniel H Katz, Xiaojuan Liu, Michelle C Odden, Bruce M Psaty, Alexander P Reiner, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Robert E Gerszten, Amil Shah, Mario Sims, Usman A Tahir, Lesley F Tinker, Alexis C Wood, Bing Yu, Anthony S Zannas, Laura M Raffield, Láshauntá M Glover

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Knowledge of proteomic mechanisms explaining the link between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease is limited. This study aimed to (1) identify plasma proteins associated with psychosocial factors and (2) assess associational pathways between psychosocial factors, identified proteins, and incident cardiovascular disease events in a discovery cohort, JHS (Jackson Heart Study), and 2 replication cohorts, the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study), and the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Methods: JHS participants from exam 1 (2000-2004) with SomaScan 1.3k platform proteomics data were included (n=2143, mean age=55.3). Depressive symptoms and perceived stress scores were measured via the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies …

Noncanonical Clock Regulators Control Stress Responses In Digestive Diseases, Dishu Zhou, Roberto E López-Valiente, Samer G Mattar, Dongyin Guan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The digestive system is essential for nutrient absorption, processing, and waste elimination. The expression of many genes and physiological processes within this system exhibits a 24-h rhythmicity. However, modern lifestyle factors, such as jet lag, shift work, and irregular eating patterns, significantly disrupt these rhythms, triggering various stress responses and contributing to numerous digestive disorders. Here, we focus on emerging studies on noncanonical clock regulators involved in stress responses, integrate these novel findings into the established model of the core circadian clock, and highlight recent advances in the development of novel therapeutics targeting these 24-h regulators. In addition, we discuss …

Unraveling The Path From Stress To Coping Among Indonesian Emerging Adults: The Role Of Cognitive Flexibility, Stephanie Yuanita Indrasari, Sri Hartati Suradijono, Lucia R.M. Royanto

Psychological Research on Urban Society

Abstract

Emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) is a developmental stage marked by significant life transitions, which can heighten stress levels. In Indonesia, urban dynamics and socio-cultural pressures further intensify this stress among emerging adults. Cognitive flexibility, the ability to adaptively shift thoughts and strategies in response to changing circumstances, is an important factor in effective coping. This study examined the relationships among stress and adaptive coping, with cognitive flexibility playing a role as a mediator, among Indonesian emerging adults over three months (Time 1: N = 512; Time 2: N = 166) using a two-wave cross-lagged panel model (CLPM). Results indicated …

Pastors’ Children’S Stress In Evangelical Church In Java, Indonesia: A Phenomenological Study, Daniel Trihandarkha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the pastors’ children's experience with stress in the evangelical church on the island of Java, Indonesia. The theory guiding this study is the self-determination theory developed by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, as it explains the existence and absence of psychological needs of organisms to grow and thrive. The theory describes the struggle of the pastors’ children in environments where the relationship with the caregivers is fundamental in determining the growth of the pastors’ children and their well-being. The theory where relatedness, autonomy, and competencies, will examine the lived life of …

Unleashing Stress: The Effects Of Training, Bond Strength, And Stress On Pet Dog Behaviors And Health, London Maria Wolff

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Humans and dogs have formed a unique ability to communicate with each other through evolutionary and developmental mechanisms. This increased communication serves to form dynamic interspecies bonds by facilitating learning and training over the lifetime of a dog. However, it is not known what factors permit the unique capacity of dogs to form bonds with, and learn from, their human companions. Odor is a notable candidate for interspecies communication about emotional states, with studies showing that both dogs and humans use odor information to detect human emotions (Calvi et al., 2020). Possibly, this may include detection of both acute and …

Student Perceived Stress Correlated With Study Approaches In A Collegiate Part 141 Flight School, Jonathan Doherty, Nate Petrie, Jonathan Vroman, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

Collegiate flight students experience unique academic and technical challenges that may contribute to stress levels. Although previous research has examined stress in aviation students, limited research has investigated how students’ approaches to studying relate to perceived stress within this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived stress and two study approaches, Surface and Deep Approach, among collegiate flight students enrolled in their university’s Part 141 flight training program. A correlational research design was used. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to measure Deep and Surface study approaches …