title: Frequency of Perceived Poststress Symptoms in Inpatients, Outpatients and Healthy Controls: The Role of Perceived Exhaustion and Stress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poststress symptoms occur as a consequence of stress, most commonly during leisure periods such as weekends and vacations. However, the prevalence and the pathological mechanisms of poststress symptoms are poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we compared the frequency of poststress symptoms in healthy controls (n = 984), outpatients (n = 420), and inpatients (n = 101). In outpatients, demographic factors, psychosocial stress, and perceived exhaustion were tested as predictors of poststress symptoms with multivariate regression analysis. Poststress symptoms and perceived exhaustion were assessed using 2 Neuropattern Questionnaires (the NPQ - Patient Questionnaire and the NPQ - Symptom List), and psychosocial stress was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Poststress symptoms appeared in 2.9% of healthy controls, 20.0% of outpatients, and 34.7% of inpatients. Predictors were educational level, psychosocial stress, and perceived exhaustion. Poststress symptoms differed primarily between exhausted (75.0%) and nonexhausted patients (25.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poststress symptoms are rather common in clinical populations, and they are primarily associated with the degree of perceived exhaustion. Preliminary evidence suggests that poststress symptoms are possibly related to depletion of norepinephrine stores, which may facilitate a stratified preventive and therapeutic treatment of these subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waeldin
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: Dirk H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hellhammer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires