Examining the Psychosocial Dimensions of Stress in Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review
Examining the Psychosocial Dimensions of Stress in Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review

Summary/Abstract: Osteoporosis is a silently progressing disease that is often disregarded as an inevitable consequence of ageing. Stress is critical for osteoporosis as it inflicts damage on bones and related issues. Studies exploring the link between stress and osteoporosis mostly focus on the biological, but a few studies have touched on the psychosocial perspective. The study aimed to examine these studies in terms of methodology and outcomes. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies that addressed the stress of osteoporosis patients from a psychosocial perspective and with an original research design were included, while did not measure with subjective scales and focused on different samples rather than the clinical group were excluded; finally, seven studies were analysed. Most of these indicated high perceived stress, low social support, and prolonged psychological distress in women were related to a significant increase in bone mineral density loss and fracture risk. Also, studies showed that stress can influence osteoporosis directly, through causing dysfunctional biological systems, and indirectly, by prompting risky behaviours. Hence, these results underline the need to conceptualise osteoporosis not only as a biomedical but also as a psychosocial issue. Assessing the psychosocial stress for osteoporosis patients and integrating it into intervention strategies is considered crucial for preventive healthcare and patients' quality of life.

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