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Self-Reported Chronic Stress Is Unique Across Lifetime Periods: A Test of Competing Structural Equation Models
Mikenzi B Brasfield1, Chuong Bui2, Lawrence Patihis3
1Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
The Gerontologist
|April 8, 2023
Summary
Retrospective life span stress assessments offer unique insights beyond recent chronic stress measures. Understanding past stress experiences provides a more comprehensive view of cumulative stress effects on health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Chronic stress negatively impacts physical and mental health.
- Current self-report measures often overlook cumulative stress across the lifespan.
- Life-course perspective is crucial for understanding stress accumulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if retrospective stress judgments across life periods offer unique information.
- To compare the predictive value of life-span stress versus recent stress measures.
- To investigate the relationship between different stress domains and life periods.
Main Methods:
- Survey administered to 271 adults (aged 46-81) via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
- Assessed self-reported stress across multiple domains and distinct life periods (childhood, 20s/30s, 50s/60s, current).
- Employed structural equation modeling to analyze relationships between stress domains and life periods.
Main Results:
- Different stress domains (e.g., discrimination, loneliness) were highly correlated within specific life periods.
- Distinct life periods (childhood, 20s/30s, 50s/60s, current) showed relative independence.
- Retrospective stress judgments provided unique information not captured by recent stress measures.
Conclusions:
- Current measures of chronic stress may be misleading by focusing solely on recent experiences.
- Past stress experiences are vital for a comprehensive understanding of chronic stress from a life-course perspective.
- Integrating life-span stress assessment can enhance our understanding of stress accumulation and its health impacts.
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