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The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health
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The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 17265

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Educational Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: mental health; educational neuroscience; disaster and trauma psychology; psychological counseling; mentor-student relationships; facial attractiveness

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We live in an environment in which we are exposed to life events every day, such as epidemics, broken relationships, illnesses, and the deaths of loved ones. These stressors have different meanings and intensities of stimulation for people. Stress responses can occur when a person encounters stressors that are too stimulating or prolonged, and anxiety is one of the most direct manifestations of stress. Various kinds of stress can also put people in a state of anxiety and depression, which can damage the immune system and cause physical and mental illness, because stress alters our body through the physiological mechanism of the neuroendocrine immune system. Therefore, long-term or intense stress responses can cause psychosomatic diseases and psychological disorders. Psychological and physical reactions to psychological stress, especially strong negative reactions, can aggravate a person's existing illness or cause a relapse. Cognitive evaluation, the utilization of social support, personality characteristics, and coping styles play an important role in the occurrence and development of stress. Therefore, this Special Issue explores the impact of stress, anxiety, and depression on mental health. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard coupled with innovative technologies (such as fMRI, FNIRS, eye-tracking, and behavior measurements) providing optimal mental problem solutions.

Dr. Yan Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • epidemics
  • illnesses
  • stressors
  • stress responses
  • anxiety and depression
  • mental health
  • psychosomatic diseases
  • psychological disorders
  • cognitive evaluation
  • social support
  • coping styles
  • stress regulation
  • mental intervention

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1015 KiB  
Article
Physicians’ Distress Related to Moral Issues and Mental Health In-Between Two Late Waves of COVID-19 Contagions
by Davis Cooper-Bribiesca, Dulce María Rascón-Martínez, José Adan Miguel-Puga, María Karen Juárez-Carreón, Luis Alejandro Sánchez-Hurtado, Tania Colin-Martinez, Juan Carlos Anda-Garay, Eliseo Espinosa-Poblano and Kathrine Jáuregui-Renaud
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3989; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053989 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1647
Abstract
In addition to the sanitary constrains implemented due to the pandemic, frontline physicians have faced increased workloads with insufficient resources, and the responsibility to make extraordinary clinical decisions. In 108 physicians who were at the forefront of care of patients with COVID-19 during [...] Read more.
In addition to the sanitary constrains implemented due to the pandemic, frontline physicians have faced increased workloads with insufficient resources, and the responsibility to make extraordinary clinical decisions. In 108 physicians who were at the forefront of care of patients with COVID-19 during the first two years of the pandemic, mental health, moral distress, and moral injury were assessed twice, in between two late waves of COVID-19 contagions, according to their adverse psychological reactions, in-hospital experience, sick leave due to COVID-19, quality of sleep, moral sensitivity, clinical empathy, resilience, and sense of coherence. Three months after the wave of contagions, the adverse emotional reactions and moral distress decreased, while moral injury persisted. Moral distress was related to clinical empathy, with influence from burnout and sick leave due to COVID-19, and moral injury was related to the sense of coherence, while recovery from moral distress was related to resilience. The results suggest that measures to prevent physician infection, as well as strengthening resilience and a sense of coherence, may be helpful to prevent persistent mental damage after exposure to a sanitary crisis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health)
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14 pages, 368 KiB  
Article
“Lovesick”: Mental Health and Romantic Relationships among College Students
by Lacey J. Ritter, Taylor Hilliard and David Knox
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010641 - 30 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6866
Abstract
This research investigated the interpersonal impact of self-reported mental health diagnoses and/or perceptions on undergraduate students’ current or most recent romantic relationship. Analysis of data from a 43-item online questionnaire completed by 267 undergraduates revealed that 68.3% of women and 52.5% of men [...] Read more.
This research investigated the interpersonal impact of self-reported mental health diagnoses and/or perceptions on undergraduate students’ current or most recent romantic relationship. Analysis of data from a 43-item online questionnaire completed by 267 undergraduates revealed that 68.3% of women and 52.5% of men reported having either been professionally diagnosed with a mental illness or perceive themselves to be mentally ill based on DSM criteria, with women and white students reporting significantly higher levels. Sociologically speaking, mental illness was found to influence relationship initiation, maintenance, and dissolution in this study. The mental health of the respondents’ potential partners was an important consideration in deciding to form a relationship, particularly for male, white, heterosexuals. When the respondents reported relationship problems, men were more likely to blame such problems on mental health issues than women. Finally, though more respondents reported having broken up with a romantic partner who had mental health issues than had romantic partners break up with them, there were no significant gender, race, or sexual orientation differences in the termination of these romantic relationships. Study findings emphasize the importance of acknowledging and providing mental health resources—particularly interpersonal options—for emerging adults in the college setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health)
16 pages, 1499 KiB  
Article
Challenge or Hindrance? The Dual Path Effect of Perceived Task Demand on In-Role Performance and Work Fatigue
by Zhigang Li, Xin Zhang, Junwei Zheng, Zhenduo Zhang and Pengyu Wan
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15561; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315561 - 23 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1443
Abstract
The evidence for the existence of perceived task demand is paradoxical. The purpose of the present study is to explore whether perceived task demand is a challenge or a hindrance stressor. To achieve this research purpose, based on conservation of resources theory, a [...] Read more.
The evidence for the existence of perceived task demand is paradoxical. The purpose of the present study is to explore whether perceived task demand is a challenge or a hindrance stressor. To achieve this research purpose, based on conservation of resources theory, a conceptual model is developed that utilizes both a resource acquisition path and a resource depletion path. Using the experience-sampling method, over five consecutive days, 370 matched data were collected via mobile phone from 74 full-time employees in mainland China. The results show that perceived task demand has the characteristics of both challenge and hindrance stressors. On the one hand, perceived task demand enhances employees’ cognitive engagement, thereby facilitating task performance (resource acquisition path). On the other hand, perceived task demand boosts employees’ cognitive strain, thereby increasing work fatigue and decreasing in-role performance (resource depletion path). This research offers a comprehensive understanding of perceived task demand and provides strategies for task demand management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health)
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11 pages, 876 KiB  
Article
Trait Acceptance Buffers Aggressive Tendency by the Regulation of Anger during Social Exclusion
by Conglian He, Jixuan Mao, Qian Yang, Jiajin Yuan and Jiemin Yang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14666; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214666 - 08 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1415
Abstract
Social exclusion has led to increased negative emotions and aggressive behaviors, two outcomes that are correlated with each other. Thus, the down-regulation of negative emotions appears to play a crucial role in reducing the tendency for aggressive behavior. However, this assumption has not [...] Read more.
Social exclusion has led to increased negative emotions and aggressive behaviors, two outcomes that are correlated with each other. Thus, the down-regulation of negative emotions appears to play a crucial role in reducing the tendency for aggressive behavior. However, this assumption has not yet been tested. To this end, a total of 397 undergraduates reported their aggressive tendencies, state emotions and trait acceptance by completing corresponding questionnaires, and a recall paradigm was used to induce experiences of social exclusion. The results showed that in the context of social exclusion, (1) trait acceptance was negatively correlated with negative emotions and aggressive tendency but was positively correlated with positive emotions; (2) negative emotions, rather than positive emotions, were positively correlated with aggressive tendency; (3) increased trait acceptance buffered the experience of anger, which is, in turn, related to reduced aggressive tendency; (4) trait acceptance also downregulated the feeling of sadness, which is, however, related to increased aggression; (5) the mediator of sadness was smaller in effect size than that of anger. Taken together, these results suggest that negative emotions are associated with aggression in the context of social exclusion, and the habitual use of an acceptance strategy was conductive to decreasing aggressive tendencies by decreasing anger. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health)
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12 pages, 2155 KiB  
Article
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Activation in Emotional Autobiographical Task in Depressed and Anxious College Students: An fNIRS Study
by Yan Zhang, Xiaoqin Li, Ying Guo, Zhe Zhang, Fang Xu, Nian Xiang, Min Qiu, Qiang Xiao, Pu Wang and Hui Shi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14335; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114335 - 02 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1794
Abstract
Objective: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is strongly associated with mood symptoms. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology to explore the features of brain neural activity in the dlPFC of anxious and depressed college students, during an emotional autobiographical memory task, [...] Read more.
Objective: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is strongly associated with mood symptoms. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology to explore the features of brain neural activity in the dlPFC of anxious and depressed college students, during an emotional autobiographical memory task, and to understand the differences in brain cognitive mechanisms caused by anxiety and depression. Methods: A simple random sampling method was used to test 440 college students at a university with a healthy control group (HC, 220 participants), a pure depression group (PD, 92 participants), and a pure anxiety group (PA, 128 participants). The average oxyhemoglobin in the dlPFC of the subjects during the emotional autobiographical memory task was collected by a 53-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy imaging device. Results: The activation of the left dlPFC (ch13) in the pure depression group was significantly higher than in the pure anxiety group. The activation of the right dlPFC (ch48) was significantly higher under positive emotions than under negative emotions. The interaction between emotion valence and group was marginally significant, and the activation of the right dlPFC (ch41) in the pure depression group was significantly higher under positive emotion than in negative emotion. The activation of the pure depression group under positive emotions was significantly higher than that of the pure anxiety group. In comparison, the activation of the pure depression group under negative emotions was significantly lower than that of the healthy control group. The results of correlation analysis showed that the activation of the left dlPFC (ch13) was significantly negatively correlated with anxiety in positive emotions, but the activation of the right dlPFC (ch34, ch42) was significantly positively correlated with anxiety in positive and negative emotions. Conclusions: The right dlPFC was insensitive to positive emotions in college students with high-anxiety symptoms, whereas this region was insensitive to negative emotions in college students with high depressive symptoms, which might be one of the critical differences in the cognitive mechanisms of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, left and right dlPFC activation correlated differently with anxiety. The higher the anxiety level, the lower the activation on the left side, and the higher the activation on the right side. The results suggested that anxiety might reduce the function of the left dlPFC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health)
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16 pages, 901 KiB  
Article
Family Dysfunction and Cyberchondria among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model
by Shengyingjie Liu, Huai Yang, Min Cheng and Tianchang Miao
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9716; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159716 - 07 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2369
Abstract
Cyberchondria has become a severe health problem and a significant public concern. In addition to the impacts that cyberchondria involves, individual psychological and behavioral factors have been identified. However, the role of family function and the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying these relations [...] Read more.
Cyberchondria has become a severe health problem and a significant public concern. In addition to the impacts that cyberchondria involves, individual psychological and behavioral factors have been identified. However, the role of family function and the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying these relations are not understood well, especially among adolescents. Based on family functioning and cognitive-behavioral theory, this study sought to examine whether family dysfunction was associated with cyberchondria, and a moderated mediation model was prepared as a means of exploring whether health anxiety was a mediator of relationships between family dysfunction and cyberchondria, as well as whether optimism moderated these mediating processes. A total of 2074 Chinese adolescents (mean = 15.08 years, SD = 1.79) reported their demographic information, family dysfunction, health anxiety, optimism, and cyberchondria. The findings showed that family dysfunction was positively related to cyberchondria. Moreover, health anxiety partially mediated the relationship between family dysfunction and cyberchondria. Finally, optimism moderated the interplay among health anxiety and cyberchondria. Consistent with the expectancy-value models, this positive relationship was weaker for adolescents with a higher level of optimism. These results suggest that it is vital to simultaneously consider individual and family factors as a means of understanding adolescent cyberchondria when performing cyberchondria intervention programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Mental Health)
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