Stress, Resilience, and Health

Stress does not have a universally negative effect on health: evidence has linked some types of stress with worse health outcomes while others have been associated with better health. To further complicated things, certain groups of people seem better able to cope with stress, or more resilient in the face of stress, than others. BioPop research is investigating how the effects of stress “get under the skin” to influence health, and what factors are associated with resilience or poor health outcomes as a result of stress. BioPop research also seeks to better understand the ways which the effect of stress on health can be mediated or moderated.

Caregiver Strain and Cellular Aging: An Ancillary Study to the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin
Funded by the Center for Demography of Health and Aging

Drs. Whitney Witt, Marsha Seltzer, and Javier Nieto are leading a study to examine the physiological and perceived impact of caring for individuals with long-term illness or disability among a population-based sample of informal caregivers. Specifically, this study will determine the cross-sectional relationship between perceived caregiver stress and cellular aging among caregivers.

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Stress and Cellular Aging among Parental Caregivers of Childhood Cancer
Funded by the University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dr. Whitney Witt was recently funded to examine the relationship between perceived stress and cellular aging in a cross-sectional study of primary caregivers of childhood cancer patients. This research aims to improve our understanding of the biological and psychological impact of caring for a survivor of childhood cancer. The long-term goal of this program of research is to understand how childhood cancer survivorship affects the family, determine how caregivers experience stress and cope, and ultimately to improve the health-related quality of life of cancer survivors.

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Stress in Mothers in the Newborn Lung Project Statewide Cohort Study

Dr. Whitney Witt, Dr. Elliot Friedman, and Carissa Gottlieb are leading a program of research that examines if and to what extent perceived stress is associated with adverse health and mental health outcomes among US adults. Moreover, the role of stress-reducing behavior will be examined for moderating effects on these relationships. This research will also determine the individual and family-level sociodemographic, health-behavior, and healthcare factors associated with stress affecting the health of US adults.

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