Department of Psychology, TU Dresden, Germany.
Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019 Aug;106:195-205. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.04.002. Epub 2019 Apr 4.
Burnout symptomatology is associated with various negative health consequences; however, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. One potential pathway involves alterations in the acute stress response. The aims of the present study were to examine burnout-associated alterations in stress-reactivity patterns, during a standardized social stressor compared to a control condition, as well as to examine whether effects associated with greater burnout symptomatology were distinct from other, conceptually overlapping indicators of chronic stress (i.e. depressive symptomatology and elevated hair cortisol concentration [HCC]).
In a randomized two-factor design a total of 70 employed males with varying burnout symptoms but without evidence of physical or psychiatric disease were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G) or a non-stressful control condition. Acute stress reactivity was assessed using self-report stress measures and non-invasive biomarkers. Associations among acute stress reactivity, burnout and depressive symptoms (assessed with self-report measures), as well as HCC were analysed using repeated measure ANCOVAs and moderation analysis.
Burnout symptomatology was associated with elevated stress perception independent of the experimental condition. In addition, depressive symptomatology was associated with enhanced anticipatory appraisal, whereas HCC was not related to any subjective stress measure. On a physiological level, burnout and depressive symptomatology, as well as HCC were associated with a pattern of blunted cardiovascular reactivity, however the timing of this effect varied.
Our results indicate burnout-associated modulations in stress reactivity, which diverge, at least partly, from other indicators of chronic stress.
倦怠症状与各种负面健康后果有关；然而，这些关联的潜在机制尚不清楚。一个潜在的途径涉及急性应激反应的改变。本研究的目的是在标准化的社会应激源与对照条件下，检查与倦怠相关的应激反应模式的改变，以及检查与更大的倦怠症状相关的影响是否与其他概念上重叠的慢性应激指标（即抑郁症状和升高的头发皮质醇浓度[HCC]）不同。
在一项随机两因素设计中，共有 70 名患有不同程度倦怠症状但没有身体或精神疾病证据的男性被暴露于群体 Trier 社会应激测试（TSST-G）或非应激对照条件下。使用自我报告的应激措施和非侵入性生物标志物评估急性应激反应。使用重复测量方差分析和调节分析，分析急性应激反应、倦怠和抑郁症状（用自我报告措施评估）之间的关联，以及 HCC。
倦怠症状与应激感知的增加有关，与实验条件无关。此外，抑郁症状与预期评估增强有关，而 HCC 与任何主观应激测量无关。在生理水平上，倦怠和抑郁症状以及 HCC 与心血管反应性减弱的模式有关，但这种效应的时间不同。
我们的结果表明，与倦怠相关的应激反应的调节作用至少部分地与其他慢性应激指标不同。
