J Korean Med Assoc.  2013 Jun;56(6):478-484.

Evidence-based stress management: focusing on nonpharmacological procedure which reduce stress and promote health

• Park M

Abstract

In modern society, stress is one of the most significant problems affecting physical as well as mental health. Stress, which is defined as a situation in which the homeostasis of the physiological system of one's mind and body is threatened, is composed of two concepts: stressors and stress reactions. A stressor is the stimulus that is perceived as a threat and arouses a stress reaction, such as a disaster or serious life event. Stress reactions are physical and mental symptoms, for example, chest tightness, dizziness, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, headache, and agitation, which are mediated by the sympathetic nervous system and stress hormones such as cortisol. These reactions, along with stress-related unhealthy behaviors, result in serious chronic diseases, including cancers and cardiovascular disease. Stress coping methods are classified into two components: cognitive behavioral interventions for stressors and mind-body interventions to reduce the stress response. Various interventions have been identified: progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, relaxation response, biofeedback, the emotional freedom technique, guided imagery, diaphragmatic breathing, transcendental meditation, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Meditation and progressive muscular relaxation are well-known and widely used procedures to reduce the stress response and to improve quality of life. Further studies to establish an evidence-based standardized program that can be easily applied at the individual level are needed.

Keyword

Psychological stress; Cognitive behavior intervention; Mind-body intervention; Meditation; Relaxation

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Autogenic Training
Biofeedback, Psychology
Cardiovascular Diseases
Chronic Disease
Dihydroergotamine
Disasters
Dizziness
Dyspepsia
Freedom
Headache
Homeostasis
Hydrocortisone
Imagery (Psychotherapy)
Meditation
Mental Health
Muscle Relaxation
Quality of Life
Relaxation
Respiration
Stress, Psychological
Sympathetic Nervous System
Thorax
Dihydroergotamine
Hydrocortisone

Figure

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  Figure 1 Psychosomatic energy and threshold for symptom presentation. From Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine. Functional disease and stress management. Seoul: Korea Medicine; 2005, with permission department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine [6].

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