Chronic Stress, Anxiety can Lead to Depression, Dementia: Study

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According to a paper published in the journal Psychiatry, people who work stressful jobs are prone to developing depression and dementia.

"Pathological anxiety and chronic stress are associated with structural degeneration and impaired functioning of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which may account for the increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia," wrote lead author Dr. Linda Mah of the University of Toronto, and colleagues.

For their research, Dr. Mah and colleagues looked at the brain circuits connected to fear and anxiety in three major parts of the brain including the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC). They also looked at recent papers on stress, fear anxiety in animals and brain scans of these emotions in humans.

The researchers defined chronic stress as a "pathological state that is caused by prolonged activation of the normal acute physiological stress response, which can wreak havoc on immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems." They added that the feeling of fear, anxiety and stress are caused by a group of interconnected neurocircuits.

They found that there is a "see-saw" pattern in the amygdala when a person is exposed to chronic stress. According to Huffington Post, it is a pattern caused by the amygdala becoming very active and the PFC becoming not so active due to emotional responses. Additionally, the PFC contains the rational part of the brain by helping regulate extreme emotional reactions.

People should take care not to be so stressed as Dr. Mah believes that the damage in the brain's hippocampus and PFC caused by stress may not be so irreversible. However, treatment with anti-depressants and physical activity may help regenerate it. Further studies may be needed if other treatment strategies could be applied or useful, according to RT.

Emma Mamo of mental health charity Mind shares that employers should be more proactive in keeping their employees less-stressed.

"This research highlights just how damaging unmanageable stress can be," she said, as reported by Independent. "We already know that there is a link between long-term exposure to stress and both physical and mental health problems. We also know that stress is hugely prevalent in the workplace - over half of the workers (56 percent) surveyed in our latest YouGov poll said that their work was very or fairly stressful.

"That's why it's so important that employers tackle the causes of stress and poor mental health at work, to ensure staff feel supported to help cope with workplace stress."