- SYDNEY — Acute
stress can disrupt the brain's ability to manage emotions, particularly in
people with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and borderline
personality disorder, according to a study.
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- Researchers from the Edith Cowan University (ECU) in
Australia found that stress can temporarily impair executive functions, which
are mental processes like working memory, impulse control, and flexibility,
crucial for regulating emotions and making decisions under pressure, Xinhua
news agency reported.
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- "These executive functions are vital for controlling
emotional responses, especially in challenging situations," said Tee-Jay
Scott, from the varsity.
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-
- "Our findings suggest that people with distress-related
disorders may be more vulnerable to having these executive functions disrupted
under stress, even when their symptoms don't meet the threshold for a formal
diagnosis," Scott added.
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- Executive functions, such as working memory (holding and
using information), response inhibition (resisting impulsive actions), and
cognitive flexibility (adapting to change) are key to maintaining emotional
balance.
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- The team reviewed 17 international studies and found that
stress significantly affects working memory in people with depression and
weakens impulse control in those with borderline personality disorder.
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- These findings may explain why some people respond poorly to
common treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy, which rely on these very
cognitive functions, said Joanne Dickson, the study's co-author and a professor
at ECU.
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- "If acute stress is interfering with the mental
processes that support emotion regulation, it could undermine a person's
ability to benefit from these treatments, especially during periods of
heightened distress," Dickson said.
