The Role of Stress and Fear in the Development of Mental Disorders

Abstract

Synopsis The most common pathological manifestation of fear is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Developing PTSD is closely related with predisposing factors such as genes and early traumatic experiences. In PTSD, enhanced fear learning and poor extinction are common. Fear is manifested through autonomic responses and persistent memories of the traumatic event. These manifestations are related to stress responses modulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The current review evaluates the role of fear and stress in the course of PTSD. Findings on fear learning and extinction are presented in order to guide future treatments for patients with PTSD.

Acute psychological effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak among healthcare workers in China: a cross-sectional study

“…HCWs were at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, and were faced with increased levels of stress. In response to actual or possible threat, stress enhance the possibility of forming trauma-related memories 24 , and is a defining feature of PTSD 25 . Moreover, stress plays a critical role in the development and expression of many other psychiatric disorders 25 .…”

Role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in aversive learning and memory

“…For aversive events, Pavlovian fear conditioning models how humans and other animals learn about threats in their environment (Rescorla 1988;LeDoux 2000;Maren 2001;Phelps and LeDoux 2005). Importantly, the conditioning, extinction, and relapse of fear may contribute to and interact with trauma-related psychopathologies such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Jovanovic and Ressler 2010;Mahan and Ressler 2012;Milad and Quirk 2012;Goswami et al 2013;Gonzalez and Martinez 2014;VanElzakker et al 2014;Careaga et al 2016;also, see LeDoux 2012also, see LeDoux , 2014also, see LeDoux , 2017LeDoux and Pine 2016;LeDoux and Brown 2017).…”

“…As a result of this connectivity, it is perhaps not surprising that the BNST has been implicated in a number of functions and behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders, including the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian fear conditioning, reinstatement of drug seeking, negative affect in pain, compulsivity, the expression of social defeat and learned helplessness, social attachment and reproductive behaviors, and regulation of the stress axis (Davis et al 2010;Hammack et al 2012;Crestani et al 2013;Petrulis 2013;Adhikari 2014;Coria-Avila et al 2014;Stamatakis et al 2014;Takahashi 2014;Fox et al 2015;Kash et al 2015;Minami and Ide 2015;Avery et al 2016;Daniel and Rainnie 2016;Gungor and Paré 2016;Lebow and Chen 2016;Mantsch et al 2016;Waraczynski 2016;Laman-Maharg and Trainor 2017;Vranjkovic et al 2017). Moreover, a growing body of research links BNST function (and its dysfunction) to a number of human pathological disorders such as anxiety and addiction (Fox et al 2015;Avery et al 2016;Lebow and Chen 2016)-disorders that are widespread, extremely costly to the individual, and often comorbid (Kessler et al 2005a,b;Koob 2009;McEwen 2012;Whiteford et al 2013; DiLuca and Olesen 2014; Gonzalez and Martinez 2014). Accordingly, the BNST represents an important target for therapeutic interventions aimed at treating various psychopathologies.…”

Embalses, miedo y salud humana: a propósito de la emergencia en Hidroituango

“…El miedo constante genera respuestas neuroendocrinas, que pueden facilitar problemas de salud 7,8 . El más conocido de todos es el desorden de estrés postraumático, el cual suele ser más frecuente entre individuos susceptibles, como quienes han sido víctimas de abuso infantil 9 . Sin embargo, esa es apenas la punta del iceberg, y las problemáticas de salud mental con menor severidad son de una mayor ocurrencia, aunque no siempre con connotaciones de enfermedad.…”