Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2025

A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings
Published on: January 22, 2018
Physiological Effects of Psychological Interventions Among Persons with Financial Stress: A Systematic Review,
Paul Lehrer1, Lilly Derby2, Jacqueline Smith Caswell2
1Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Centerline Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. lehrer@rwjms.rutgers.edu.
None:
It is known that economic problems can cause psychological stress, and that psychological stress causes physiological changes often linked to disease. Here we report a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on physiological effects of psychological treatment for individuals with economic problems. Of 5071 papers in our initial PsycInfo search, we identified 16 papers on physiological effects for psychological treatment of the economically stressed. We found 11 controlled studies, among which we found a small to moderate significant effect size, Hedges' g = 0.319, p < 0.001. The largest effect sizes were found for heart rate variability and measures of inflammation, and the smallest for measures involving cortisol. The studies were all on chronically poor populations, thus restricting generalization to other financially stressed populations such as students, athletes in training, and those stressed by relative deprivation compared with neighbors or other reference groups. None of the studies examined effects of these psychophysiological changes on disease susceptibility, and none included elements of financial planning. The nascent field of financial psychophysiology calls for more research in these areas. Even so, results suggest that financially stressed people can benefit physiologically from psychological stress management methods.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...

