Advancing Psychosocial and Biobehavioral Stress Measurement and Interventions to Promote Healthy Aging

Project Summary Strong epidemiological evidence demonstrates that chronic psychological stress predicts earlier disease onset and mortality. The emerging science of stress is increasingly incorporated into the epidemiological study of healthy aging and there is greater awareness of the role of social stress. NIA has supported the Stress Measurement Network to elevate stress research through improved measurement, the use of harmonized stress measures in HRS Around The World (ATW) studies, and utilizing digital platforms to understand associations between stress and health in daily life. The Stress Network has made tremendous gains— providing funding for 29 research teams who have contributed to more than 50 publications toward these goals. Our stress measurement toolbox is widely used, with over 75,000 unique visitors since we launched our website. We have accelerated stress science by improving the measurement of lifespan stress exposures and daily responses grounded in a multilevel approach, a widely adopted approach that our network has advanced.1 However, given the increases in health disparities and rapid social changes such as climate crises, social polarization, and political instability, we need new and improved measures of macro stressors as well as validated interventions that can be scaled to reach minoritized populations. In our proposed continuation and extension of the network, we build on this foundational work and are ideally poised to improve and innovate on these products and resources and increase their use. For Aim 1, we will provide the best practices in psychological and biological stress measurement through (Aim 1a) implementing webinars, workshops, a podcast (The Stress Puzzle), our expanded online Toolbox of measures (e.g., existential global stressors, minority stress, cultural measures relevant to stress, resilience, physiological measures) that may help explain sources of health disparities; use of harmonized stress data in the HRS studies (Aim 1b), and by building a new toolbox of validated stress-reduction interventions (Aim 1c). Secondly, we have added a new goal of advancing innovation and validation of stress-reduction interventions to promote healthy aging of diverse groups. In Aim 2, we will develop a cohesive and supportive scientific community through webinars on stress measurement and intervention and will develop a national Stress Network Collaborative (SNC) that will help shape and participate in Aim 2 interventions, and promote analyses of pre-existing large-scale stress-reduction interventions to understand race/ethnicity and age effects (Aim 2a). Using the science of behavior change (SOBC) model, we will support pilot studies that measure and reduce daily stress and recovery (psychological and physiological responses, which are proposed mechanisms of accelerated biological aging and early disease) (Aim 2b). Lastly, we will launch a mega-study to compare stress reduction interventions (Aim 2c). These aims will lead to valuable resources and discoveries that will help transform the field of stress and contribute to public health.