Nonadherence to fluid restrictions is a common problem with serious health consequences for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). For the present study, the authors evaluated psychological variables of stress, as measured by major and minor life events, and depression. They sought to determine the role of these events in patients’failure to adhere to fluid restrictions as measured by increased interdialytic weight gain. Forty-two hemodialysis patients completed inventories assessing major life events, daily stressful events, and depression on three consecutive dialysis sessions. Fluid adherence was measured by interdialytic weight gain. A path analysis model found daily minor stress to have a direct effect on nonadherence, whereas there was a direct inverse effect of depression on nonadherence. Possible mechanisms and implications for future studies arediscussed.

It has been suggested that commuting behaviours become habitual and that changes to commute mode are more likely at the time of major life events. However, evidence to support this has so far been limited to analyses of small-scale samples. To address this evidence gap, we use two waves of panel data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009/10 and 2010/11) to identify and explain the prevalence of individual change in commute mode from year to year amongst a representative sample of the English working population (n = 15,200). One third of those that cycle or get the bus to work, and one quarter of those that walk to work, are shown to change commuting mode by the following year. Car commuting is more stable, with only one in ten car commuters changing mode by the following year. Commute mode changes are found to be primarily driven by alterations to the distance to work which occur in association with changing job or moving home. Switching to non-car commuting becomes much more likely (9.2 times) as the distance to work drops below three miles. High quality public transport links to employment centres are shown to encourage switches away from car commuting and mixed land uses are shown to encourage switches to active commuting (walking and cycling). Switches away from car commuting are found to be more likely (1.3 times) for those with a pro-environmental attitude. The attitude orientation is shown to precede the behaviour change, demonstrating evidence of ‘cause and effect’. Overall, the study shows that changes in commuting behaviour are strongly influenced by life events, spatial context and environmental attitude.

Some people are genetically more vulnerable to stress than others, leading them towards poorer outcomes following stressful events. Mothers' vulnerability to stress may, in turn, influence their children, leading their children towards poor outcomes as well. A biological marker of vulnerability to stress may indicate mothers who are at greater risk for experiencing parenting stress, depression, and less support of the infant's emotional development, and infants who are at greater risk for development of poor emotion regulation and behavior problems. Taste sensitivity to propylthiouracil (PROP) is proposed as a biological marker of stress vulnerability in mothers and children. This research used a bioecological approach to examine extant data from two previous longitudinal studies, both with child and mother data from maternal interviews and video-recorded observations of mother-child interaction. Participants included 121 low-income and 102 middle-income mother-child pairs who were studied for presence of the biological marker in relation to stressful life events, parenting stress, depression, and lower support of infants' emotions. Children were studied for presence of the biological marker in relation to their development of emotion regulation and their later behavior problems. Results revealed that PROP taste sensitivity, as tested in this study, is not likely to be a useful biological marker of higher vulnerability to stress. Although results flowed in the hypothesized direction, few reached statistical significance and most were of small effect size. For depression, results supported previous research, although with smaller effect sizes. In addition, results depended on the sample and source of stress. For low-income mothers the source of stress was stressful life events. For the middle-income sample the source of stress was parenting stress, specifically mother-child dysfunctional interaction. Among mothers with higher PROP taste sensitivity, those from the low-income sample reported more depression whether stressful events were higher or lower, whereas those from the middle-income sample reported more depression when parenting stress, particularly poor mother-child dyadic interaction, was higher. From both samples, mothers' parenting stress or depression at 14 months predicted children's later behavior problems when they were school-age. Children with lower PROP taste sensitivity were more emotionally regulated with their mothers. Because the results were consistent and suggestive, although not conclusive enough to warrant the use of PROP as a biological marker, future research should examine individual situational factors under which PROP taste sensitivity is related to stress vulnerability.

It has been often argued that life events have an impact on our physical and psychological well-being. In general, research supports this connection between life events and general health, though some argue that simply experiencing life events has a measurable and predictable impact our health, while others contend that this effect is mediated by the appraisal process. Further, research has identified a number of different factors (hypothetically stratified into pre-existing beliefs, external resources and demands, and behavioral activation and coping strategies) that may influence appraisal and general health. The current study attempts to integrate these findings by testing structural models of the relationship between life events, life stress, and general health while considering the appraisal process and other potential moderators of appraisal and general health. University students (N=204) were tested using 17 assessment measures representing 7 latent constructs of Life Events, Life Stress, Appraisal, General Health, Beliefs, External, and Activation. Results of the measurement models required model respecification to combine Appraisal and Beliefs into one construct and External and Activation into another construct, resulting in a five-factor hypothetical structural model. The resulting empirical structural model is a partially-mediated model that suggests that appraisal and pre-existing beliefs influence the relationship between life events and life stress, and that life events significantly impact measured life stress. The empirical model also indicates that general health is significantly impacted by life stress, as well as behavioral activation and external resources and demands. Practical implications of the findings and recommendations for further research were discussed.

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Adults aged 50 years and older are a growing segment of the population and are more likely than their younger counterparts to experience significant stressors such as the death of a relative or friend, onset of chronic conditions, and increased health burden. The current studies use Pearlin's stress process model to evaluate the impact of these stressors on outcomes of depression. Study 1 used Wave 1 data from the ORANJ BOWL research panel of 5,688 New Jersey residents aged 50 and older to explore the relationship between relational life events, private religious practices, and depressed mood. Cross-sectional structural equation modeling was used to evaluate these relationships. Results showed that relational life events had a significant positive influence on depressive symptoms and this relationship was partially mediated by private religious practices. Findings indicate that non-personal life events are important sources of stress that may otherwise be overlooked when assessing risk factors among older adults. Study 2 used data from 640 men from the Research on Older Adults with HIV (ROAH) study to evaluate the impact of HIV-related health burden on depressed mood and to assess the mitigating effects of social support adequacy. Structural equation modeling showed that greater health burden was associated with more depressive symptoms; this relationship was significantly partially mediated by emotional support adequacy, which was a measure of unmet social need. Findings indicate that health burden has a cumulative impact on psychological health and programs and supports that target social wellness can improve this relationship. These studies point to the importance of understanding sources of risk and resilience among older people and in an attempt to improve overall health outcomes. / Ph. D.

This dissertation research project was conducted to investigate religion as a coping resource in later life. The major proposition of the study was that intrinsic religious orientation is positively associated with mental health in late life. A forty three-item questionnaire was distributed to residents of four independent retirement communities resulting in a sixty-six percent return rate. The convenience sample of 214 individuals, with a mean age of 81.94 years, consisted of 156 female and 58 male respondents. Intrinsic religious orientation was held as the independent variable, while mental health was the dependent variable. Stress vulnerability characteristics were held as control variables including age, gender, education, stressful life events, marital status, perceived social support, and physical health. The zero order correlation between the independent and dependent variables was r = .128, sig. = .034 (1 tailed). When all control variables were entered, the relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and mental remained, r = .116, sig. = 046 (1 tailed). Regression analysis produced three predictors of mental health for females: stressful life events, age, and intrinsic religious orientation. Intrinsic religious orientation did not significantly change the relationship between stressful life events and mental health. A highly narrow variability in the sample limited stronger results. Findings indicate the importance of further investigation into religion as a coping resource, especially among older females.

The theoretical part of the thesis mainly deals with the definitions of sense of humor, humor, stress, life events and life satisfaction and presents an overview of the most basic theories related to these topics at the same time. The aim of the work is looking for connection between the three themes. Above all, it shows the positive impact of sense of humor to cope with stress and life events. What role play a sense of humor in psychotherapy? Can psychotherapy help to improve life satisfaction? As this work was created behind the ongoing systemic psychotherapy, corresponds to the mentioned questions also. The research seeks to establish relationships between sense of humor and life satisfaction and consequently their impact on coping stress and life events. The empirical part is based on quantitative data processing, which were obtained by using several questionnaire. The results of quantitative data analysis are supplemented by qualitative observations and insights that explain conclusions of study. Based on the processed data has shown that life satisfaction increases clients during psychotherapy. However the relationship between sense of humor and life satisfaction, as well as their impact on coping stress and life events has not been empirically confirmed. Keywords: humour, sense of humour,...