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How do mental health professionals link adverse life experiences with the kinds of beliefs and experiences which attract a diagnosis of psychosis and what implications does this have for women with these diagnoses? Drawing on a broadly critical realist framework, we present data from two studies relevant to these questions. First, we analyse the discursive practices engaged in during a staff-only discussion of a female in-patient with a psychosis diagnosis who had been raped some years previously. Staff oriented to the irrationality and factuality of her ostensibly delusional statements about rape and pregnancy in the present and formulated adverse experience as a “stress factor” triggering a manic episode, thereby precluding alternative contextualising interpretations. In a second, interview-based, study, psychiatrists drew on a range of discursive resources which differentiated “psychosis” from other forms of distress, constructed trauma as a stressor which could trigger psychosis because of a genetic predisposition, and constructed medication as the primary intervention whilst trauma was de-emphasised. We discuss the implications of these findings for the kinds of explanations and forms of help offered and suggest ways in which distress might be contextualised as well as possible future directions for feminist research and practice.

Background and Objectives: Work-family enrichment is based on the assumption that work and family are interdependent since the gained experiences, skills, and opportunities from the workplace, improve an individualchr('39')s family life. On the other hand, a positive mood and behavior and a sense of achievement in personal life affect onechr('39')s performance in the workplace. This study aimed to investigate the effect of work-family enrichment on psychological capital by considering the mediating role of vulnerability to stress. Methods: The present descriptive-correlational study was performed on 482 employees of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, 2019. Data collection tools were three standard questionnaires, namely work-family enrichment, psychological capital, and vulnerability to stress. To evaluate the conceptual model of the research structural equation modeling technique was used. Results: The effect of work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment on vulnerability to stress were estimated (P=0.146 and P=0.531, respectively), indicating that both relationships were inverse and significant (P˂0.01). It was also revealed that the direct effects of work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment on psychological capital were positive and significant (P=0.339 and P=0.334, respectively). Moreover, the results of the Sobel test, which was applied to calculate the indirect effect, showed that vulnerability to stress plays a partial mediating role in work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment. Conclusion: It was revealed that work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment affect employeeschr('39') psychological capital directly and influence it indirectly through stress vulnerability. Regarding this, organizations should seek to implement strategies to create a constructive interaction between the employeeschr('39') work and personal life and manage the stress to promote their psychological capital.

The epidemic of the 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency with multifaceted severe consequences for people's lives and their mental health. In this article, as members of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Resilience, we will discuss the urgent need for a focus on resilience during the current coronavirus pandemic. Resilience is pivotal to cope with stress and vital to stay in balance. We will discuss the importance of resilience at the individual and societal level, but also the implication for patients with a psychiatric condition and health care workers. We not only advocate for an increased focus on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic but also highlight the urgent need of augmenting our focus on resilience and on strategies to enhance it.\ud \ud The epidemic of the 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first expanded within the Wuhan region in China and quickly spread to Europe and to the rest of the world (Zhou et al., 2020). The outbreak of COVID-19 is a global public health emergency with multifaceted severe consequences for people's lives and their mental health. In this article, as members of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Resilience, we will discuss the urgent need for a focus on resilience during the current coronavirus pandemic. Resilience is pivotal to cope with stress and vital to stay in balance. We will discuss the importance of resilience at the individual and societal level, but also the implication for patients with a psychiatric condition and health care workers.

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) is the endogenous ligand of an inhibitory G protein coupled receptor named N/OFQ peptide receptor (NOP). Clinical and preclinical findings suggest that the blockade of the NOP signaling induces antidepressant-like effects. Additionally, the blockade of the NOP receptor during inescapable stress exposure prevented the acquisition of the helplessness phenotype, suggesting that NOP antagonists are able to increase stress resilience. BTRX-246040 (aka LY2940094) is a NOP receptor antagonist with high affinity, potency and selectivity for the NOP over classical opioid receptors. BTRX-246040 is under development for the treatment of depression, eating disorders and alcohol abuse and it already entered clinical trials. In the present study, the antidepressant effects of BTRX-246040 were evaluated in mice subjected to the forced swimming test and to the learned helplessness model of depression. Additionally, the ability of BTRX-246040 to prevent the development of the helpless behavior and to modulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been investigated. BTRX-246040 (30 mg/kg, i.p.) produced antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming test and in the learned helplessness model. More interestingly, when given before the stress induction sessions it was able to prevent the development of the helplessness behavior. Under these experimental conditions, BTRX-246040 did not modulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis, neither in naive nor in stressed mice. This study, performed with a clinically viable ligand, further corroborates growing evidence indicating that the blockade of the NOP signaling may provide an innovative strategy for the treatment of stress related psychopathologies.

This PhD project revealed that the female hormonal status – including OC use – and stress vulnerability – as defined by the MR-haplotype – have practical implications in experimental psychological research. Furthermore, incorporation of these variables in models of emotional information processing may be of help in understanding and treating mood disorders in women. Namely, even small biases may affect information processing and may contribute to the resilience or proneness to mood-disorders.Our research was among the first to show that the genetic makeup of healthy women may play a role in the influence of the female hormonal status on emotional information processing. Healthy female MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers may be more prone to distress, and may also be more sensitive to (pharmacological) changes which may counteract or sustain their vulnerability. Consistently, we observed subtle markers of depressogenic side-effects of OC only in MR-haplotype 1/3 carriers. Our findings regarding the MR-haplotypes 2 carriers are generally in line with earlier observations. We observed that MR-haplotype 2 carriers – especially homozygotes – are the less susceptible, more optimistic and more rational individuals, also in ‘unstressed’ conditions. However, stress-related psychopathology is very heterogeneous by nature and proteins from multiple genes are likely to interact in the stress-susceptibility phenotype. Last but not least, we should not ignore that the increased vulnerability of women to mood disorders is the result of a plethora of biological, psychological and sociological factors.OC-users had lower affect variability and reduced sensitivity to interpersonal emotional cues. This may be experienced as either a stabilizing or a blunting effect of OC, perhaps depending on the individual’s appraisal. The lower depression scores of OC-users in our longitudinal study suggests a protective effect of monophasic OC on symptoms of reproductive depression. Future studies should investigate (former) OC-users in larger cohorts including novel users, satisfied users and ‘brand-switchers’ in order to control for the survivor effect.

Emerging evidence has shown that stress responsivity and psychiatric diseases are associated with alterations in N6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA epigenetic modifications. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) is an m6A demethylase that has been linked to increased body mass and obesity. Here, we show that tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) with weight-gain side effects, such as imipramine and amitriptyline, directly increased FTO expression and activated its epigenetic function in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). VTA-specific genetic disruption of FTO increased stress vulnerability and abolished the antidepressant activity of TCAs, whereas erasing m6A modification in the VTA by FTO overexpression or cycloleucine led to significant antidepressant activity. Mechanistically, both transcriptome sequencing and quantitative PCR revealed that overexpression of FTO in the VTA decreased the transcription of stress-related neuropeptides, such as cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide and urocortin, in the social defeat model, which was mimicked by imipramine, suggesting an m6A-dependent transcription mechanism of stress-related neuropeptides may underlie the responses to antidepressant. Collectively, our results demonstrate that inhibiting m6A-dependent transcription of stress-related genes may work as a novel antidepressant strategy and highlight a previously unrecognized activator of FTO-dependent epigenetic function that may be used for the treatment of other neurological diseases., Highlights • TCAs erase m6A epigenetic modification by activating FTO. • FTO mediates the antidepressant activity of TCAs. • FTO in the VTA confers stress resistance. • FTO in the VTA limits m6A-dependent transcription of stress-sensitive genes.

The inclusion of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) in the ICD-11 has sparked research interest on this topic in recent years. This review aims to investigate gender differences in Compulsive Sexual Behavior (CBD) and persons with CSBD. While impulsivity and psychiatric comorbidity play a role in persons with CSBD regardless of gender, some gender differences can be identified. CSBD is more prevalent in men, with a higher rate of reported sexual behaviors and higher scores on questionnaires measuring CSBD related symptoms. Neuroticism and stress vulnerability seem to play a more important role in the symptomatology of CSBD in women. While it seems plausible that childhood adversities play a role in the development of CSB, the manner with respect to how these adversities affect men and women differently is still to be explored. More clinical studies including the female CSBD population are required to infer clinical implications.

The exposure to stressful experiences during the prenatal period and through the first years of life is known to affect the brain developmental trajectories, leading to an enhanced vulnerability for the development of several psychiatric disorders later in life. However, not all the subjects exposed to the same stressful experience develop a pathologic condition, as some of them, activating coping strategies, become more resilient. The disclosure of mechanisms associated with stress vulnerability or resilience may allow the identification of novel biological processes and potential molecules that, if properly targeted, may prevent susceptibility or potentiate resilience. Over the last years, miRNAs have been proposed as one of the epigenetic mechanisms mediating the long-lasting effects of stress. Accordingly, they are associated with the development of stress vulnerability or resilience-related strategies. Moreover, miRNAs have been proposed as possible biomarkers able to identify subjects at high risk to develop depression and to predict the response to pharmacological treatments. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of findings from studies in rodents and humans focused on the involvement of miRNAs in the mechanisms of stress response with the final goal to identify distinct sets of miRNAs involved in stress vulnerability or resilience. In addition, we reviewed studies on alterations of miRNAs in the context of depression, showing data on the involvement of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of the disease and in the efficacy of pharmacological treatments, discussing the potential utility of miRNAs as peripheral biomarkers able to predict the treatment response.

Stress is increasingly being linked to teacher turnover. This study examined 1,750 first-year U.S. public school teachers’ classroom-specific appraisals of demands and resources as indices of risk ...

Understanding how teachers appraise their environments for potential demands and resources can inform education stakeholders interested in mitigating vocational stress. Using data from the United S...

Resilience is a neurobiological entity that shapes an individual’s response to trauma. Resilience has been implicated as the principal mediator in the development of mental illness following exposure to trauma. Although animal models have traditionally defined resilience as molecular and behavioral changes in stress responsive circuits following trauma, this concept needs to be further clarified for both research and clinical use. Here, we analyze the construct of resilience from a translational perspective and review optimal measurement methods and models. We also seek to distinguish between resilience, stress vulnerability, and posttraumatic growth. We propose that resilience can be quantified as a multifactorial determinant of physiological parameters, epigenetic modulators, and neurobiological candidate markers. This multifactorial definition can determine PTSD risk before and after trauma exposure. From this perspective, we propose the use of an ‘R Factor’ analogous to Spearman’s g factor for intelligence to denote these multifactorial determinants. In addition, we also propose a novel concept called ‘resilience reserve’, analogous to Stern’s cognitive reserve, to summarize the sum total of physiological processes that protect and compensate for the effect of trauma. We propose the development and application of challenge tasks to measure ‘resilience reserve’ and guide the assessment and monitoring of ‘R Factor’ as a biomarker for PTSD.

Context. Stress is a complex psychosocial phenomenon that significantly influences health. The individual differences in stress response depend on sensitivity to stressors, named “stress vulnerability”. Objectives. The aims of the study were to determine the level of perceived vulnerability to stress and compare stress vulnerability among students from 2 universities in Bucharest: University of Medicine “Carol Davila” and National University of Political Studies and Public Administration. Methods. An approximately equal number of students from the two selected universities completed the Romanian version of the Miller-Smith stress vulnerability questionnaire. Results. A number of 86 (60 women and 26 men) students agreed to participate. Average age was 23.56 years with a standard deviation of 4.86 years. The high vulnerability group included 18 (38%) medical students and 27 (60%) political science and public administration students. The difference was statistically significant (chi2 test, p=0.02) between the two groups. The average health score for medical students (MS) was 15.97, with a median of 15, while for the political science and administration students (PSPAS) the average health score was 24.91, with a median of 26. The average psychosocial score for MS group was 20.41 and the median was 20. In the PSAPS group, the psychosocial score was 26.14 and the median 24. The difference was statistically significant for both health score (p Conclusions: Stress is a common problem among undergraduated students. In this study the vulnerability to stress was higher for students PSAPS group compared to the students from MS group.

One of the most reported concerns in the aging population is the experience of cognitive complaints, which is often accompanied by worries and distress about memory performance. Both worry about memory functioning and vulnerability to stress are associated with a higher risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. However, people vary greatly in their vulnerability to stress not everyone experiencing stress or worry develops Alzheimer’s Disease. Therefore within this thesis the relation between stress, worry and memory functioning is further investigated, by including a large group of adults with varying levels of worry about their memory performance. Additionally, the relation between worry and brain functioning during a memory task was investigated as a possible underlying mechanism. The results of this thesis contribute to a more accurate identification of individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Bu çalışmada; obsesif inanışların yaşam kalitesi, tükenmişlik düzeyi, strese yatkınlığı üzerindeki etkisi, bu değişkenlerin birbiri ile olan ilişkileri ve sosyo-demografik özelliklere göre farklılaşması incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini 411 yetişkin birey oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplamak amacıyla; Sosyo-Demografik Bilgi Formu, Obsesif İnanışlar Ölçeği-44 (OİÖ-44), Dünya Sağlık Örgütü Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği Kısa Form, Maslach Tükenmişlik Ölçeği ve Strese Yatkınlık Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Katılımcılara uygulanan ölçeklerden elde edilen veriler SPSS-22 (Statistical Package For Social Sciences) istatistik paket programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Kullanılan analizler Pearson Korelasyon analizi, Çoklu Regresyon analizi, Bağımsız Gruplar T Testi, Tek Yönlü ANOVA analizi ve Tukey analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın bulgusuna göre; katılımcıların obsesif inanışları ile yaşam kaliteleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Katılımcıların obsesif inanışlar toplam puanı ile sorumluluk/tehdit algısı ve mükemmeliyetçilik/kesinlik boyutlarının tükenmişlik düzeyi ile pozitif yönlü ilişkili olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Obsesif inanışların tükenmişlik düzeyi üzerindeki etkisi incelendiğinde, obsesif inanışlar toplam puanı ile sorumluluk/tehdit algısı ve mükemmeliyetçilik/kesinlik boyutlarının hem model olarak hem de özgün olarak tükenmişlik düzeyini yordadığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Katılımcıların obsesif inanışlar ile strese yatkınlık düzeyi arasındaki ilişki incelendiğinde, obsesif inanışlar toplam puanı ile sorumluluk/tehdit algısı, mükemmeliyetçilik/kesinlik ve düşünceleri kontrol etme boyutlarının strese yatkınlık düzeyi ile pozitif yönlü ilişkili olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Obsesif inanışların strese yatkınlık düzeyi üzerindeki etkisi incelendiğinde, obsesif inanışlar ve alt boyutların bir bütün olarak strese yatkınlık düzeyini yordadığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Bağımsız değişkenlerin strese yatkınlık üzerindeki özgün etkisi incelendiğinde, obsesif inanışlar toplam puanı ile sorumluluk/tehdit algısı ve boyutunun bağımsız olarak strese yatkınlık düzeyini etkilediği; mükemmeliyetçilik/kesinlik ve düşünceleri kontrol etme boyutlarının bağımsız olarak strese yatkınlık düzeyini etkilemediği belirlenmiştir. In this study, predictive power of obsessive beliefs on quality of life, burnout level and stress vulnerability, relationships of these variables with each other and their differentiation according to socio-demographic characteristics were investigated. Sampling of this study consisted of 411 adults. In order to collect data; Socio- Demographic Information Form, Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (QBQ-44), World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale-Short Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Stress Vulnerability Scale. Data obtained from the scales applied to the participants were analyzed using the SPSS-22 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) statistical package program. The analyzes used were Pearson Correlation analysis, multidirectional regression analysis, Independent Groups T Test, One-Way ANOVA analysis and Tukey analysis. According to the analysis, it was determined that there was no significant relationship between the obsessive beliefs of the participants and their quality of life. It was concluded that the total score of the participants' obsessive beliefs, the perception of responsibility/threat, and the dimensions of perfectionism/certainty were positively related to the level of burnout. When the effect of obsessive beliefs on the level of burnout was examined, it was concluded that the total score of obsessive beliefs and the dimensions of responsibility/threat perception and perfectionism/certainty predicted the level of burnout both as a model and specifically. When the relationship between the obsessive beliefs of the participants and the level of vulnerability to stress was examined, it was concluded that the total score of obsessive beliefs and the dimensions of responsibility/threat perception, perfectionism/certainty and controlling thoughts were positively related to the level of vulnerability to stress. When the effect of obsessive beliefs on the level of vulnerability to stress was examined, it was concluded that obsessive beliefs and sub-dimensions predicted the level of susceptibility to stress as a whole. When the specific effect of independent variables on susceptibility to stress was examined, it was found that the total score of obsessive beliefs and the perception of responsibility/threat and its size independently affected the level of susceptibility to stress; It was determined that the dimensions of perfectionism/certainty and controlling thoughts independently did not affect the level of vulnerability to stress.

This study examined the link between two biological markers of stress vulnerability at 22–26 years of age and telomere length at 30–35 among extremely low birth weight (ELBW; 2500 g) control participants. Sixteen ELBW and 22 NBW participants provided baseline afternoon salivary cortisol samples and resting frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha asymmetry data at 22–26 years. Buccal cells were assayed for telomere length at 30–35 years. Analyses controlled for sex, postnatal steroid exposure, childhood socioeconomic status, time of cortisol sample collection, and body mass index at 22–26 years. Salivary cortisol and frontal asymmetry at age 22–26 independently predicted telomere length at age 30–35, such that relatively higher cortisol and greater relative right frontal asymmetry at rest predicted telomere shortening among NBW controls, but not among ELBW survivors. However, similar associations were not noted in ELBW survivors, suggesting that ELBW survivors may have different mechanisms of stress coping as a result of their early-life exposures. These findings offer preliminary evidence in support of the role of stress in the genesis of cellular senescence at least among those born at NBW, but that these links may differ in those born preterm.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) function is crucial for adaptation to stress and recovery of homeostasis. Physiological alteration in the HPA axis has been shown to play a pivotal role in the generation of stress-related disorders. A growing number of studies have begun to identify which variables are possible to predict individual HPA response and associated stress vulnerability. The current study investigated the relationship between working memory and the subsequent magnitude of HPA response to psychosocial stress in a non-clinical population. Working memory was assessed utilizing an n-back task (2/3-back) in thirty-nine healthy young men, whose electroencephalograms were recorded. The HPA response was measured using the percentage increase in cortisol to an acute psychosocial stress protocol called the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Our results show that longer reaction time and smaller amplitude of P2 predict a relatively lower HPA response to stress. Our study provides new insights into how neurocognitive factors can be used to predict HPA response to acute stress.

Highlights • Maladaptation to acute stress constitutes an important vulnerability and maintenance factor for psychiatric disorders. • We show transdiagnostic and disorder specific aspects of the brain's acute stress response. • Our results mainly suggest shared, transdiagnostic aspects of a maladaptive stress response. • Patients show relatively decreased frontoparietal network connectivity under stress. • Absence of default mode network downregulation marks a maladaptive stress response across disorders., Clinically, it is well-established that vulnerability to stress is a common feature across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders. However, this link has been mechanistically studied almost exclusively in patients with so-called stress-related disorders such as depression and anxiety. To probe transdiagnostic mechanisms, we set out to study the acute stress response across a broader range of psychiatric disorders taking a large-scale brain network perspective. We investigated the brain's response to a mild, experimentally well-controlled psychological stressor in the form of an aversive movie. We studied 168 patients with stress-related and/or neurodevelopmental disorders (including comorbidity) and 46 control subjects. We focused on three networks that have a central role in the brain's stress response and are affected in a wide range of psychiatric disorders: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN). Our results support an increased vulnerability to stress across all patients, indicated by a higher subjective stress level at baseline and follow-up compared to matched controls. At the brain systems level, the stress response was characterized by a relatively decreased FPN connectivity and an absence of a decrease in the within DMN connectivity across all disorders compared to controls. At the neurocognitive level, these findings may reflect a diminished top-down control and a tendency to more pronounced (negative) self-referential processing. Besides these shared aspects of the maladaptive stress response, we also discuss indications for disorder-specific aspects. Taken together, our results emphasize the importance of investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of psychiatric disorders transdiagnostically as recently done in neurogenetics.

in inducing myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease (Strike & Steptoe, 2003). It is possible that this is due to the more naturalistic nature of the task than, for example, mental arithmetic or Stroop task. However, care should be taken when interpreting the effectiveness of a certain task to induce physiological changes between studies, as it is hard to compare the stressfulness of tasks between studies. Ambulatory recording techniques are available for the assessment of physiological measurements in real-life setting. Even though these field studies cannot be standardized between participants, it is worth noting that there is evidence that the laboratory cardiovascular responses to mental stress were predictive of ambulatory physiological assessments (Strike & Steptoe, 2003).

Social and environmental exposures through early adulthood have a profound effect on the structural and functional properties of the brain. In particular, the brain regions responsible for regulating emotion, responding to threat, and initiating the stress response change in response to early life stress. Such change is associated with heightened arousal and sensitivity to stress. Additionally, there is evidence that genetics drive a predisposition to stress vulnerability, a risk that can manifest through its interaction with social and environmental exposures. Given that law enforcement officers are recruited to service from a variety of different backgrounds, it is critical to understand how differential life experience creates risk for stress vulnerability.

Empirically, it is clear that a number of psychiatric disorders develop from the interaction between genes and environmental exposures, specifically extreme stress or trauma. Accumulative evidence also suggests that stressor and trauma-related exposures prior to conception may additionally contribute to risk for various psychiatric disorders and/or other disease states. Although human studies have focused on maternal effects, animal research has begun to capitalize on the accessibility of germ cells, particularly in males, to determine the extent to which stress is transmitted across generations via epigenetic changes in gametes. Although data across species support the hypothesis that stress exposure in parents is associated with various changes in offspring, clear evidence of a mechanism for intergenerational trauma is still lacking.

Regardless of personal risk, engaging with shocking and threatening stimuli is the job of law enforcement officers, thereby exposing officers to risk for stress-related health conditions. Stress vulnerability is a result of pathophysiological changes in the body's stress systems which can lead to stress sensitization and impairments in evaluating environmental stressors. Through such mechanisms, chronic stress can have deleterious health consequences; however, a portion of individuals exposed to stress and/or trauma successfully adapt and demonstrate resilience, and this resilience is an active physiological process mediated in part by the reward circuitry of the brain. In the chapter that follows, both systemic and brain-specific stress physiology will be reviewed as it relates to law enforcement work-related exposures and stress-related health conditions. Mechanisms of stress resilience and how to leverage physiological data to optimize police training will also be reviewed.

Introduction Tracking stress‐induced brain activity and connectivity dynamically and examining activity/connectivity‐associated recovery ability after stress might be an effective way of detecting stress vulnerability. Methods Using two widely used stress paradigms, a speech task (social stress) and a mathematical calculation task (mental loading stress), we examined common changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) before, during, and after the two stressful tasks in thirty‐nine college students. A counting breath relaxation task was employed as a contrast task. ReHo and FC were compared between subjects with higher versus lower depression symptoms (assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, BDI). We developed a recovery index (RI) based on dynamic changes of ReHo/FC to evaluate individuals' ability to recover from a stressful state. To assess RI's usefulness in predicting future depression severity, BDI was also measured at one‐year follow‐up. Results Our results revealed a ReHo decrease after both stressful tasks and a ReHo increase after the relaxation task in bilateral thalamus. The ReHo decrease after both stressful tasks was more significant in the higher BDI than the lower BDI group. Higher ReHo RI of the right thalamus in the higher BDI groups was significantly correlated with lower BDI severity at one‐year follow‐up. Bilateral thalamus also showed increased FC with the default mode network and decreased FC with the executive control network after the stressful tasks. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of tracking resting activity and connectivity of thalamus dynamically for detecting stress vulnerability., Individuals' recovery ability in the thalamus activity under stress could predict depression severity at one‐year follow‐up.

The work environment in Portuguese hospitals, characterized by economic cutbacks, can lead to higher levels of burnout experienced by nursing staff. Furthermore, vulnerability to stress can negatively affect the perception of burnout in the workplace. However, structural empowerment is an organizational process that can prevent and decrease burnout among nurses. Consequently, the aim of the study was to examine to what extent structural empowerment and vulnerability to stress can play a predictive role in core burnout in a sample of Portuguese nurses. A convenience sample of 297 nursing staff members from Portuguese hospitals was used in this study. Core burnout was negatively and significantly related to all the dimensions of structural empowerment, and it was positively and significantly related to vulnerability to stress. Regression models showed that core burnout was significantly predicted by access to funds, access to opportunities and vulnerability to stress. Organizational administrations must make every effort in designing interventions focused on structural empowerment, as well as interventions focused on individual interventions that enhance skills for coping with stress., El contexto laboral en los hospitales portugueses, caracterizado por los recortes económicos, puede contribuir al aumento de los niveles de burnout experimentados por el personal de enfermería. Además, la vulnerabilidad al estrés en estos profesionales afecta negativamente a la percepción del estrés en el contexto de trabajo. No obstante, el empowerment estructural es un proceso organizacional que puede prevenir y aliviar el burnout en este colectivo profesional. En este sentido, el objetivo de este estudio es comprobar el papel predictor del empowerment estructural y la vulnerabilidad al estrés sobre el burnout en una muestra de enfermeros portugueses. Se utilizó una muestra por conveniencia de 297 profesionales enfermeros de hospitales de Portugal. El core burnout se relacionó negativa y significativamente con todas las dimensiones del empowerment estructural, y positivamente con la vulnerabilidad al estrés. Los modelos de regresión lineal múltiple mostraron como predictores significativos del core burnout el acceso a recursos, el acceso a oportunidades y la vulnerabilidad al estrés. Las administraciones deben diseñar intervenciones centradas en el empowerment estructural, pero también en intervenciones individuales que mejoren las capacidades de afrontamiento del estrés.