Sensing stress : stress detection from physiological variables in controlled and uncontrolled conditions

Abstract

Samenvatting Acknowledgements 1. The engineering approach sees stress as being caused by the environment. The amount of work load and demand are objectively measurable factors that cause stress. 2. The physiological approach sees stress as the physiological response to certain stimuli. This is a general and non-specific response to any stressor. 3. The psychological approach focuses on the interaction between a person and his environment when studying stress. The engineering approach and the physiological approach form the earlier approaches to defining and measuring stress. These approaches have suffered from much criticism, though. A major point of critique towards the engineering approach was its emphasis on environmental factors. These factors do not always have the same effect on, for example, performance or comfort. For the physiological approach, it is mainly the non-specificity that was criticized. It was proven that the stress response is not identical among various stressors, but varies for different types of stressors. Moreover, both approaches ignore individual differences. Current stress research is mainly based on the psychological approach, which focuses on the relations between a person and his environment and the cognitive and emotional processes that are involved in these relations. There are two interaction theories that evolved from the psychological approach that explain the interaction between a person and his environment [33]. One interaction theory is the person-environment fit: if a person and his environment (e.g. work) do not fit, this situation can lead to stress. Another interaction theory is the demand-control model: if the environment is highly demanding and the person working in the environment has low control this can also lead to stress. A distinction can be made between short-term and chronic (long-term) stress. Short-term stress follows from incidental stressful conditions such as a short period of high demand to finish a crucial report. Chronic stress is caused by a long-term imbalance between person and environment and/or demand and control. 1.2 Effects of Chronic Stress Chronic stress induces negative psychological and social effects, as well as physiological effects. For example, stress causes adrenaline and cortisol levels to rise. Chronically elevated levels of these hormones negatively influence cardiovascular health because of their effects on blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The hormone imbalance also suppresses the immune system. 1.3.2 Biochemical Measures The main biochemical measures for stress are the levels of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol in various body fluids: blood, saliva, urine. Stress increases secretion How Mental Stress Influences Physiological Variables: a Selective Review Mental stress is a growing problem in society. To prevent stress-related health problems, it is crucial to assess mental stress levels and to take action when stress becomes too high and/or chronic. Noninvasively measurable physiological parameters are useful to measure st...

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“…These physiological stress responses can be measured through different biosignals (biochemical or physiological). The level of adrenaline and cortisol in various body fluids such as blood, saliva, or urine can be used as the two main biochemical measurements to detect stress (Wijsman 2014), as stressful situations increase the level of these hormones in the body. Although adrenaline is a well-known biomarker for stress, measuring the level of this hormone to detect driver stress is not recommended because it is measured by invasive methods, such as blood sampling.…”

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