Stress

Lack of resources, mental health issues, low self-esteem, financial hardships and other maladaptive coping patterns are stressors that significantly impact low-income mothers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and perceived stress among low-income Brazilian mothers. Additionally, the study investigated the influence of age, educational level, and employment status on the relationship between participants’ emotional intelligence and perceived stress.
Sixty-eight (n = 68) adult low-income Brazilian mothers receiving financial assistance from the Centers of Reference in Social Services (CRAS) in Brazil participated in this correlational study. Recruitment and interviews of the participants were conducted by Brazilian case managers. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and a demographic questionnaire were used to collect data. Results from a Pearson correlation coefficient (Pearson’s r) test indicated a negative correlation between emotional intelligence and stress in the sample. The findings from the multiple regression analysis revealed that the correlation between emotional intelligence and perceived stress in low-income Brazilian mothers does not differ based on age, educational level, or employment.

The purpose of this randomized control study was to examine the effects of the use of a mindfulness smartphone app on student self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The sample included college students enrolled in courses at a university in South Florida. Forty-four students were randomly allocated to either the mindfulness app group (n = 22) or the control group (n = 22).
Participants in the mindfulness app group were instructed to complete a guided meditation on the app for 10 minutes per day for 5 weeks. Participants in the control group were offered the intervention after the 5-week protocol ended. A pretest-posttest design was used to investigate the effects of the mindfulness app intervention on self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, in addition to serum level BDNF.