Professor shares tips on managing stress and building resilience
Jul 29, 2021
Heidemarie Laurent, who became Penn State's second Bennett Pierce Professor of Caring and Compassion in July, conducts cutting-edge research on how interpersonal relationships — starting with experiences in the womb and continuing to develop throughout life — shape people’s ability to handle stress…
COVID-19 pandemic may have increased mental health issues within families
Apr 14, 2021
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many families found themselves suddenly isolated together at home. A year later, new research has linked this period with a variety of large, detrimental effects on individuals’ and families’ well-being and functioning. The study — led by Penn State…
Penn State faculty offer tips on avoiding burnout amid pandemic
Apr 7, 2021
As employees and students of Penn State face the uncertain circumstances of the pandemic, University faculty offer advice on how to avoid burnout or, if you are already feeling sapped of energy and interest -- how to recover. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an occupational…
Living a stress-free life may have benefits, but also a downside
Mar 23, 2021
Stress is a universal human experience that almost everyone deals with from time to time. But a new study found that not only do some people report feeling no stress at all, but that there may be downsides to not experiencing stress. The researchers found that people who reported experiencing no…News Topics: Human Development and Family StudiesStress
Validation may be best way to support stressed out friends and family
Mar 27, 2020
In uncertain times, supporting your friends and family can help them make it through. But your comforting words can have different effects based on how you phrase them, according to new Penn State research. The researchers studied how people responded to a variety of different messages offering…
Stress may drive people to give as well as receive emotional support
Feb 27, 2020
Stress has a justifiably bad reputation for making people feel crummy. But new research suggests that despite its negative side effects, it may also lead to a surprising social benefit. In a study, a team of scientists including Penn State researchers found that experiencing stress made people both…
Evaluating spousal caregivers stress
Mar 29, 2019
Spousal caregivers can face increased health risks, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, possibly due to the stress of caring for an ailing spouse. To evaluate this stress in daily life situations, researchers Stephanie Wilson, postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State's Institute for Behavioral…
Researcher to study how adversity can lead to susceptibility to disease
Feb 6, 2019
How adversity early in life can lead to susceptibility to disease will be studied through a project initially funded through Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s "Bridges to Translation" pilot grant program. Idan Shalev, Mark T. Greenberg Early Career Professor for the Study…
LGB and other sexual minorities face significant health disparities
Jan 29, 2019
Sexual minorities — people who are attracted to members of the same sex or who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual — are at a higher risk for several different health problems at different points in their lives, according to Penn State researchers. The researchers found that sexual minorities were…
How teens deal with stress may affect their blood pressure, immune system
Dec 18, 2018
Most teens get stressed out by their families from time to time, but whether they bottle those emotions up or put a positive spin on things may affect certain processes in the body, including blood pressure and how immune cells respond to bacterial invaders, according to Penn State researchers. The…
Bringing Americans together on the issue of affordable housing
Oct 24, 2018
A lack of affordable housing is linked with many health problems, including asthma, stress and alcoholism. Penn State researchers found that while some Americans may be less aware of this link, there may be ways to communicate this connection in a way that resonates with those groups. The…
Emotions like anger and sadness may cause pain as well as being a result of it
Sep 10, 2018
While emotions such as anger or sadness are often thought of as being a result of stress or pain, findings recently published by Penn State researchers suggest that negative or mixed emotions could function as stressors themselves. The manuscript, published in the journal Psychological Reports on…
Opioids and non-opioid analgesics affect different types of stress
Jul 17, 2018
Mu-opioids and non-opioid analgesics appear to differentially affect the psychological and physiological components of psychosocial stress, according to a recent study funded by NIDA, NIGMS, and NIMH. In a between-subject design, healthy young adults (18-40 y) were randomly assigned to receive…
Suppressing negative emotions during health scare may whip up spiral of fear
Jul 11, 2018
Trying to suppress worries during a health scare, like the recent Zika outbreak, may lead to an ever-intensifying cycle of emotional suppression and fear, according to a team of researchers. In a study of pregnant women in areas of the United States vulnerable to the Zika virus, the researchers…
Expecting a stressful day may lower cognitive abilities throughout the day
Jul 3, 2018
There may be some truth to the saying “getting up on the wrong side of the bed,” according to Penn State researchers who say starting your morning by focusing on how stressful your day will be may be harmful to your mindset throughout the day. The researchers found that when participants woke up…
New research to identify what makes conversations supportive
May 18, 2018
People going through hard times often find assistance by talking about their problems with others, and the support people receive has documented health benefits. However, the quality of support can vary and what happens during conversations can determine whether or not the support is actually…
Holding on to stress-related emotions negatively effects health a decade later
May 18, 2018
by PRI Affiliate David Almeida Stress and an individual’s reaction to it are known to impact health, yet less is known about whether lingering emotions after a stressor effects long-term health.This was the focus of a recent study by NIA-funded investigators. Analyses were conducted using data from…
Penn State researchers developing startup to help people in addiction recovery
Jan 22, 2018
A group of Penn State researchers is developing a system — WearIT — utilizing wearable devices as tools to help individuals battle addiction. Their idea was the winner of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania’s TechCelerator program, receiving $10,000 in December to…