Stress leads to neurobiological changes, and failure to regulate these can contribute to chronic psychiatric issues. Despite considerable research, the relationship between neural alterations in acute stress and coping with chronic stress is unclear. This longitudinal study examined whole-brain network dynamics following induced acute stress and their role in predicting chronic stress vulnerability.

Sixty military pre-deployment soldiers underwent a lab-induced stress task where subjective stress and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were acquired repeatedly (before stress, after stress, and at recovery, 90 min later). Baseline depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms were assessed, and again a year later during military deployment. We used the Leading Eigenvector Dynamic Analysis framework to characterize changes in whole-brain dynamics over time. Time spent in each state was compared across acute stress conditions and correlated with psychological outcomes.

Findings reveal significant changes at the network level from acute stress to recovery, where the frontoparietal and subcortical states decreased in dominance in favor of the default mode network, sensorimotor, and visual states. A significant normalization of the frontoparietal state activity was related to successful psychological recovery. Immediately after induced stress, a significant increase in the lifetimes of the frontoparietal state was associated with higher depression symptoms (r = 0.49, p < .02) and this association was also observed a year later following combat exposure (r = 0.49, p < .009).

This study revealed how acute stress-related neural alterations predict chronic stress vulnerability. Successful recovery from acute stress involves reducing cognitive–emotional states and enhancing self-awareness and sensory–perceptual states. Elevated frontoparietal activity is suggested as a neural marker of vulnerability to chronic stress.

To explore the prevalence of EM in an older Chinese population and examine the mediating role of three psychosocial variables – psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, and financial independence – in the relationship between physical frailty and EM.

Cross-sectional analysis.

The data source was the Third Survey on Chinese Women’s Social Status (SCSSW), which is a nationwide decennial survey conducted in 2010.

Community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older who participated in SCSSW (N = 3516).

The past-year prevalence of EM and its seven subtypes, physical frailty, psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, financial independence, and demographic characteristics.

The past-year prevalence of EM was 4% among Chinese older adults, with psychological abuse being the most common subtype (3.9%). A higher level of physical frailty had a direct influence on EM. Older adults with higher levels of physical frailty were more likely to have higher levels of psychological vulnerability (anxiety, loneliness, and uselessness) and lower levels of housework involvement, which further correlated with increased risk of EM. Frail Chinese older adults were less likely to have financial independence, which in turn, surprisingly predicted a lower probability of EM.

In this nationally representative sample, we provided the first evidence of the prevalence of EM among Chinese older adults and expanded the global understanding of EM by examining the mediating role of three psychosocial variables. Future studies are warranted to corroborate our findings and identify factors contributing to the complex mechanism of EM.