Previous research has shown that experiences of childhood maltreatment (CM) are related to higher levels of perceived stress in everyday life. The negative consequences of CM often increase with...Show morePrevious research has shown that experiences of childhood maltreatment (CM) are related to higher levels of perceived stress in everyday life. The negative consequences of CM often increase with the number and severity of CM experiences, which can lead to the development of stress-related problems from an early age. However, individuals may perceive situations as less stressful when they possess higher self-esteem. Therefore, the current study investigates whether the relationship between CM severity and perceived stress can be influenced by self-esteem in a population of young people. The sample consisted of 62 participants between 16 and 26 years of age (M = 22.45, SD = 2.67) from the Resilience After Individual Stress Exposure (RAISE) study. Data were collected using three self-report questionnaires: (1) the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, (2) the Perceived Stress Scale-10, and (3) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to analyse the data. The first finding indicated that the level of perceived stress did not change significantly as the CM experiences were more severe. There was, however, a significant relationship between the level of self-esteem and the level of perceived stress, with the level of perceived stress decreasing as self-esteem increased. Finally, it was found that self-esteem did not influence the relationship between the severity of CM and the level of perceived stress. Collectively, these findings indicate that higher self-esteem is related to lower perceived stress in young people, but the severity of CM is not of influence. This supports that it may be beneficial for young people to focus treatment on increasing self-esteem, despite experiences of CM. To provide more targeted treatment, it would be relevant to focus future research on the different types of CM and the skills and resources that shape the level of perceived stress.Show less
Previous studies show an alarming increase in burnout in university students, yet there is a surprising lack of research regarding their burnout prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis...Show morePrevious studies show an alarming increase in burnout in university students, yet there is a surprising lack of research regarding their burnout prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of burnout prevention interventions on perceived stress and burnout in higher education. It was hypothesised that prevention interventions are effective in reducing burnout and stress, and that study background acts as a moderator. This study was a continuation of past research at Leiden University. Of the dataset, extracted in 2019, 12 studies met the following eligibility criteria: containing (1) an intervention aimed at reducing burnout in (2) residency, university, or college, (3) a burnout-outcome, and (4) were written in English, Dutch, or Greek. Qualitative results suggest that burnout prevention interventions are successful in reducing burnout and stress in the student population. Effects included reduced stress, increased relaxation, and stress-management skills. Quantitative outcomes showed burnout prevention interventions reduced stress (intervention-control: Hedges’ g 0.56, p=0.008; pre-post: Hedges’ g 0.7; p=0.004), but not burnout (intervention-control: Hedges’ g 0.12, p=0.55; pre-post: Hedges’ g 0.17, p=0.42). Study background, especially education, significantly moderated stress (Hedges’ g 0.7; p<0.001) making the interventions more effective. However, the background was not a significant moderator for burnout (Hedges’ g 0.16; p=0.36). Since stress is a precursor of burnout, the interventions could potentially prevent early-stage burnout. Further research on burnout prevention at different symptom severity is strongly suggested. This study is the first step into preventing burnout prematurely by giving students tools to detect and counteract its warning signs.Show less
The current study aimed to investigate whether having been quarantined/ isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic is associated with perceived stress in students in the Netherlands, even after the...Show moreThe current study aimed to investigate whether having been quarantined/ isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic is associated with perceived stress in students in the Netherlands, even after the initial quarantine/ isolation period. Additionally, it was explored whether having a history of childhood maltreatment moderated this relationship. A sample consisting of 2475 participants, of whom 1881 were female and 594 were male, was recruited using convenience sampling. Participants were asked to fill in several questionnaires, among which a shortened version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS_10), a shortened version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) and questions concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. Having been quarantined/ isolated and having experienced childhood maltreatment were hypothesized to be associated with a heightened perceived stress level. Further, having a history of childhood maltreatment was hypothesized to have an effect on the relation between quarantine/ isolation and perceived stress. Regression analyses revealed significant effects of both quarantine/ isolation and childhood maltreatment on perceived stress. A moderation analysis showed that this association was not moderated by childhood maltreatment. Thus, the findings confirmed the first as well as the second hypothesis. However, the third hypothesis could not be confirmed within this study. This study contributes to a growing body of research concerning mental health effects of Covid-19 measurements. It stresses potential long-term effects in students and the need for future research to explore underlying mechanisms of the findings.Show less
Research findings on the interrelationships between stress and sleep, stress and optimism, optimism and sleep have been found in the literature. However, a possible relationship between all three...Show moreResearch findings on the interrelationships between stress and sleep, stress and optimism, optimism and sleep have been found in the literature. However, a possible relationship between all three of these variables together remains unstudied. Understanding this relationship and whether these relationships are interdependent, may provide new prevention and intervention opportunities for sleep- or stress-related health problems. The current study aimed to investigate whether the relationship between perceived stress and sleep quality depends on the level of optimism. The study employed a quantitative and quasi experimental design, with data collected cross-sectionally via online self-report questionnaires. The Life Orientation Test Revised was administered to measure the level of optimism, the Perceived Stress Scale was administered to measure the level of stress, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was administered to assess sleep quality. To examine the hypothesis that the level of optimism will moderate the relationship between level of perceived stress and sleep quality, a moderated hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was conducted on data from 250 respondents. The results revealed that the level of perceived stress was able to predict sleep quality (b = .14, p < .001), but the level of optimism failed to predict sleep quality (b = -.05, p > .05) and no evidence was found for the moderating role of optimism in the relationship between perceived stress and sleep quality (b = .002, p > .05). It is possible that the baseline sleep quality was not poor enough, and there were not enough people with low levels of optimism to detect whether the level of optimism could interfere with the relationship between perceived stress and sleep quality. However, the role of optimism within this relationship can be studied more in the future, with better-informed research designs.Show less
Optimism and perceived stress are concepts that have been studied extensively in the recent years. Even though an association between the two has been established before, whether coping might play...Show moreOptimism and perceived stress are concepts that have been studied extensively in the recent years. Even though an association between the two has been established before, whether coping might play a role in this relationship is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether resilient coping can be a mediator and explain at least part of the association between the level of optimism and perceived stress. A quasi-experimental design was employed and the data was collected cross-sectionally. The final sample consisted of 250 respondents with an age range of 16 to 60. The Life Orientation Test-Revised, Perceived Stress Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale were used to measure the level of optimism, perceived stress, and resilient coping, respectively. Model 4 in PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation hypothesis. The results showed a significant indirect association between optimism and perceived stress via resilient coping BCa CI [-0.18, -0.02]. To gain more information about whether any causal effects are present within the established associations, an experimental and longitudinal research design is recommended for future studies, as well as going into detail about the potential roles of different coping strategies in this relationship. The findings provide insight about at least one mechanism that could explain the relationship between optimism and stress and could have important implications for interventions that target stress reduction if it is follow-up with some further research.Show less
