This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ditzen, B. Articles by Klumb, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ditzen, B. Articles by Klumb, P. Related Collections Social Support Neuroendocrine Stress and Coping

Positive Couple Interactions and Daily Cortisol: On the Stress-Protecting Role of Intimacy

From Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (B.D.), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (B.D.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Psychology (C.H.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Psychology (P.K.), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Beate Ditzen, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Binzmuhlestr. 14, Box 26, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland. E-mail: bditzen{at}emory.edu

Objective: To determine whether intimacy might be associated with reduced daily salivary cortisol levels in couples, thereby adding to the epidemiologic literature on reduced health burden in happy couples.

Methods: A total of 51 dual-earner couples reported time spent on intimacy, stated their current affect quality, and provided saliva samples for cortisol estimation approximately every 3 hours in a 1-week time-sampling assessment. In addition, participants provided data on chronic problems of work organization.

Results: Multilevel analyses revealed that intimacy was significantly associated with reduced daily salivary cortisol levels. There was an interaction effect of intimacy with chronic problems of work organization in terms of their relationship with cortisol levels, suggesting a buffering effect of intimacy on work-related elevated cortisol levels. Above this, the association between intimacy and cortisol was mediated by positive affect. Intimacy and affect together explained 7% of daily salivary cortisol variance.

Conclusions: Our results are in line with previous studies on the effect of intimacy on cortisol stress responses in the laboratory as well as with epidemiologic data on health beneficial effects of happy marital relationships.

Key Words: intimacy • salivary cortisol • marital interaction • work problems • affect • momentary assessment

Abbreviations: HPA axis = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; AUC = area under the individual response curve.