[On Conditioned Rats and Stressed Workmen : Rudolf Baumann and the Discourse About Stress and Environment in the GDR]. / Von konditionierten Ratten und gestressten Werktätigen : Rudolf Baumann und der Stress- und Umweltdiskurs in der DDR.

The emergence of cardiovascular diseases from stress, i.e. psychosocial pressure, was a constitutive element in the international medical discourse of the 1960s and 1970s. This article describes an East German variant of the stress discourse, developed by Rudolf Baumann and his associates at the Institute for cortico-visceral pathology and therapy in Berlin-Buch. The group sought to develop a genuinely materialist approach to the problem of psychosocially caused diseases, as well as ways of therapy and prevention suited to a socialist health system. At the same time, it was constantly drawing on Western concepts and practices. By examining this project in international context, congruences and differences between Eastern and Western perceptions of the stressful effects of industrial society are worked out. Furthermore, the article discusses that the concept of stress implied ambitious programs for social prevention and therapy, the realization of which in both political systems was constrained by the social reality.

[Stress and fertility]. / A stressz és a fertilitás.

In Western countries, sperm quality and fertility of men significantly worsened. Female infertility does not show a better trend either. Subtle defects in the reproductive functions can not be explained by the current methods, and "unexplained infertility" is becoming a more common diagnosis. Every year 1 million couples seek expensive and time consuming fertility treatment in the world. Deeper understanding of an unhealthy lifestyle and the environmental damages may lead to personalized treatments to increase the chance of conception.The effects of various stressors on the male and female reproductive performance were scientifically substantiated by Selye and coworkers in 1976. Cognitive therapy methods can be applied against emotional stressors, supplementation by antioxidants against reactive oxygen compounds, and administration of vitamins and trace elements, especially when deficiency is found, may help before medical intervention on a rational and economical way in the fight against infertility.

Life satisfaction in chronic pain patients: the stress-buffering role of the centrality of religion.

Chronic pain (CP) is a stressful condition that severely impacts individuals' lives. Researchers have begun to explore the role of religion for CP patients, but the literature is scarce, especially for West European populations. Drawing from the transactional theory of stress, this study examined the associations between the religious meaning system and the life satisfaction for a group of CP patients who were members of a Flemish patients' association. To take into account the religious landscape of West European countries, the centrality of one's religious meaning system, rather than religious content, was the focus. Results from the questionnaires completed by 207 patients suggest that the centrality of a meaning system is an important factor in the promotion of life satisfaction for this group, above and beyond the influence of several control variables. Furthermore, the centrality of the religious meaning system moderated or buffered the detrimental influence of pain severity on life satisfaction.

Post-traumatic stress reactions before the advent of post-traumatic stress disorder: potential effects on the lives and legacies of Alexander the Great, Captain James Cook, Emily Dickinson, and Florence Nightingale.

Evidence is presented that Alexander the Great, Captain James Cook, Emily Dickinson, and Florence Nightingale each developed symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of repeated potentially traumatizing events of differing character. Their case histories also varied with respect to background, premorbid personality style, risk factors, clinical presentation, and course of the illness, illustrating the pleomorphic character of the disorder, as well as the special problems in diagnosing it in historical figures.

Holistic nursing management of pain and suffering: a historical view with contemporary applications.

Nursing is rooted in caring for those who suffer and experience pain. As nursing has grown through the ages, technological advances and socioeconomic changes have required nurses to adapt as they continue to provide holistic, patient-centered care. Over the past century, nursing practice has been dominated by Western medical culture, resulting in a relegation of the caring-healing practices of nurses to the margins of healthcare delivery. Recent changes in the ontology of caring-healing practices are rooted in a new knowledge of complimentary practices. Advancements in behavioral sciences and the neurobiology of pain and suffering, together with an acceptance of Eastern and other healing practices, have enriched and enlightened our understanding of pain management. The recent growth of self-help and support programs has enlightened the healthcare consumer in choosing treatments. Contemporary clinical practice may now include methods that reflect the interconnectedness between the mind and body, such as biofeedback, healing touch, aromatherapy, progressive relaxation, meditation, and behavioral therapy. This article examines the historical concepts of pain and suffering that have influenced the approach to pain management and describes significant holistic methods that may be utilized by the nurse in managing pain.

Can stress cause disease? Revisiting the tuberculosis research of Thomas Holmes, 1949-1961.

The increasing emphasis in medicine on treating the whole patient has focused attention of the association between emotions and disease. However, physicians have long studied the connection between mind and body. One particularly interesting researcher in this area was Thomas Holmes, a charismatic and iconoclastic Seattle physician who studied the association between stress and tuberculosis in the 1950s. Although lacking the sophistication of modern biostatistics, several of Holmes' studies suggested that persons who had experienced stressful situations, such as divorce, death of a spouse, or loss of a job, were more likely to develop tuberculosis and less likely to recover from it. Holmes consciously used the same scientific methods as his peers, devising a numeric scale that quantified stressful events and doing prospective studies with control groups. Yet, he also emphasized the need to understand each patient's story and to view his or her tuberculosis as the culmination of a life of emotional hardship. Although Holmes' work was rudimentary, his basic supposition may have been correct. Recent research, benefiting from advances in both immunology and biostatistics, suggests that stress may lead to decreased immune function and thus to clinical disease. As studies of stress and disease become more statistically sophisticated, it will be important to retain Holmes' emphasis on understanding the lives of individual patients.