A Prehistory of the Diathesis-Stress Model: Predisposing and Exciting Causes of Insanity in the 19th Century.

Histories of the diathesis-stress model trace its origins to the 1950s. However, of 26 psychiatric texts published between 1800 and 1910, 17 noted that causes of insanity could be usefully divided into those that predispose to illness and those that excite onset. In this "predisposition-excitation framework" (PEF) for the etiology of insanity, hereditary or constitutional factors were critical predisposing causes, but education, occupation, sex, and marital status were typically included as well. Psychological traumas were key exciting causes, but so were somatic diseases, pregnancy, and substance abuse. The PEF was often used to explain the diversity of individual responses to adversity. While single dramatic events often excited onset, daily repetition of lesser shocks could also bring on insanity. Matching could occur between predisposing and exciting causes in individuals who had "special susceptibilities." Predispositions could lead to "affects, passions, and perverse manner of life," which became exciting causes. Authors emphasized that it was easier to prevent exposures to exciting causes than to reverse predispositions. A thought experiment of an individual "transplanted early into new and different social conditions" anticipated models of primary prevention. Ratings of predisposing and exciting causes were mandated in the United Kingdom from 1878 to 1887 and at several U.S. psychiatric hospitals in the early 20th century. The PEF was far more stable over place and time in the 19th century than any psychiatric nosologic system. Contrary to the doctrinaire schools of psychoanalytic and biological psychiatry that dominated much of 20th-century psychiatry, the PEF proposed a flexible, developmental, and pluralistic view of etiologic pathways to psychiatric illness.

Charting adult development through (historically changing) daily stress processes.

This article views adult development through the lens of daily life experiences and recent historical changes in these experiences. In particular, it examines whether theories that postulate general linear increases in well-being throughout adulthood still hold during times of less prosperity and more uncertainty. Descriptive analyses of the National Study of Daily Experiences chart show how stress in the daily lives of Americans may have changed from the 1990s (N = 1,499) to the 2010s (N = 782). Results revealed that adults in the 2010s reported experiencing stressors on 2% more days than in the 1990s, which translates to an additional week of stressors across a year. Participants in the 2010s also reported that stressors were more severe and posed more risks to future plans and finances and that they experienced more distress. These historical changes were particularly pronounced among middle-aged adults (e.g., proportion of stressor days increased by 19%, and perceived risks to finances and to future plans rose by 61% and 52%, respectively). As a consequence, age-related linear increases in well-being observed from young adulthood to midlife in the 1990s were no longer observed in the 2010s. If further studies continue to replicate our findings, traditional theories of adult well-being that were developed and empirically tested during times of relative economic prosperity may need to be reevaluated in light of the changes in middle adulthood currently observed in this historic period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

El camino de desarrollo personal a través del cuidado de San Juan de Dios / The path of personal development through the care of Saint John of God

FUNDAMENTO: La enfermería, por su vocación de servicio y al estar en contacto diario con el mundo del sufrimiento y la muerte, puede padecer una fatiga por compasión o un burn-out. Por ello es necesario la mejora de ciertas habilidades psico-espirituales para seguir desarrollándose como personas y profesionalmente, de manera que a través del autocuidado puedan llegar a alcanzar una mayor eficacia e integralidad en sus cuidados, a la vez que mejore su salud y autorrealización. OBJETIVO: describir las habilidades psico-espirituales en la enfermería propuestas por San Juan de Dios, influido por su guía espiritual San Juan de Ávila. METODOLOGÍA: realizamos un estudio historiográfico siguiendo la corriente de la historia de las mentalidades. Resultados principales: desde su juventud, Juan de Dios supo que su vocación era cuidar todo tipo de injusticias, especialmente de aquellos más vulnerables como son los pobres y enfermos. Sin embargo, presentaba ciertas dificultades para mantenerse con salud, siendo su guía espiritual quien fue marcando el desarrollo de las habilidades psico-espirituales para que, a través del autocuidado, pudiese cuidar al otro sin sufrir en su cuerpo o en su espíritu. Estas habilidades fueron las que le dieron su calidad humana y asistencial, cuidando de manera integral al otro sin abandonarse a sí mismo, convirtiendo la profesión en un camino de desarrollo personal. CONCLUSIONES: el padre de la enfermería moderna desarrolló tres habilidades psicológicas y tres habilidades espirituales por diadas, las cuales hoy en día son descritas como empatía-compasión, aceptación incondicional-hospitalidad, y autenticidad-presencia. Con ello, a través del autocuidado llegó a crear un modelo de enfermería que aún hoy se mantiene en el tiempo

INTRODUCTION: Nursing, due to its vocation of service and being in daily contact with the world of suffering and death, can suffer from compassion fatigue or burn-out. Therefore, it is necessary to develop certain psycho-spiritual skills to continue developing as individuals and professionally, so that through self-care they can achieve greater efficiency and comprehensiveness in their care, while improving their health and self-realization. OBJECTIVE: describing the psycho-spiritual abilities in Nursing proposed by San Juan de Dios, influenced by his spiritual guide San Juan de Ávila. METHODOLOGY: we carried out a historiographic study following the current of the history of mentalities. Documentary analysis: from his youth, Juan de Dios knew that his vocation was to take care of all kinds of injustices, especially those most vulnerable such as the poor and the sick. However, he had certain difficulties to stay healthy, being his spiritual guide who was marking the development of psycho-spiritual abilities so that, through self-care, he could take care of the other without suffering in his body or in his spirit. These skills were what gave him his human and caring quality, taking care of the other in an integral way without abandoning himself, turning the profession into a path of personal development. CONCLUSIONS: the father of modern nursing developed 3 psychological abilities and 3 spiritual abilities per dyad, which today are described as empathy-compassion, unconditional acceptance-hospitality, and authenticity-presence. With this, through self-care he came to create a Nursing that even today is maintained over time

Distribution of psychological distress is stable in recent decades and follows an exponential pattern in the US population.

The prevalence of psychological distress is fairly stable in industrialised countries in recent decades, but the reasons for this stability remain unknown. To investigate the mechanisms underlying stability of psychological distress in the general population of the United States, we analysed the mathematical patterns of the distribution of psychological distress in recent decades. The present study utilised the Kessler psychological distress scale (K6) data from the 1997‒2017 United States National Health Interview Survey. We used overlap coefficients and graphical analysis to investigate the stability and mathematical patterns of the K6 distribution. Overlap coefficients and graphical analysis demonstrated that the distribution of K6 total scores was stable in the United States over the past two decades. Furthermore, the distributions of K6 total scores exhibited an exponential pattern, with the exception of the lower end of the distribution. These findings suggest that the lack of change in the prevalence of psychological distress over several decades is due to the stability of psychological distress distribution itself. Furthermore, the stability of the distribution of psychological distress over time may be linked to the exponential pattern of psychological distress distribution.

[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.

Factors associated with post-election psychological distress: The case of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

This study, through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory, examined potential risk factors that may intensify election-related psychological distress. Six weeks after the 2016 U.S. election, 772 U.S. adult citizens filled out an online survey that assessed psychological distress along with sociodemographic characteristics, and a set of variables tapping various dimensions of political self-efficacy (i.e., importance of politics in one's life, preferences for different media outlets, political directness, and voting choices). The findings showed that election-related psychological distress was positively associated with young age, greater reliance on new media, greater importance of politics in one's life, higher political directness, and voting for the candidate who did not win the election. Findings should be valuable for health-care providers informing them about potential risk factors intensifying psychological distress in the context of significant political events.

Time trends in mental well-being: the polarisation of young people's psychological distress.

PURPOSE: Previous research on time trends of young people's mental health in Britain has produced conflicting findings: evidence for deterioration in mental health during the late 20th century followed by stability and slight improvement during the early 21st century is contrasted with evidence showing continued deterioration. The present study adds to the evidence base by assessing time trends in means, variances, and both low and high psychological distress scores covering a similar period. METHODS: GHQ-12 (Likert scale) was regressed on time (adjusting for age) using a sample of young people aged 16-24 between 1991 and 2008 from the British Household Panel Study. Change in variance was assessed using Levene's homogeneity of variance test across 9-year intervals. Polarisation was assessed by a comparison of the prevalence of scores ≥1 standard deviation and ≥1.5 standard deviations above and below the pooled mean. RESULTS: There was a small but significant increase in mean GHQ-12 among young women (b 0.048; 95% CI 0.016, 0.080) only. Variance increased significantly (p < 0.05) across 9-year intervals in seven out of nine comparisons for women and in six out of nine comparisons for men. There were significant increases in low (OR: 1.19; 95% CI 1.05, 1.35), high (OR: 1.27; 95% CI 1.13, 1.42), and very high scores (OR: 1.42; 95% CI 1.23, 1.64) for young women, and increases in low (OR: 1.39; 95% CI 1.21, 1.59) and very low (OR: 1.53; 95% CI 1.21, 1.92) scores for young men. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests a polarisation of the psychological distress of young women in Britain between 1991 and 2008.

Stress and well-being at work: A century of empirical trends reflecting theoretical and societal influences.

In various forms, research on stress and well-being has been a part of the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) since its inception. In this review, we examine the history of stress research in JAP by tracking word frequencies from 606 abstracts of published articles in the journal. From these abstracts, we define 3 eras: a 50 year-era from 1917 to 1966, a 30-year era from 1967 to 1996, and a 20-year era from 1997 to the present. Each era is distinct in terms of the number of articles published and the general themes of the topic areas examined. We show that advances in theory are a major impetus underlying research topics and the number of publications. Our review also suggests that articles have increasingly tended to reflect broader events occurring in society such as recessions and workforce changes. We conclude by offering ideas about the future of stress and well-being research. (PsycINFO Database Record

Frida Kahlo: Portrait of Chronic Pain.

The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century. Although famous for her colorful self-portraits and associations with celebrities Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky, less known is the fact that she had lifelong chronic pain. Frida Kahlo developed poliomyelitis at age 6 years, was in a horrific trolley car accident in her teens, and would eventually endure numerous failed spinal surgeries and, ultimately, limb amputation. She endured several physical, emotional, and psychological traumas in her lifetime, yet through her art, she was able to transcend a life of pain and disability. Of her work, her self-portraits are conspicuous in their capacity to convey her life experience, much of which was imbued with chronic pain. Signs and symptoms of chronic neuropathic pain and central sensitization of nociceptive pathways are evident when analyzing her paintings and medical history. This article uses a narrative approach to describe how events in the life of this artist contributed to her chronic pain. The purpose of this article is to discuss Frida Kahlo's medical history and her art from a modern pain sciences perspective, and perhaps to increase our understanding of the pain experience from the patient's perspective.

The Stress Reaction: A Historical Perspective.

The history of stress research - milestones and people. Definitions and modern concepts of stress as well as the conflict between Hans Selye and the psychologists are described in this review. The molecular and physiological mechanisms of stress and their possible pharmacological intervention are introduced. The cycle of stress is presented as a new concept of the stress reaction, trying to bridge the gap between physiology and psychology. The cycle is a circular event in life, composed of 4 phases: (1) the resting ground phase, (2) the tension phase, (3) the response phase, and (4) the relief phase. In each phase, both physiological and psychological components can be assessed. These components are the basis for the proper handling of each phase and provide a unified model for the psycho-biological response to stress. In addition, parameters of the cycle such as frequency, duration, and intensity can be measured, providing an effective tool for stress management. Finally, modern techniques and mechanisms for coping with stress are discussed like the Norwegian Gate Theory and Lazarus Dichotomy Model for the Stress Reaction. In the above models, specific examples of how people respond to the first time encounter of stressful events and how soldiers cope with stress are presented.

Biological costs of economic transition: Stress levels during the transition from communism to capitalism in Poland.

At the end of the 1980s, Poland began the transformation from an essentially one-party communist system to a politically pluralistic democratic system. These political and economic changes had major social consequences, among others unemployment and a sharp decrease in real personal income. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship between stress in adult men, measured by the Allostatic Load, and the socio-economic deterioration during the first part of the economic transition. The Allostatic Load included eleven markers assessing adverse nutritional intake, cardiovascular activity, inflammatory processes, and lung, hepatic and renal functions. The results indicate a significantly higher risk of metabolic dysregulation in men examined after 1990, compared to men from previous years. After adjustment for socioeconomic variables and lifestyle variables, men examined in 1991 had a 31% greater risk of higher Allostatic Load compared with men examined in 1985 (OR=1.31; p=0.0541), in 1992, this risk was 50% greater (OR=1.50; p<0.01), and in 1993, the risk was 66% greater (OR=1.66; p<0.05). The conclusion is drawn that significantly more stressogenic factors for men were those directly connected with the financial situation of their families, than a sudden but short increase of prices for goods and services.

[The history of the Science of Stress: From Hans Selye to the discovery of anti-inflammatory medication]. / L'histoire de la science du stress : de Hans Selye à la découverte des anti-inflammatoires.

To make an important scientific discovery that will make history takes a lot of determination, creativity, perseverance and luck! The story behind the discovery of stress and its biological basis is a fascinating one that places Dr. Hans Selye in the forefront. Dr. Selye was a great scientist that taught at the Université de Montréal from 1945 to his death in 1982. Dr. Selye was curious and hard working. He was determined to understand how various disorders can lead to similar physical manifestations, and this interest led him to discover the role of the adrenal glands involved in the stress response and to better understand the effects of glucocorticoids on the body. Today, the science of stress is based on the foundations established by Dr. Selye. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Département de psychiatrie de l'Université de Montréal, and the special issue of the Revue Santé Mentale au Québec, this historical review summarizes the discoveries of this great scientist who worked in Quebec.

[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.

[A peculiar man - about Hans Selye, as reflected in his Hungarian connections]. / Egy "furcsa ember" - Selye Jánosról magyar kapcsolatainak tükrében.

Hans Selye made a great impact on the Hungarian medical, scientific and public life. His first Hungarian publication about the alarm-reaction appeared 1938 in the Orvosi Hetilap. His Hungarian relationship was quite extensive after the war as he published, gave lectures, and accepted Hungarian students for specialized training in his Canadian institute saw. The rich documents in archives about Selye are currently being processed and those will surely shed light on Selye's life in further details.

[Trait-aggression and suicide of Vincent van Gogh]. / Vincent van Gogh vonás-agressziója és öngyilkossága.

Although in recent decades the literature has paid special attention to Vincent van Gogh's life, work and illness, there has still not been an examination of the connections between his trait aggression and his suicide. The present study traces, in the light of this trait aggression, the predictive factors that can be observed on the path leading to the artist's suicide. Biographical documents, case history data, as well as letters and the findings of earlier research have been used in the course of the analysis. Among the distal suicide risk factors we find a positive family anamnesis, childhood traumas (emotional deprivation, identity problems associated with the name Vincent), a vagrant, homeless way of life, failures in relationships with women, and psychotic episodes appearing in rushes. The proximal factors include the tragic friendship with Gauguin (frustrated love), his brother Theo's marriage (experienced as a loss), and a tendency to self-destruction. Both factor groups on the one hand determined the course of development of the trait aggression and on the other can also be regarded as a manifestation of that trait aggression. It can be said that the trait aggression played an important role in Van Gogh's suicide.

From margins to centre: an oral history of the wartime experience of Iranian nurses in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988.

BACKGROUND: The extensive nature of the Iraq-Iran war converted to a human tragedy with large casualties; it has affected nursing discipline dramatically. AIM: To analyse the history of the wartime experience of Iranian nurses in Iran-Iraq War. METHOD: The current study was conducted with oral history. The study sample consisted of 13 Iranian nurses who served in the war zones during the wartime. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit the participants. During the face-to-face interviews, participants were asked to describe their experience in the war zones during the war years. Data collection and analysis took place from April to August 2013, when saturation was reached. All interviews were tape recorded and transcribed and then analysed with thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Finally, five themes and 18 subthemes emerged from data analysis of significant statements from 17 interviews. The five emerged themes included (1) 'From margin to centre', (2) 'Development of referral care', (3) 'Personal and professional growth and development', (4) 'The emerging pillar of culture in war nursing' and (5) 'Threats to nursing at the war'. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nursing in Iran at wartime has a difficult path to development. There are powerful implications for clinical practice. It is recommended to continue collection, archiving and analysing the wartime experiences of Iranian nurses.

Understanding the POW experience: stress research and the implementation of the 1955 U.S. Armed Forces Code of Conduct.

Facing accusations about weak military discipline following the supposedly poor behavior of American soldiers held captive during the Korean War, President Dwight Eisenhower instituted a Code of Conduct for the Armed Services in 1955. In response, military leaders hired numerous social and behavioral scientists to investigate the nature of the prisoner-of-war (POW) experience. These researchers not only challenged official government accounts of POW activities but opened up a new field of study-stress research. They also changed military training policy, which soon focused more on stress inoculation training, and, in so doing, helped lead the shift in psychology away from behaviorism to ego and cognitive psychology. In this sense, my article ties shifts within the social and behavioral sciences in the 1950s to the military history of the early Cold War, a connection generally missing from most accounts of this period.