Daily Stressor Exposure and Daily Well-Being Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Adults in the United States: Results from the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britney M Wardecker ◽  
Agus Surachman ◽  
Jes L Matsick ◽  
David M Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Daily Diary ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Study ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Daily Experiences

Abstract Background Daily stress plays a significant role in mental and physical health. Negative mood (e.g., hopelessness) and physical symptoms (e.g., headaches) are responses often associated with daily stressors. It is theorized that some people or populations are more vulnerable or reactive to daily stressors. We propose sexual orientation as one factor that is associated with daily stress exposure and reactivity. Purpose To understand whether sexual minorities (SMs) differ from heterosexuals in their exposure and reactivity to general, non-sexual minority-specific stressors (e.g., arguments/disagreements, job concerns). Methods We used daily diary data (n = 3,323 heterosexuals [52% identified as female and 85% identified as White]; n = 98 SMs [50% identified as female and 93% identified as White]) from the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE). Participants completed eight consecutive evening daily diary interviews (n days = 24,773; mean days completed = 7.24) and reported daily stress exposure and daily well-being. We used multilevel modeling as an approach to examine whether sexual orientation interacted with daily stressors to predict daily negative affect and physical health. Results SMs tended to experience more daily stressors compared to heterosexuals; specifically, SMs reported at least one stressor on nearly half (48%) of the study days they completed, and heterosexuals reported at least one stressor on about two-fifths (41%) of the study days they completed. SMs also tended to experience more negative mood when they experienced a daily stressor compared to heterosexuals when they experienced a daily stressor. Conclusion We emphasize the importance of SMs’ exposure and reactivity to general daily stressors and the implications of our results for the day-to-day lives and health of SMs.

scholarly journals STRESS-BUFFERING EFFECTS OF VOLUNTEERING ON DAILY WELL-BEING: RESULTS FROM THE NATIONAL STUDY OF DAILY EXPERIENCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S235-S235
Author(s):  
Saehwang Han ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Jeffrey Burr
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Study ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Buffering Effects

Abstract Based on theory and empirical evidence linking volunteering and health, we investigated the associations between daily engagements in formal volunteering, stressors, and negative affective well-being, focusing on the stress-buffering effect of volunteering. Using eight days of daily diary data from the second wave of the National Study of Daily Experiences (participants, N = 1,320; participant-day observations, N = 8,277), we estimated a series of multilevel models to assess the within-person associations between daily volunteering, stressors, and affect. Results indicated there were no direct associations between daily volunteering and negative affect. However, we found the association between daily stressors and negative affect (but not positive affect) was weaker on days when volunteering was performed compared to days volunteering was not performed. Taken together, our findings suggested that short-term health benefits associated with daily volunteering were largely based on the stress-buffering effects of helping others, rather than through a direct effect.

scholarly journals RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN THE DAILY EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND EUROPEAN AMERICANS PROVIDING CARE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S797-S797
Author(s):  
Kelly E Cichy ◽  
Athena Koumoutzis
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
National Study ◽  
Work Stressors ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
European Americans ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract African Americans often report lower caregiver burden, however, few studies consider the broader daily context of African American caregivers’ lives. This study examines racial differences in the associations between providing care for a spouse or parent and daily health and well-being among African Americans and European Americans, including how other daily stressors moderate these associations. During eight days of interviews, respondents aged 34 to 84 years (N = 1,931) from the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE II) reported on their daily stressors, negative affect (NA), physical symptoms, and whether or not they provided support to a spouse or parent with a disability. Controlling for demographics, on caregiving days, NA was higher than on non-caregiving days (p < .05) for all respondents. On caregiving days with no work stressors, African Americans only reported more physical symptoms than on caregiving days with work stressors (p < .05). Implications will be discussed.

scholarly journals Stress Processes Over 2 Decades: Findings From the National Study of Daily Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 214-215
Author(s):  
David Almeida ◽  
Daniel Mroczek
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Longitudinal Change ◽  
National Study ◽  
Stress Process ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Daily Diaries ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Daily experiences of stress and the associated sequelae of affective and physiological changes represent the multiple dimensions of a complex, time-dependent process of how stressors unfold in daily life. Daily diaries capture these time-sensitive processes as they occur under real world conditions. Longitudinal changes in stress processes can then be tracked using a measurement burst design: daily diaries repeated longitudinally. Using this design, the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE) has generated more than 35,000 days of data from a national sample of over 2,500 adults assessed repeatedly across 20 years of adulthood. The NSDE features details of more than 10,000 reports daily stress including exposure, appraisal and affective responses from adults ranging in age from 24 to 95 years. The current symposium leverages this unique and influential dataset to examine age differences and aging-related changes in daily stress processes with four presentations from the NSDE. First, Dr. Robert Stawski will discuss longitudinal change and age-related differences in exposure to multiple types of daily stressors. Next, Dr. Susan Charles will examine age differences and change in a key element of the stress process: negative affect. Third, Dr. Eric Cerino will describe longitudinal change in appraisals of daily stressors focusing on stressor control. Finally, Dr. David Almeida will examine changes in negative affect reactivity to daily stressors across the 20 years of the NSDE. Dr. Dan Mroczek will discuss the picture these presentations provide of how aging and age-differences impact the daily stress process and future directions for understanding these trajectories.

Age Differences in Types and Perceptions of Daily Stress

2021 ◽  
pp. 009141502110015
Author(s):  
Alexis R. Stefaniak ◽  
Jessica M. Blaxton ◽  
C. S. Bergeman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preventative Care ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Related Stress

The present study explores differences in daily stress across individuals of varying ages. Specifically, we explore whether age group (young adult, midlife, late midlife, later life) relates to differences in types of stress (family, friends, partner, health, finances, work), total stress exposure, and perceptions of daily stress intensity. Participants from the Notre Dame Study of Health & Well-being (NDHWB; N = 891) completed daily questionnaires assessing negative small life events and perceived stress for 8 weeks. Findings indicated that young adults reported a higher average number of family, spouse, finance, and work-related stress. Additionally, total daily stress was highest among young adults, and perceived stress was lowest among later life adults. Because daily stress relates to long-term mental and physical stress, gaining a better understanding of how individuals at different points in the life span uniquely experience stress can inform intervention and preventative care techniques aimed at promoting optimal well-being.

scholarly journals Positive Emodiversity Buffers the Association Between Stress and Depressive Symptoms

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 653-653
Author(s):  
Lizbeth Benson ◽  
Anthony Ong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Daily Diary ◽  
National Study ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Shannon's Entropy ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Optimal Functioning

Abstract Intensive measurements of individuals’ experiences allow for identifying patterns of functioning that may be markers of resilience, and whether such patterns differ across the life span. Using 8 daily diary reports collected in the second burst of the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE, n=848, age 34-84; 55%female), we examined whether positive emodiversity (Shannon’s entropy) attenuated the association between cumulative stressor exposure and depressive symptoms, and age-related differences therein. Results indicated age moderated the extent to which positive emodiversity attenuated the association between stress and depressive symptoms (b=0.11, p < .05). The attenuated association was strongest for younger adults with higher positive emodiversity, compared to those with lower positive emodiversity. For older adults, the association between stress and depressive symptoms was relatively similar regardless of their positive emodiversity. Implications pertain to for whom and in what contexts specific types of dynamic emotion experiences may promote optimal functioning and resilience.

scholarly journals Flourishing and its Associations with Affective Reactivity and Recovery to Daily Stress

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Drake ◽  
Bruce P Dore ◽  
Emily B. Falk ◽  
Perry Zurn ◽  
Danielle S Bassett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Marked Individual ◽  
Affective Reactivity ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
Effects Of Stress ◽  
The Impact

There are marked individual differences in the impact of daily stress on health. We use trait measures of well-being, here quantified as flourishing, and daily reports of stress and negative mood to test (i) the moderating effects of flourishing on affective reactivity and recovery in response to increases in daily stress. To examine whether high curiosity acts as a resource to diminish stress effects, we additionally test (ii) the association between flourishing and curiosity and (iii) the associations between day’s curiosity and both affective reactivity and recovery. We then test for (iv) prospective associations between affective reactivity and recovery and change in flourishing over 3 months. People high in flourishing show lower affective reactivity and augmented recovery. Participants high in flourishing exhibit more frequent days of high curiosity and high curiosity buffers the effects of stress on day’s mood. Finally, greater affective reactivity is associated with longitudinal decreases in flourishing.

scholarly journals Positive Affect and Negative Emotional Responses to Daily Stressors

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 638-638
Author(s):  
Kate Leger ◽  
Susan Charles ◽  
David Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
National Study ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Average State

Abstract Positive affect is beneficial for regulating negative emotional responses to stressful events. Yet, few studies have examined if positive affect may attenuate negative affect the following day. We examined how both trait positive affect and state positive affect are associated with next day stressor-related negative emotions. Participants (N = 1,588) from the National Study of Daily Experiences II (NSDE II) and the Midlife in the United States survey (MIDUS II) answered questions about stressors and emotion across eight days. People high on trait positive affect reported less negative affect the day following a stressor. On days when people experienced a stressor and higher than average state positive affect, they experienced less negative emotion the following day. This held true regardless of whether people were high or low on trait positive affect. Positive affect can help explain both who and when people will have attenuated emotional responses to stressful events.

scholarly journals Daily Financial Thoughts and Indices of Mental and Physical Health: The Importance of Socioeconomic Status

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 391-392
Author(s):  
Jonathan Rush ◽  
Eric Cerino ◽  
Jacqueline Mogle ◽  
Robert Stawski ◽  
Susan Charles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Daily Diary ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
National Study ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Abstract The current study examined the associations between daily financial thoughts, socioeconomic status (SES), and indices of emotional (positive and negative affect (PA/NA)) and physical health (physical symptoms and cortisol). Participants (N = 782) from the National Study of Daily Experiences, a subsample of the Midlife in the United States Refresher survey, completed daily diary interviews and provided saliva samples, from which cortisol was assayed. Participants who, on average, reported more daily financial thoughts also reported more NA, less PA, more physical symptoms, and had higher cortisol AUCg (all p’s < .05). These effects were more pronounced among people reporting lower SES. Daily fluctuations in financial thoughts also predicted daily fluctuations in NA, PA, and physical symptoms (all p’s <. 01). Again, these associations were more pronounced among people reporting lower SES. Results indicate that intrusive, daily financial thoughts may be one pathway explaining the link between SES and health outcomes.

scholarly journals EXPOSURE AND EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY TO DAILY STRESS IN SAME-SEX AND DIFFERENT-SEX MARRIAGES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S797-S797
Author(s):  
Michael Garcia ◽  
Rachel Donnelly ◽  
Debra Umberson
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Same Sex Couples ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Gendered Patterns

Abstract Recent work exploring links between stress processes and well-being within marriage suggest that women may be at an increased risk for exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stress. However, studies have focused primarily on heterosexual couples, raising questions concerning whether and how these gendered patterns might unfold differently for men and women in same-sex marriages. In the present study, we analyze 10 days of dyadic diary data from 756 midlife men and women in 378 gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages to consider how exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stress may differ across union types. We find that women are exposed to more daily stressors than men and that this exposure is especially detrimental to the well-being of women in different-sex marriages. These findings highlight the need to include same-sex couples when exploring gendered linkages between daily stress processes and well-being within marriage.

scholarly journals The Stress-Buffering Effect of Daily Physical Activity on Negative and Positive Affect

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 405-405
Author(s):  
Sun Ah Lee ◽  
Susanna Joo ◽  
Kayeon Lee ◽  
Hye Won Chai ◽  
Hey Jung Jun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Study ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Daily Experiences

Abstract Previous studies show that physical activity is beneficial for emotional well-being. This study extends prior research by examining whether engagement in physical activity moderates the association between daily stressor severity and daily emotional well-being. We used data from the second wave of the National Study of Daily Experiences, a sub-project of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Respondents (N = 1,851; ages 33 to84) reported their daily experiences across eight consecutive days. Multilevel models explored concurrent and lagged interaction effects between daily stressor severity and physical activity on negative and positive affect and whether these associations differed by age. Physical activity was measured by engagement in vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes. Results showed significant interactions between stressor severity and physical activity on same-day negative and positive affect. Specifically, stressor severity was associated with smaller elevation in daily negative affect on physically active days (b = 0.08, p < 0.001) compared to non-active days (b = 0.11, p < 0.001). Reductions in daily positive affect were greater on physically inactive days (b = -0.11, p < 0.001) compared to active days (b = -0.08, p < 0.001). These associations did not differ by age, but additional findings revealed that stressor severity was associated with greater elevation in negative affect among younger respondents (b = 0.12, p < 0.001) than older adults (b = 0.10, p < 0.001). These results highlight the importance of engagement in physical activity for emotional well-being under stressful situations in daily context.

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