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Brian Distelberg, an expert from Loma Linda University, describes its impact and solutions.
By: Janelle Ringer, Loma Linda University Health, and Adventist Review
BRian Distelberg says that stress has more impact on physical and mental health than most people think.
Distelberg, who is director of research for Loma Linda University's Center for Behavioral Health Medicine, strives to identify the impact of stress and find support solutions for patients.
Distelberg leads the MEND program, an initiative that helps patients and their families maintain or recover their emotional health and balance during a critical illness or treatment. Registrations to the program have increased by 300% since the beginning of 2018.
For the month of May Mental Health – celebrated every year since 1949 in the United States and more recently in other countries -, Distelberg sat down for an interview to discuss the unexpected links between stress and physical and mental health – and what solution could be the solution.
Janelle Ringer: Let's start with an apparently basic question: What is stress?
Brian Distelberg: This is a difficult question because, in terms of academic definition, there is no definition of stress. Stress is the term we use in our everyday world and can mean different things to different people.
Someone may feel stressed because someone makes a big noise right behind him, causing a stress reaction because he's been surprised. It's a natural reaction and probably not what worries most people when it comes to stress.
There is also stress at the psychological level, called cognitive stress. This stress can come from financial difficulties, problematic relationships, work or even just being human.
People are usually more interested in the idea of "distress", or when our body and mind are constantly in a state of stress. This stress occurs at the biological level and creates a biochemical reaction in the body that involves not only our brain but several different bodily processes.
JR: Does long-term stress have a different impact from more acute short-term stress?
BD: Without a doubt. The length and severity of stress make a huge difference in how your body can react. Prolonged or increased stress can have a longer-term effect on the body than severe but short-term stress. If stress is maintained for a long time, it will also increase the chances that a physical condition or mental health condition will develop or worsen.
JR: Which body systems can be affected by stress?
BD: At present, one of the most popular scientific areas is to identify the impact of stress on the body as a whole. Prolonged distress has been shown to have effects on the body – whether it is an increase in heart rate, an acceleration of the respiratory rate, or another "immediate" reaction to a given situation. If this distress persists in the long run, it can lead to costs.
At the biological level, we are beginning to see that some diseases are "stress-based" or "stress-related" diseases. These are things like asthma, diabetes and some pain disorders.
JR: Are some groups more sensitive to the effects of stress?
BD: There is a whole area of science called health disparities research, which studies health outcomes based on race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. We would not say they are more susceptible to stress, but we find that they tend to be under disproportionate stress.
These groups have more negative health outcomes because they live in communities where environmental impact factors are more important to them. There are many reasons why people with low incomes have more negative consequences for their health, especially stress.
Age can also be a factor. Recent studies show that stress has an impact on cognitive functioning. When stress is high, it can exhaust a person's cognitive abilities. This research surrounds teens and suggests that their age group may be more susceptible to the effects of this negative distress.
On the older spectrum, we examine the relationship between stress and dementia, and it appears that there are links between high stress levels and a faster progression of dementia over time.
JR: How can people who can not avoid stress, such as nurses, students, etc., learn to manage it?
BD: We can never completely avoid stress. However, a person can fight stress by strengthening their resilience. Each person can tolerate a different level of stress, but without knowing where the level is, a better option is to focus on building resilience.
Having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and exercising – making sure you stay active for at least 30 minutes a day – is essential for building resistance to stress.
We also find that being in relationships with others and having social support and social interaction is essential for moderating the effects of stress on the body.
This meeting was originally published on the health website of Loma Linda University news site.
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