Gartland Nicola, O'Connor Daryl B, Lawton Rebecca, Bristow Matt
University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.b.o'
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014 Dec;50:130-8. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.006. Epub 2014 Aug 23.
Stress is associated with the secretion of cortisol throughout the day, but less is known about the dynamic effects of stress on the cortisol awakening response (CAR). More widely, knowledge of the causal factors and functions of the CAR are also not fully understood. This study explored: (1) the effects of daily stressors on the next day CAR and; (2) the effects of the CAR on same day physical and affective outcomes. Sixty-four participants completed a daily diary, reporting on the occurrence of daily stressors and stress appraisals, physical symptoms, and affect. Cortisol was measured at 0, 15, 30, and 45 min after awakening to provide measures of the CAR on 3 consecutive work days. Stress appraisal was found to negatively predict the CAR, such that where stressors were appraised as more stressful (where perceived demands exceeded resources), the CAR increased less the following morning. Furthermore, the CAR significantly predicted same-day physical symptoms such that a lower CAR was associated with more physical symptoms. This study provides evidence for a pathway through which daily stressors may influence physical wellbeing, and highlights the importance of appraisals for future stress-based cortisol research.
压力与全天皮质醇的分泌有关，但压力对皮质醇觉醒反应（CAR）的动态影响却鲜为人知。更广泛地说，关于CAR的因果因素和功能也尚未完全了解。本研究探讨了：（1）日常压力源对次日CAR的影响；以及（2）CAR对当日身体和情感结果的影响。64名参与者完成了一份日常日记，报告了日常压力源的发生情况、压力评估、身体症状和情绪。在醒来后的0、15、30和45分钟测量皮质醇，以提供连续3个工作日的CAR测量值。研究发现，压力评估对CAR有负向预测作用，即当压力源被评估为压力更大时（即感知到的需求超过了资源），次日早晨的CAR增加幅度较小。此外，CAR显著预测了当日的身体症状，即较低的CAR与更多的身体症状相关。本研究为日常压力源可能影响身体健康的途径提供了证据，并强调了评估在未来基于压力的皮质醇研究中的重要性。
