Research and Development News
Early Hardships Increase Stress Later in Life
By: Staff Writer | Thursday 30 June 2011 12:27 PDT
Early Hardships Increase Stress Later in Life
A recent study conducted by researchers at UCLA discovered that sensitivity to stress can be caused by a number of issues.
While a previous train of thought is that stress is caused by significant issues, such as the death of a loved one or losing a job, the new study reveals that having early adversity or experiencing previous depressive episodes can increase stress sensitivity later in life.
According to George Slavich, one of the lead researchers, individuals who experienced the loss of a parent at an early age or had an increased number of lifetime episodes of depression were more likely to become depressed as life stresses weighed heavier on the peace of mind of those that did not have similar experiences.
"We have known for a long time that some people are more likely to experience mental and physical health problems than others," Slavich said. "For example, while some people get depressed following a relationship breakup, others do not. In this study, we aimed to identify factors that are associated with this phenomenon and to examine whether increased sensitivity to stress might be playing a role."
To conduct their study, the UCLA researchers surveyed 26 men and 74 women and analyzed their results to draw conclusions between their previous life experiences and current stress and health issues.
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