Managing stress in older people

A program designed to help young people manage their stress has been adapted for older people by Canadian researchers.

The University of Montreal research team has conducted a study that shows significant long-term reductions in the stress hormone cortisol in seniors taking part in the O’stress program.

Their findings were published on 5 January 2025 in Frontiers in Psychology. The study, involving 170 older with an average age of 76, found that O’stress, a six-week stress management program, had beneficial effects on the emotional health of participants. Those who followed the program used more problem-solving strategies and had less anxiety three weeks after completing the program and their diurnal cortisol levels, an indicator of chronic stress, were significantly lower than those of non-participants.

The O’stress program is based on DeStress for Success, an innovative program created by the Centre for Studies on Human Stress to help teens deal with the stress of transitioning to high school. DeStress for Success was shown to decrease cortisol levels and depressive symptoms in participating teens who were experiencing strong negative emotions at the start of the school year.

Countering emotional contagion

In her doctoral research under the supervision of Université de Montréal professors Pierrich Plusquellec and Sébastien Grenier, Marie-Josée Richer adapted DeStress for Success to the specific needs of older people.

“Aging, like adolescence but for different reasons, is a particularly sensitive period when individuals are more vulnerable to chronic stress and its consequences,” Plusquellec said.

O’stress incorporates elements relevant to aging, social relationships and, in particular, emotional contagion, the tendency to get caught up in the emotions of others. According to a recent study by the same researchers, emotional contagion is a significant factor in psychological distress among older people. An educational component on emotional contagion was therefore included in the O’stress program to help participants recognise and manage this dynamic on a daily basis.

O’stress uses a variety of approaches including small-group workshops to help seniors identify symptoms of stress and release that energy through activities such as bopping to The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout”. Participants also analyse their social network to identify sources of support, pressure and emotional contagion, and then problem-solve to find solutions.

The success of O’stress highlights the enormous potential of short, accessible interventions to counteract the harmful effects of chronic stress in older people.

“By demystifying stress and its effects, and then teaching effective techniques for coping with that stress, we equip participants to strengthen their resilience and overall wellbeing,” Richer said.

The research team now hopes to expand the O’stress program and evaluate its effectiveness in other contexts and populations. Their work could also inspire similar interventions in the areas of mental health and aging.

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