STRESS AND ALLOSTATIC LOAD IN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE: A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/3041-2005/2026-1.16Keywords:
stress, perceived stress, allostatic load, cognitive-affective mindfulness, self-reflection, insight, women of reproductive age, PSS, CAMS-R, SRISAbstract
The article presents a comprehensive investigation of perceived stress and related psychophysiological parameters in women of reproductive age within the framework of the allostatic load concept. The relevance of this research is determined by the high prevalence of chronic stress among women of childbearing age and its negative impact on reproductive health, fertility, and overall psychological well-being. The theoretical foundation integrates McEwen’s allostasis model and Cohen’s perceived stress concept with contemporary understanding of cognitive and reflective mechanisms in stress response modulation. The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 99 women aged 22–41 years using validated psychometric instruments: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R), and the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). Results revealed a high prevalence of elevated stress levels in the studied population: 38.4% of participants exhibited high stress with risk of depression and anxiety disorders, 53.5% showed moderate levels requiring systematic monitoring, and only 8.1% demonstrated low stress with adaptive coping behavior. Spearman correlation analysis identified statistically significant moderate negative associations between perceived stress and insight (r=–0.580, p<0.001) and self-reflection (r=–0.639, p<0.001), indicating the protective role of reflective abilities against stress. Notably, the correlation between stress and cognitive-affective mindfulness was non-significant (r=–0.005), which requires further investigation. A positive relationship was established between insight and self-reflection (r=0.525, p<0.001), confirming their conceptual relatedness as components of reflective capacity. The findings justify the inclusion of psychological interventions aimed at developing insight and self-reflection in prevention programs for stress-associated conditions in women of reproductive age.
References
Banner S.E., Rice K., Schutte N., Cosh S.M., Rock A.J. Reliability and validity of the SRIS for psychologists and development of a revised short version (SRIS-R). Current Psychology. 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04567-8.
Cohen S., Kamarck T., Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1983. Vol. 24, № 4. P. 385–396. DOI: 10.2307/2136404.
Ghasemi F., Keshavarz Mohammadi N., Karimi-Shahanjarini A., Faradmal J., Residency K. Stress and stress responses: A narrative literature review. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2024. DOI: 10.1177/14034948241281420.
Juster R.-P., McEwen B.S., Lupien S.J. Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2010. Vol. 35. № 1. P. 2–16. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.10.002.
Juster R.-P., Seeman T., McEwen B.S., Picard M., Mahar I., Bhattacharyya S., Bherer L. Advancing the allostatic load model: From theory to therapy. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110730.
McEwen B.S. Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1998. Vol. 840. № 1. P. 33–44. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x.
Snyder S., Lopez S.J., Pedrotti J.T. Preliminary validation of the Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R). Mindfulness. 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s12671-023-02145-w.
Sterling P., Eyer J. Allostasis: A new paradigm to explain arousal pathology. Handbook of Life Stress, Cognition and Health / eds. S. Fisher, J. Reason. John Wiley & Sons, 1988. P. 629–649.
Ullmann E., Perry S.W., Licinio J., Wong M.-L., Dremencov E., Zavjalov E.L., Ullmann J.F.P. From allostatic load to allostatic state – An endogenous sympathetic strategy to deal with chronic anxiety and stress? Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2019. Vol. 13. Article 47. DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00047.
