While everyone knows what it feels like to feel overwhelmed or unable to cope with the pressure we face, such as waking up early each morning, going to work, receiving pennies for salary and repeating the process, year in, year out; stress is usually difficult to pinpoint. Although there existing much research on stress and stress-related complications, very little is known about the condition, making it difficult to assess, diagnose and treat it. Mental Health Foundation (2018) define stress as the response from our body when faced with pressures from a situation. The article further suggests that at least 74% of the people living in the UK have experienced stress at one point in their life over the past year. The occurrence of stress depends primarily on the coping mechanisms of an individual. However, more women report stress as compared to men, that is, 89% and 76% respectively.
Stress is one of the more common mental health issues in the world. At least 1 in every five people is feeling stressed. American Psychological Association (2017) reports that around 76% of Americans experience stress in their daily life, with 40% of them indicating the feeling occurs more frequently. Lipman (2019) published a study noting that stress is on the rise, especially in the workplaces. He pointed out that one’s boss causes 80% of the stress at the workplace. This trend has led to more research being done in an aim to alleviate stress and stress-related disorders. The article will discuss the assessment and treatment of stress and stress-related disorders based on various published reports on the condition.
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Butts and Gutierrez (2018) conducted a study on using acceptance and commitment therapy to reconceptualize stress appraisal. In their research, they acknowledge existing models for stress and coping. For instance, they discuss the transactional model of stress and coping as described by Lazarus and Folkman’s. The model is based on a person’s response concerning their environment. The model has two pivotal; demands associated with the transaction between the environment and the person or the available resources to cope with the requirements. However, they note that while popular stress models emphasize on cognition and cognitive appraisal which lead to changing the form and frequency of perception, better therapies could result in acceptance and commitment.
In the paper, the authors introduce ACT as a complementary model to the transactional model of stress. The ACT is principled in that; psychological distress is caused by an individual’s mental inflexibility, characterized by his or her attempts to control and avoid unpleasant inner events. The ACT model bases contributors to psychological distress as cognitive fusion (try to control stressors) and experiential avoidance. These two conditions render the individual oblivious of the present moment in an aim to control the inner unpleasant thoughts. The ACT model helps alleviate the stress by aiding the client experience the present moment rather than what their mind is interpreting. Additionally, the model also supports the client to develop the willingness to experience uncomfortable inner events rather than suppressing them.
ACT targets psychological rigidity through the six core processes to aid patients to relate differently to their suffering. The core processes include acceptance, cognitive defusion, contacting the present moment, self-as-context, values, and committed action. While previous literature emphasized on distraction as a form of treatment for stress, the ACT model is based on contextual approaches that improve a person’s psychological flexibility; hence cope with anxiety and stress-related disorders more efficiently.
While stress mainly revolves around an individual and is highly dependent on an individual’s characteristics, some studies have aimed to evaluate the impact of social ties on an individual being faced with stress. Van Steensel, Zegers, and Bogels (2017) conducted a survey of the predictors of treatment effectiveness for youth with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety disorders in relation to the family. An autism spectrum disorder is quite prevalent globally, with the children suffering from the condition experiencing anxiety disorders. Studies confirm that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for the anxiety disorders that occur in children with ASD (Van Steensel and Bogels, 2015).
However, it has also been noted that not all children benefit equally from the intervention. Using a sample size of 79 children with ASD receiving CBT treatment, Van Steensel, Zegers, and Bogels (2017) realized that family factors were significant predictors to the effectiveness of the procedure. In their study, a baseline was drawn based on the severity of the anxiety disorders pre-treatment and resulting data assessing the anxiety disorders were collected during treatment in relation to the family factors. The result showed that children in authoritarian families showed higher pre-treatment anxiety levels but responded well to the procedure as compared to their counterparts in uninvolved families.
The findings of this study emphasize the importance of paying close attention to the environment when dealing with stress and stress-related disorders. Social interactions are part of the situation and can, therefore, play a role in either improving or degrading an individual’s coping mechanisms to stress. Van Steensel, Zegers, and Bogels (2017) study suggest that while it is important for an individual to receive professional help and prescribed therapies, social relations dictate how effective the therapy will be. This suggests that in the management of stress and stress-related disorders, dealing with both the patient and those around them is the best way to promote desired outcomes. Human beings being social animals, will always seek support from those they feel connected to, especially one’s family.
So far in the article, stress has been managed in conventional methods, i.e., cognitive reprogramming, either by changing how one perceives the stressor or utilizing social circles to strengthen the outcome of cognitive therapy. Crockett, Gill, Cashwell, & Myers (2017) describe a different approach to the management of stress and stress-related complications. While counseling is the prevalent form in which individuals with stress are managed, Crockett, Gill, Cashwell, & Myers (2017) suggest the utilization of technological and non-technological biofeedback in counseling. The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (2012) defines biofeedback as the utilization of feedback stimuli to enable a person to change their physiological activity to improve health. There are two types of biofeedback; peripheral and neurofeedback. Crockett, Gill, Cashwell, & Myers (2017) study is primarily focused on peripheral feedback.
Feedback is essential as it provides helpful insights on the effectiveness of a therapy and whether or not change is needed. The study notes that several technological approaches such as muscle tension, skin conductance, temperature monitoring, and heart rate can be used during counseling. The information from these tools will provide real-time data on how the client is responding to the therapy. The data will then enable the counselor to make informed arguments that have the potential for more benefit when dealing with stress and stress-related complications. Non-technological approaches include attention, movement, and observation. All these serve to provide vital information, though their accuracy is highly dependent on the counselor’s judgment.
Non-technological approaches have commonly been used by counselors to assess the effectiveness of their sessions. Burg and Wolf (2012) suggest that mindfulness, a non-technological approach, directly correlates with self-awareness and well-being, which are both factors used to assess the effectiveness of a treatment regimen. With the advancements in technology, management of health conditions such as stress would benefit significantly from utilizing emerging neurobiological technologies. Technological approaches would bring about accuracy in terms of deducing feedback, as compared to the non-technological approaches which are dependent on the counselor’s opinion and judgment.
With technology, thresholds can be drawn, and effective treatments can be discussed and agreed upon by the various mental health practitioners. This will create a uniform approach in dealing with stress, thereby having the potential for beneficial returns. Clinical application of these two approaches includes informed consent, assessment, case conceptualization, treatment planning, and evaluation outcomes. The caveat to this synergistic approach is that the counselors will have to be sensitized on the operation of the machines and their usability will depend on how well the counselors decide to adopt this new regimen since some people may prefer the old ways in fear of new technologies. Also, technological approaches can be somewhat invasive, making it uncomfortable for many senior individuals.
Schoenberg and David (2014) in their work on biofeedback and psychiatric disorders compound Crockett et al.’s work by noting that the use of technological and non-technological approaches is effective when used to alleviate psychological distress, such as stress and promoting wellness. While stress can be managed externally through positive behavior change and counseling, at times these therapies can be inadequate necessitating a pharmaceutical approach. A comprehensive understanding of neurobiology is vital for one to comprehend the stress and stress-related disorders physiological pathway. With this understanding, drugs that inhibit either the hormones or receptors involved in the path can be prescribed and with that managing stress and stress disorders.
Griebel et al. (2002) conducted a study on the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of the compound SSR149415 in the treatment of stress-related disorders. The compound SSR149415 is a drug that is commonly known as Nelivaptan that has been used to treat depression and anxiety, both of which are examples of stress-related disorders. The drug was specifically developed to inhibit the action of arginine vasopressin, which has been characterized to control emotional pressures. Stress, as a response, can be expressed as overwhelming emotional processes leading to the inability of an individual to cope, leading to an exhibition of stress-related symptoms.
In the study, mice were used and subjected to various stress conditions that replicated the equivalent of what we human beings face. During the tests, the mice were administered varying amounts of SSR149415 ranging from 1mg/kg to 30mg/kg. The results were then contrasted against benzodiazepine anxiolytic diazepam. The results showed that when SSR149415 was administered, it produced anxiolytic-like effects which mitigated the stress-related symptoms. However, the overall magnitude was lesser than that of benzodiazepine anxiolytic diazepam at similar doses of administration. From the findings in the study, the role of administering vasopressin in the control of emotional processes was emphasized, with the potential for treatment of stress and stress-related disorders.
This study is based on the physiological processes that occur in one’s body. It suggests that when some neurological pathways are inhibited, stress disorder can be controlled effectively. However, the chronic effects of the therapy are not yet well understood since the study was for a limited duration. Also, looking deeper into the mode of action of the drug, chronic use can lead to permanent brain damage as it acts on the hippocampus, which is located in the brain stem and controls autonomous body functions. More so, depression is a condition that has been associated with stress; therefore, clients prescribed to use the drug may be tempted to overdose since it has anti-depressant like tendencies which will give them a false feeling of well-being.
In conclusion, from the different articles reviewed in the article, it is clear that stress and stress-related disorders are becoming more common nowadays. This can probably be attributed to our ways of life. This, therefore, necessitates the need for better and innovative techniques for managing stress. In the first study, the ACT model was developed to complement the transactional model of stress as it was solely based on distraction as the treatment for anxiety. ACT provides the acceptance approach and promotes emotional flexibility; hence, improving coping mechanisms. Another study also showed the importance of social ties in managing stress. It suggested that better social links are a significant predictor to effective treatment.
Crockett, Gill, Cashwell, & Myers (2017) further suggested the use of technological and non-technological approaches in the management of stress, which would result in a more sophisticated, accurate and effective way of diagnosing and managing stress. Lastly, another study suggested the use of drugs in the management of anxiety and stress-related disorders. The anxiolytic effects of SSR149415 were observed when administered at doses ranging between 1mg/kg to 30mg/kg. All these studies are based on evidence-based practices that are geared towards the control of stress and stress-related disorders. There is also the potential for increased effectiveness when combining more than one regimen in the mitigation of stress. All in all, stress is a common mental health condition that needs to be adequately addressed in the bid for a healthier lifestyle.
References
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Crockett, J. E., Gill, D. L., Cashwell, T. H., & Myers, J. E. (2017). Integrating non-technological and technological peripheral biofeedback in counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling , 39 (2), 163-179.
Griebel, G., Simiand, J., Serradeil-Le Gal, C., Wagnon, J., Pascal, M., Scatton, B., ... & Soubrié, P. (2002). Anxiolytic-and antidepressant-like effects of the non-peptide vasopressin V1b receptor antagonist, SSR149415, suggest an innovative approach for the treatment of stress-related disorders. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 99 (9), 6370- 6375.
Lipman, V. (2019, January 10). Workplace trend: Stress is on the rise . Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2019/01/09/workplace-trend-stress-is-on-the- rise/#3e62a7c66e1b
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