An In Vitro Method to Investigate the Microbicidal Potential of Human Macrophages for Use in Psychosomatic Research

OBJECTIVE: Psychological states relate to changes in circulating immune cells, but associations with immune cells in peripheral tissues such as macrophages have hardly been investigated. Here, we aimed to implement and validate a method for measuring the microbicidal potential of ex vivo isolated human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) as an indicator of macrophage activation. METHODS: The method was implemented and validated for two blood sampling procedures (short-term cannula insertion versus long-term catheter insertion) in 79 participants (34 women, 45 men) aged between 18 and 75 years. The method principle is based on the reduction of 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-dis-ulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt (WST-1) by superoxide anions, the first in a series of pathogen-killing reactive oxygen species produced by phorbol myristate acetate-activated HMDM. Cytochrome c reduction and current generation were measured as reference methods for validation purposes. We further evaluated whether depressive symptom severity (Beck Depression Inventory) and chronic stress (Chronic Stress Screening Scale) were associated with macrophage microbicidal potential. RESULTS: The assay induced superoxide anion responses by HMDM in all participants. Assay results depended on blood sampling procedure (cannula versus catheter insertion). Interassay variability as a measure for assay reliability was 10.92% or less. WST-1 reduction scores correlated strongly with results obtained by reference methods (cytochrome c: r = 0.57, p = .026; current generation: r values ≥ 0.47, p values <.033) and with psychological factors (depressive symptom severity: r = 0.35 [cannula insertion] versus r = -0.54 [catheter insertion]; chronic stress: r = 0.36 [cannula insertion]; p values ≤ .047). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the implemented in vitro method investigates microbicidal potential of HMDM in a manner that is valid and sensitive to psychological measures.

Type D Personality, Self-Efficacy, and Medication Adherence Following an Acute Coronary Syndrome

Objective: To assess the relationship among Type D personality, self-efficacy, and medication adherence in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: The study design was prospective and observational. Type D personality, self-efficacy for illness management behaviors, and medication adherence were measured 3 weeks after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome in 165 patients (mean [standard deviation] age = 61.62 [10.61] years, 16% women). Self-reported medication adherence was measured 6 months later in 118 of these patients. Multiple linear regression and mediation analyses were used to address the study research questions. Results: Using the original categorical classification, 30% of patients with acute coronary syndrome were classified as having Type D personality. Categorically defined patients with Type D personality had significantly poorer medication adherence at 6 months (r = j0.29, p G .01). Negative affectivity (NA; r = j0.25, p = .01) and social inhibition (r = j0.19, p = .04), the components of Type D personality, were associated with medication adherence 6 months after discharge in bivariate analyses. There was no evidence for the interaction of NA and social inhibition, that is, Type D personality, in the prediction of medication adherence 6 months after discharge in multivariate analysis. The observed association between NA and medication adherence 6 months after discharge could be partly explained by indirect effects through self-efficacy in mediation analysis (coefficient = j0.012; 95% bias-corrected and accelerated confidence interval = j0.036 to j0.001). Conclusions: The present data suggest the primacy of NA over the Type D personality construct in predicting medication adherence. Lower levels of self-efficacy may be a mediator between higher levels of NA and poor adherence to medication in patients with coronary heart disease.

Sports after Busy Work: Work-Related Cognitive Failure Corresponds to Risk Bearing Behaviors and Athletic Injury

Although employees are encouraged to take exercise after work to keep physically fit, they should not suffer injury. Some sports injuries that occur after work appear to be work-related and preventable. This study investigated whether cognitive failure mediates the influence of mental work demands and conscientiousness on risk-taking and risky and unaware behaviour during after-work sports activities. Participants were 129 employees (36% female) who regularly took part in team sports after work. A structural equation model showed that work-related cognitive failure significantly mediated the influence of mental work demands on risky behaviour during sports (p < .05) and also mediated the directional link between conscientiousness and risky behaviour during sports (p < .05). A path from risky behaviour during sports to sports injuries in the last four weeks was also significant (p < .05). Performance constraints, time pressure, and task uncertainty are likely to increase cognitive load and thereby boost cognitive failures both during work and sports activities after work. Some sports injuries after work could be prevented by addressing the issue of work redesign.

Forschungsdossier Trennung und Scheidung im Längsschnitt (2012 - 2014)

Scheidung nach vielen Ehejahren stellt ein einschneidendes und stressreiches Lebensereignis dar, was sich nicht zuletzt in den geringeren Werten verschiedener Befindlichkeitsindikatoren im Vergleich zu langjährig verheirateten Personen zeigt. Im zeitlichen Verlauf lässt sich jedoch ein deutlicher Erholungseffekt der betroffenen Personen erkennen, insbesondere bei Frauen. Verschiedene Ergebnisse weisen auf einen erfolgreichen Bewältigungsprozess bezüglich der Trennung hin: Fast ein Drittel der Befragten gab an, kein Bedürfnis für die Inanspruchnahme von Hilfe für die Bewältigung der Trennung mehr zu haben, und auch die Beurteilung der Trennung fällt positiver als zum ersten Befragungszeitpunkt aus. Als wichtige Ressourcen können dabei eine neue Partnerschaft, die Unterstützung durch Drittpersonen, mehrheitlich durch Familie und Freunde, wie auch Generativität genannt werden. Auch weisen die Resultate auf eine hohen Stellenwert der partnerschaftlichen Kommunikation hin: Kommunikationsprobleme wurden von beiden Geschlechtern als eine der häufigsten Trennungsgründe angegeben. Ausserdem wurde „Kommunikation in der Partnerschaft“ von der Gruppe der Getrennten/Geschiedenen als häufigstes Rezept für eine erfolgreiche Partnerschaft genannt.

Forschungsdossier langjährige Ehen - Ergebnisse der Längsschnittbefragung (2012 - 2014)

Obwohl langjährige Ehen immer noch den Normalfall darstellen, werden sie in der Forschung oftmals vernachlässigt. Widersprüchliche Ergebnisse zur Entwicklung der Partnerschaftsqualität sowie der Anstieg der Scheidungszahlen nach langjährigen Beziehungen sprechen dafür, die Aufmerksamkeit verstärkt auf diese Partnerschaften zu richten. Langjährige Ehen sind mit verschiedenen Anforderungen verbunden, dazu gehören beispielsweise die Weiterentwicklung sowohl der eigenen als auch der Paaridentität, das Hinterfragen und Neubestimmen der Interaktionsmuster und Beziehungsdefinitionen, die Aufrechterhaltung von Bindung und Zuneigung trotz grösserer Veränderungen beider Partner und ihrer Umwelt (Becker, 2008). Daher sind auch langjährige Ehen fortwähren-den Wachstums- und Veränderungsprozessen unterlegen, welche eine wichtige Determinante für die Beziehungsqualität darstellen (Schneewind, Wunderer & Erkelenz, 2004). Eine gute Partnerschaftsqualität stellt eine wichtige Ressource für Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit dar. Daher erhält die Forschungsfrage, was Ehen zusammenhält, bzw. welche Bedingungen und Konsequenzen ehelicher Stabilität ausgemacht werden können, vermehrt Aufmerksamkeit im Forschungsdiskurs. Das Zusammenwirken von verschiedenen intra- und interpersonellen Faktoren ist dabei von besonderem Interesse. Welche persönlichen Ressourcen tragen zum Gelingen einer Partnerschaft bei? Wie glücklich sind langjährig Verheiratete? Was ist aus ihrer Sicht das Rezept für Ehe-glück? Personen, die bereits seit längerer Zeit verheiratet sind, sind die besten Experten für die Beantwortung dieser Fragen. Genau dies hat vorliegende Studie gemacht: Sie hat langjährig Verheiratete zu diesen Themen befragt. Durch das Längsschnittdesign der Studie lassen sich einerseits Stabilität und Veränderung in der Partnerbeziehung untersuchen, andererseits können verschiedene intra- und interpersonelle Ressourcen und Wohlbefindens-Variablen bei langjährig Verheirateten mit Geschiedenen und Verwitweten verglichen werden. Dadurch können wertvolle Erkenntnisse über die physische, psychische und soziale Befindlichkeit von Personen nach kritischen Lebensereignissen wie einer Scheidung oder Verwitwung gewonnen werden.

Association of Trait Resilience With Peritraumatic and Posttraumatic Stress in Patients With Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a life-threatening condition, leading to immediate fear and distress in many patients. Approximately 18% of patients develop posttraumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of MI. Trait resilience has shown to be a protective factor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder. However, whether this buffering effect has already an impact on peritraumatic distress and applies to patients with MI is elusive. METHODS We investigated 98 consecutive patients with acute MI within 48 hours after having reached stable circulatory conditions and 3 months thereafter. Peritraumatic distress was assessed retrospectively with three single-item questions about pain, fear, and helplessness during MI. All patients completed the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Resilience Scale to self-rate posttraumatic stress and trait resilience. RESULTS Multivariate models adjusting for sociodemographic and medical factors showed that trait resilience was not associated with peritraumatic distress, but significantly so with posttraumatic stress. Patients with greater trait resilience showed lower PDS scores (b = -0.06, p < .001). There was no significant relationship between peritraumatic distress scores and PDS scores; resilience did not emerge as a moderator of this relationship. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that trait resilience does not buffer the perception of acute MI as stressful per se but may enhance better coping with the traumatic experience in the longer term, thus preventing the development of MI-associated posttraumatic stress. Trait resilience may play an important role in posttraumatic stress symptoms triggered by medical diseases such as acute MI.

Comparison of telomere length in black and white teachers from South Africa: the sympathetic activity and ambulatory blood pressure in Africans study

OBJECTIVE Telomere length is a marker of biological aging that has been linked to cardiovascular disease risk. The black South African population is witnessing a tremendous increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, part of which might be explained through urbanization. We compared telomere length between black South Africans and white South Africans and examined which biological and psychosocial variables played a role in ethnic difference in telomere length. METHODS We measured leukocyte telomere length in 161 black South African teachers and 180 white South African teachers aged 23 to 66 years without a history of atherothrombotic vascular disease. Age, sex, years having lived in the area, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hypertension, body mass index, dyslipidemia, hemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein, smoking, physical activity, alcohol abuse, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and work stress were considered as covariates. RESULTS Black participants had shorter (median, interquartile range) relative telomere length (0.79, 0.70-0.95) than did white participants (1.06, 0.87-1.21; p < .001), and this difference changed very little after adjusting for covariates. In fully adjusted models, age (p < .001), male sex (p = .011), and HIV positive status (p = .023) were associated with shorter telomere length. Ethnicity did not significantly interact with any covariates in determining telomere length, including psychosocial characteristics. CONCLUSIONS Black South Africans showed markedly shorter telomeres than did white South African counterparts. Age, male sex, and HIV status were associated with shorter telomere length. No interactions between ethnicity and biomedical or psychosocial factors were found. Ethnic difference in telomere length might primarily be explained by genetic factors.

Sozialisation und Emanzipation in der Theologie und Seelsorge

Religion steht in der Spannung zwischen einerseits dem durch die Religionskritik Freuds genährten Vorwurf der Einengung und des Konservativismus und andrerseits der ihr ureigenen Erfahrung der Befreiung, die im Exodus-Erlebnis des Alten Testaments angelegt ist. Diese Ambivalenz von Religion macht sie zu einer steten Herausforderung und bedarf der fortwährenden Reflexion. Die Aufgabe von Seelsorge ist es, das befreiende und lebensfreundliche Potential von Religion hervorzuheben und zu stärken sowie Vertrauen ins eigene Geliebt- und Gewolltsein zu schaffen, denn dieses ist die Grundvoraussetzung aller möglichen Emanzipation.