Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 57, Issue 5 460-467, Copyright © 1995 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Effect of chronic stress associated with unemployment on salivary cortisol: overall cortisol levels, diurnal rhythm, and acute stress reactivity

MC Ockenfels, L Porter, J Smyth, C Kirschbaum, DH Hellhammer and AA Stone
University of Trier, Germany.

This study examined the effect of chronic stress associated with unemployment on the magnitude of salivary cortisol excretion, on the diurnal rhythm of cortisol, and on cortisol reactivity to acute naturalistic stressors using Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM). Employed (N = 60) and unemployed (N = 60) subjects were studied for 2 days. Subjects were beeped 6 times per day by a preprogrammed wristwatch to assess acute stressors; 25 minutes after each ESM-beep, subjects were beeped a second time for saliva samples. The groups did not differ in their overall cortisol excretion or in cortisol reactivity to acute daily stressors. Compared to employed subjects, unemployed subjects had a diurnal pattern of cortisol excretion with relatively higher morning and lower evening levels. Subjects' daily activities and their locations were associated with diurnal rhythm differences.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. L. Mangold, R. Veraza, L. Kinkler, and N. A. Kinney Neuroticism Predicts Acculturative Stress in Mexican American College Students Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, August 1, 2007; 29(3): 366 - 383. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. M. Schmid, M. Hallschmid, K. Jauch-Chara, N. Bandorf, J. Born, and B. Schultes Sleep Loss Alters Basal Metabolic Hormone Secretion and Modulates the Dynamic Counterregulatory Response to Hypoglycemia J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2007; 92(8): 3044 - 3051. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Holt-Lunstad and P. R. Steffen Diurnal Cortisol Variation is Associated With Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping Psychosom Med, May 1, 2007; 69(4): 339 - 343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Matthews, J. Schwartz, S. Cohen, and T. Seeman Diurnal Cortisol Decline is Related to Coronary Calcification: CARDIA Study. Psychosom Med, September 1, 2006; 68(5): 657 - 661. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. Karlamangla, B. H. Singer, and T. E. Seeman Reduction in Allostatic Load in Older Adults Is Associated With Lower All-Cause Mortality Risk: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging Psychosom Med, May 1, 2006; 68(3): 500 - 507. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. C. Kraemer, J. Giese-Davis, M. Yutsis, R. O'Hara, E. Neri, D. Gallagher-Thompson, C. B. Taylor, and D. Spiegel Design Decisions to Optimize Reliability of Daytime Cortisol Slopes in an Older Population Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, April 1, 2006; 14(4): 325 - 333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Gallagher-Thompson, G. R. Shurgot, K. Rider, H. L. Gray, C. L. McKibbin, H. C. Kraemer, S. E. Sephton, and L. W. Thompson Ethnicity, Stress, and Cortisol Function in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women: A Preliminary Study of Family Dementia Caregivers and Noncaregivers Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, April 1, 2006; 14(4): 334 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Ranjit, E. A Young, and G. A Kaplan Material hardship alters the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2005; 34(5): 1138 - 1143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Schlotz, J. Hellhammer, P. Schulz, and A. A. Stone Perceived Work Overload and Chronic Worrying Predict Weekend-Weekday Differences in the Cortisol Awakening Response Psychosom Med, March 1, 2004; 66(2): 207 - 214. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Stowell Use and Abuse of Academic Examinations in Stress Research Psychosom Med, November 1, 2003; 65(6): 1055 - 1057. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W De Vente, M Olff, J G C Van Amsterdam, J H Kamphuis, and P M G Emmelkamp Physiological differences between burnout patients and healthy controls: blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol responses Occup. Environ. Med., June 1, 2003; 60(90001): i54 - 61. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Pruessner, D. H. Hellhammer, J. C. Pruessner, and S. J. Lupien Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms and Stress Levels in Healthy Young Men: Associations With the Cortisol Response to Awakening Psychosom Med, January 1, 2003; 65(1): 92 - 99. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. H. Powell, W. R. Lovallo, K. A. Matthews, P. Meyer, A. R. Midgley, A. Baum, A. A. Stone, L. Underwood, J. J. McCann, K. Janikula Herro, et al. Physiologic Markers of Chronic Stress in Premenopausal, Middle-Aged Women Psychosom Med, May 1, 2002; 64(3): 502 - 509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Steptoe and M. Marmot The role of psychobiological pathways in socio-economic inequalities in cardiovascular disease risk Eur. Heart J., January 1, 2002; 23(1): 13 - 25. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Sephton, R. M. Sapolsky, H. C. Kraemer, and D. Spiegel Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm as a Predictor of Breast Cancer Survival J Natl Cancer Inst, June 21, 2000; 92(12): 994 - 1000. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Turner-Cobb, S. E. Sephton, C. Koopman, J. Blake-Mortimer, and D. Spiegel Social Support and Salivary Cortisol in Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer Psychosom Med, May 1, 2000; 62(3): 337 - 345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. Pruessner, D. H. Hellhammer, and C. Kirschbaum Burnout, Perceived Stress, and Cortisol Responses to Awakening Psychosom Med, March 1, 1999; 61(2): 197 - 204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. J Wright, M. Rodriguez, and S. Cohen Review of psychosocial stress and asthma: an integrated biopsychosocial approach Thorax, December 1, 1998; 53(12): 1066 - 1074. [Full Text]