A Review of Biological Pathways of Chronic Stress as a Risk Hub for Multiple Psychosomatic Diseases From the Perspective of Clinical Nursing

Yuchun Tan, Yongmeng Luo and Hongmei Mao

Nursing Research and Practice, 2026, vol. 2026, 1-18

Abstract: Chronic stress has emerged as a critical global public health threat, acting as a risk hub that mediates the onset and progression of diverse psychosomatic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, metabolic syndrome, and even cancer) through interconnected biological pathways. This review systematically elaborates on the core biological mechanisms underlying chronic stress-induced psychosomatic dysfunction, including hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalance, abnormal inflammatory responses, and excessive oxidative stress—with precise corrections to factual descriptions of neuroendocrine signaling. From a clinical nursing perspective, we critically evaluate existing evidence for each pathway, identify key gaps in current research, and strengthen the mechanistic link between targeted nursing interventions and biological pathway modulation. We also integrate recent advances in neuro-immuno-endocrinology (e.g., peripheral stress response in the skin) and photo-neuro-immuno-endocrinology, and supplement evidence for stress–cancer crosstalk. Additionally, we clarify the definition of the “risk hub†concept, add a brief literature selection methodology, and propose visualized pathway schematics to enhance clarity. This review provides a refined theoretical foundation for clinical nurses to conduct precise risk stratification, develop pathway-specific intervention plans, and implement personalized care, ultimately advancing early prevention and prognosis improvement of chronic stress-related psychosomatic diseases.

Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2026/9570388.pdf (application/pdf)
http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2026/9570388.xml (application/xml)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hin:jnlnrp:9570388

DOI: 10.1155/nrp/9570388

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Nursing Research and Practice from Hindawi
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Mohamed Abdelhakeem ().