Five important updates for National Stress Awareness Day

In 1992, the Health Resource Network designated April as National Stress Awareness Month.

This year, April 16 also is recognized as National Stress Awareness Day. In conjunction with this observance, Healio Psychiatry has compiled a list of articles covering recent developments in stress research.

Individuals with stress-related disorders at increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases

Stress-related disorders are associated with an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases, according to results of a population-matched and sibling cohort study conducted in Sweden and published in JAMA Neurology. This association was particularly strong for vascular neurodegenerative diseases. Read more.

Pregnancy loss linked to posttraumatic stress

Women experience increased levels of posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression after experiencing a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Read more.

CDC: Suicide rates vary widely by industry and occupation

According to a CDC report, nearly 38,000 individuals of working age died by suicide in the United States in 2017. Researchers noted that previous studies indicated suicide risk is associated with lower education, low-skilled work, lower absolute and relative socioeconomic status, work-related access to lethal means and job stress, including poor supervisory and colleague support, job insecurity and low job control. Read more.

Stress-related diagnosis may increase risk for severe infections

Findings from a study conducted among more than 144,000 people in Sweden indicated that PTSD and other stress-related disorders are associated with a subsequent risk for life-threatening infections, including meningitis, endocarditis and sepsis. Read more.

Prenatal stress increases likelihood of personality disorder in offspring

Longitudinal study data indicated that children exposed to maternal stress throughout gestation were three times more likely to develop a personality disorder, even after adjusting for other psychiatric disorders. Read more.