Predicting Hair Cortisol and Cortisone Concentration in Postpartum Women through Repeated Measurements of Perceived Stress

To investigate whether hair cortisol (HCC) and hair cortisone (HCNC) can be predicted by repeated stress reports from postpartum women in different mental health conditions (non-depressed, ND, adjustment disorder, AD, postpartum depression, PPD), 240 mothers (mean age 31.8 years; SD = 4.7) were monitored from within 1 to 6 days of childbirth over a period of three months. HCC and HCNC in 3 cm hair samples were assessed via triple mass spectrometry after liquid chromatographic separation. Every second day, participants reported their stress levels online. The summed perceived stress scores were not found to be predictive of HCC. However, perceived stress predicted a decrease in HCNC (rSpearman = –0.153, p = 0.035) and an increase in the HCC/HCNC ratio (rSpearman = 0.304, p < 0.001) in the ND group. With AD in the first few weeks after childbirth, an inverse effect appeared for HCNC (rSpearman = 0.318, p = 0.011), suggesting an overall downregulation of the HPA axis owing to the stressful experience of adjusting to the new situation. No effects were found for mothers developing PPD. The indirect results of HPA-axis activity are better indicators of the experience of psychological stress in postpartum women than the absolute HCC value.

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Hair Cortisol and Its Association With Psychological Risk Factors for Psychiatric Disorders: A Pilot Study in Adolescent Twins

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1017/thg.2016.50 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 438-446 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Liz Rietschel ◽

Fabian Streit ◽

Gu Zhu ◽

Kerrie McAloney ◽

Clemens Kirschbaum ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Eysenck Personality Questionnaire ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Stress Symptoms ◽

Hair Samples

Measuring cortisol in hair is a promising method to assess long-term alterations of the biological stress response system, and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) may be altered in psychiatric disorders and in subjects suffering from chronic stress. However, the pattern of associations between HCC, chronic stress and mental health require clarification. Our exploratory study: (1) assessed the association between HCC and perceived stress, symptoms of depression and neuroticism, and the trait extraversion (as a control variable); and (2) made use of the twin design to estimate the genetic and environmental covariance between the variables of interest. Hair samples from 109 (74 female) subjects (age range 12–21 years, mean 15.1) including 8 monozygotic (MZ) and 21 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs were analyzed. Perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale and/or the Daily Life and Stressors Scale, neuroticism, and extraversion with the NEO-Five Factor Inventory or the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and depressive symptoms with the Somatic and Psychological Health Report. We found a modest positive association between HCC and the three risk factors — perceived stress, symptoms of depression, and neuroticism (r = 0.22–0.33) — but no correlation with extraversion (-0.06). A median split revealed that the associations between HCC and risk factors were stronger (0.47–0.60) in those subjects with HCC >11.36 pg/mg. Furthermore, our results suggest that the genetic effects underlying HCC are largely shared with those that influence perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism. These results of our proof of principle study warrant replication in a bigger sample but raise the interesting question of the direction of causation between these variables.

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Hair and salivary cortisol and their relationship with lifestyle, mood and cognitive outcomes in premanifest Huntington’s disease

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84726-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Travis Cruickshank ◽

Tenielle Porter ◽

Simon M. Laws ◽

Mel Ziman ◽

Danielle M. Bartlett

Keyword(s):

Huntington's Disease ◽

Huntington’S Disease ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Network Size ◽

Cognitive Outcomes ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Social Network Size ◽

Disease Outcomes ◽

Hair Samples

AbstractSalivary cortisol dysrhythmias have been reported in some, but not all studies assessing hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function in Huntington’s disease (HD). These differences are presumed to be due to environmental influences on temporal salivary cortisol measurement. Further exploration of HPA-axis function using a more stable and longer-term measure, such as hair cortisol, is needed to confirm earlier findings. This study aimed to evaluate hair and salivary cortisol concentrations and their associations with clinical and lifestyle outcomes in individuals with premanifest HD (n = 26) compared to healthy controls (n = 14). Participants provided saliva and hair samples and data were collected on clinical disease outcomes, mood, cognition, physical activity, cognitive reserve, sleep quality and social network size to investigate relationships between clinical and lifestyle outcomes and cortisol concentrations. Hair and salivary cortisol concentrations did not significantly differ between the premanifest HD and control groups. No significant associations were observed between hair or salivary cortisol concentrations and cognitive, mood or lifestyle outcomes. However, hair cortisol concentrations were significantly associated with disease outcomes in individuals with premanifest HD. Significant associations between hair cortisol concentrations and measures of disease burden and onset may suggest a potential disease marker and should be explored longitudinally in a larger sample of individuals with HD.

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Relationship between resilience and stress: Perceived stress, stressful life events, HPA axis response during a stressful task and hair cortisol

Physiology & Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.02.001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 202 ◽

pp. 87-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

María Ángeles García-León ◽

José Manuel Pérez-Mármol ◽

Raquel Gonzalez-Pérez ◽

María del Carmen García-Ríos ◽

María Isabel Peralta-Ramírez

Keyword(s):

Life Events ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Stressful Task

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Hair Cortisol Concentrations as a Biological Marker of Maternal Prenatal Stress: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17114002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 4002 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mi-Young Kim ◽

Go-Un Kim ◽

Hae-Kyoung Son

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Prenatal Stress ◽

Biological Marker ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Urine Cortisol ◽

Maternal Prenatal Stress

Recently, biological markers of maternal prenatal stress, hair cortisol, along with saliva, blood, and urine cortisol, have received attention. However, it is necessary to validate measuring hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) as a biomarker of perceived stress among healthy and high-risk pregnant women. This study aimed to confirm the correlation between HCC and the perceived stress of pregnant women over 18 years of age. In this systematic review, we used various search engines to extract relevant articles using specific keywords related to pregnancy, hair cortisol, and psychological stress. Four out of 3639 studies met the inclusion criteria. We conducted a quality assessment with the help of three independent reviewers using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement. The correlation between HCC and perceived stress was confirmed in one study. There was only one study on hair washing, shampoo, conditioner, and hair structure that could affect hair samples. In four studies, hair samples differed in length, methods of storage, and laboratory analysis. The review was limited to confirming the relationship between HCC and perceived stress in pregnant women based on the current evidence. Studies on hair cortisol need regulated and standardized methods for collection, storage, and analysis of hair samples.

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Comparison of Hair Cortisol Levels and Perceived Stress in Mothers Who Deliver at Preterm and Term

Biological Research For Nursing ◽

10.1177/1099800418758952 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 292-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Allyson R. Duffy ◽

Donna L. Schminkey ◽

Maureen W. Groer ◽

Melissa Shelton ◽

Samia Dutra

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Allostatic Load ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Hair Samples ◽

The Mean ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Cortisol Levels

Objective: To evaluate relationships between hair cortisol levels and perceived stress in mothers who deliver preterm and term. We hypothesized that the rate of change in cortisol levels would be greater in the preterm delivery group. Methods: This preliminary study compared hair cortisol levels and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores in predominately Caucasian mothers who delivered preterm ( n = 22) and term ( n = 30). We collected PSS and hair samples of ≥10 cm in length from mothers after delivery. Hair was segmented into three sections, and cortisol was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The mean gestational age was 31.45 ( SD = 4.2) weeks for preterm deliveries and 39.45 ( SD = 1.1) for term. Cortisol differed significantly in the third trimester between mothers delivering term and preterm ( t = 2.16, df = 48, p = .04) and trended toward significance in the second trimester ( t = 1.88, df = 48, p = .06). PSS differed significantly between the two groups ( t = −2.96, df = 50, p = .05). Our data did not provide support for our hypothesis. Conclusion: There appeared to be a blunted, flattened pattern of change in cortisol levels across gestation in the women who delivered preterm, suggesting diminished hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responsiveness in mechanisms that promote preterm labor. Future studies are needed to further evaluate best strategies for measuring the mechanisms of allostatic load during pregnancy along with the psychoneuroendocrine and immune triggers and placental responses that lead to premature birth.

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The impact of preschool child and maternal attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms on mothers’ perceived chronic stress and hair cortisol

Journal of Neural Transmission ◽

10.1007/s00702-021-02377-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Szép ◽

Nadine Skoluda ◽

Susan Schloß ◽

Katja Becker ◽

Ursula Pauli-Pott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Child Adhd ◽

Maternal Adhd

AbstractProviding care for a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with parenting stress. Moreover, adults with elevated ADHD symptoms report increased perceived stress. Despite this, it has rarely been examined whether and how child and maternal ADHD symptoms may affect maternal perceived stress and the stress-sensitive hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. This study therefore investigated the possible impact of child and maternal ADHD symptoms on mothers' perceived chronic stress and hair cortisol concentration (HCC), while simultaneously considering the effects of child oppositional defiant/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) and maternal depressive symptomatology. In total, 124 mothers (35.96 ± 5.21 years) of preschool children were included. Maternal perceived stress, ADHD and depressive symptoms were assessed using self-report measures. Child ADHD symptoms were assessed using an interview and questionnaires completed by mothers and teachers. Additionally, mothers provided information about their children’s ODD/CD symptoms. Hair samples were taken from mothers to assess HCC. Child and maternal ADHD, child ODD/CD, and maternal depressive symptoms accounted for 50% of the variance in perceived chronic stress (F(4, 119) = 30.24; p < 0.01), with only maternal ADHD (β = 0.52, p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.49, p < 0.01) being uniquely significant. Maternal ADHD symptoms did not moderate the relationship between child ADHD symptoms and maternal perceived chronic stress (b = − 0.01; SE b = 0.17; t(5, 118) = − 0.05; p = 0.96). Mother’s age became the only significant predictor of maternal HCC (β = 0.29; p < 0.01). Based on these findings, practitioners are advised to be aware of and take into account possible maternal ADHD and depressive symptomatology and perceived chronic stress when treating children diagnosed with ADHD.

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AB0657 PERCEIVED STRESS AND FOOD INSECURITY IN PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.807 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1360.3-1361

Author(s):

L. G. Espinosa Banuelos ◽

P. R. Ancer Rodríguez ◽

M. G. Herrera López ◽

C. M. Skinner Taylor ◽

L. Pérez Barbosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Rheumatic Diseases ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Postpartum Women ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Perceived Stress Scale ◽

Stress Scale ◽

Household Food

Background:The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has directly impacted the psychological and physical health of individuals worldwide, as well as the global economy. Food insecurity rates have risen especially in vulnerable countries like Mexico. Furthermore, social isolation and economic uncertainty have multiplied depression and anxiety disorders. Pregnant and postpartum women are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, increased stress, depression, and anxiety.Objectives:The aim of this study is to determine the perception of food insecurity (FI) and perceived stress in pregnant and postpartum women with rheumatic disease during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Methods:An observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted. Patients from to the pregnancy and rheumatic diseases clinic of the University Hospital “Dr. José E. González” in Northeast Mexico evaluated between August to October 2020 were included. The Spanish validated versions of the Household Food Security Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were applied by telephonic interview. The WHO recommendations were employed to determine the appropriate intake for each food group in a week. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to determine normality of the data. The Spearman correlation coefficient and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 29 women were included. Six (20.6%) women were found to have moderate or severe degrees of food insecurity. In addition, 12 (40.30%) perceived moderate and severe levels of stress in the PSS-10. No relationship was found between food insecurity and perceived stress (p= 0.059). The food groups that exceeded the recommended weekly frequency were oils and sugars exceeded 3.9 and 2.9 frequencies, respectively.Conclusion:We found that 20.6% women suffered household food insecurity and 40.3% suffered moderate and severe levels of stress. No relationship was found between food insecurity with the HIFAS scale and perceived stress measures with the PSS-10. We found that oils and sugars exceeded more by the double of the recommended frequency per week.References:[1]Pérez-Escamilla R, Cunningham K, Moran VH. COVID-19 and maternal and child food and nutrition insecurity: a complex syndemic. Matern Child Nutr. 2020;16(3):e13036. doi:10.1111/mcn.13036[2]Adams EL, Caccavale LJ, Smith D, Bean MK. Food Insecurity, the Home Food Environment, and Parent Feeding Practices in the Era of COVID-19. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020;28(11):2056-2063. doi:10.1002/oby.22996Table 1.Socio-demographic characteristics and scale results.Age, years, mean (SD)27.5 (7.03)Diagnosis, n (%)RA16 (55.1)SLE7 (24.4)Others6 (20.6)Results per scalesHFIAS, n (%)No risk13 (44.8)Mild10 (34.4)Moderated3 (10.3)Severe3 (10.3)EPP-10, n (%)Mild17 (58.6)Moderated9 (31.0)Severe3 (10.3)SD: standard deviation, RA: Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE: Systemic lupus erythematosus, HFIAS: Household food security access component scale, EPP-10: Perceived stress scale 10 items.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

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When Goal Pursuit Gets Hairy: A Longitudinal Goal Study Examining the Role of Controlled Motivation and Action Crises in Predicting Changes in Hair Cortisol, Perceived Stress, Health, and Depression Symptoms

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702621995214 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 216770262199521

Author(s):

Anne Catherine Holding ◽

Emily Moore ◽

Amanda Moore ◽

Jérémie Verner-Filion ◽

Isabelle Ouellet-Morin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Goal Pursuit ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Controlled Motivation ◽

Goal Motivation ◽

Action Crises ◽

Action Crisis

The action crisis is a critical phase in goal striving during which the goal pursuer feels conflicted about persevering with the goal or initiating disengagement. Recent research suggests that goal motivation, specifically controlled motivation (i.e., pursuing a goal out of obligation and pressure), increases the likelihood of experiencing action crises. In turn, action crises in goal pursuit have been linked to increases in depression symptoms and cortisol. In the present 8-month longitudinal study, we tracked university students’ personal goals to examine whether the pursuit of controlled goals and the experience of action crises was associated with increasing levels of hair cortisol, perceived stress, poor health, and depression symptoms ( N = 156). Structural equation modeling suggested that experiencing action crises in goal pursuit was associated with increases in markers of stress, depression, and ill-being. This effect was partially explained by controlled goal motivation. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

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The Stress of Caring—Resilience and HPA-Axis Activity in Hair Samples of Youth Residential Caregivers

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.556486 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

David Bürgin ◽

Nina Kind ◽

Martin Schröder ◽

Vera Clemens ◽

Jörg M. Fegert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Residential Care ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Multiple Stressors ◽

Self Care ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Residential Care Institutions ◽

Hair Samples

Background: Professional caregivers in youth residential care institutions experience frequent verbal and physical aggression as well as multiple stressors as part of their everyday work, leading to high levels of burnout and staff turnover. Resilience might buffer against psychophysiological stress response and therefore be crucial for well-being in professional caregivers.Objectives: We aimed to investigate if measures related to resilience [sense of coherence (SoC), self-efficacy and self-care] and attachment security of caregivers were cross-sectionally associated with stress markers in hair samples [cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)].Method: Participants (n = 134; 64.2% women) reported on individual resilience measures and provided hair samples for cortisol and DHEA assays. Attachment was assessed in a subsample using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP, n = 69). Linear regression models were fitted to estimate the association between resilience measures and the Cortisol:DHEA ratio, cortisol and DHEA, controlling for gender and age.Results: SoC was associated with a lower Cortisol:DHEA ratio (β = −0.36, p < 0.001), driven by a positive association between SoC and DHEA levels (β = 0.28, p = 0.002). Self-care was also associated with lower Cortisol:DHEA ratios (β = −0.24, p = 0.005), due to self-care being associated with higher DHEA (β = 0.21, p = 0.016). HPA-axis measures were not associated with self-efficacy nor with attachment patterns in a subsample.Conclusions: Our findings imply that youth residential care institutions might benefit from programs focusing on enhancing SoC and self-care practices. Fostering a meaningful, comprehensible and manageable professional climate in caregiving environments and implementing self-care in routine practices might enhance not only well-being but also physical health of professional caregivers and in this way buffer adverse health effects of chronic stressors.

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Propensity-score-matched Evaluation of Psychological Stress and Hair Cortisol among People Living with HIV in China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-124276/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xu Chen ◽

Cheng-Bo Zeng ◽

Shuai-Feng Liu ◽

Xiao-Ming Li ◽

Shan Qiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Psychological Stress ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Cortisol Level ◽

Stress Level ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Mental Resilience ◽

Living With Hiv

Abstract To compare the psychological stress level and hair cortisol level of people living with HIV (PLWH) with those without HIV. A total of 220 subjects were initially enrolled in the study, including 20 subjects living without HIV and 200 PLWH. Psychological stress level, including quality of life, anxiety, perceived stress and mental resilience, was self-reported in both groups with related scales. The cortisol in hair were extracted and assessed by LC-APCI-MS/MS method. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to balance the baseline covariates of the two groups, whereas the difference in psychological stress level and hair cortisol level between the two groups were compared. Furthermore, the associations between psychological stress level and cortisol level were examined. Two comparison groups were matched by 1:3 propensity score matching, which yield 20 subjects living without HIV and 60 PLWH. Ultimately, in regarding to the psychological stress, the levels of the anxiety, perceived stress and mental resilience were higher among PLWH than those living without HIV, but the people without HIV showed higher quality of life. The hair cortisol level in PLWH was higher than those living without HIV. However, there were no significant associations between psychological stress level and cortisol level. The PLWH showed higher level of psychological stress and cortisol than those without HIV. No relationship was seen between psychological stress level and cortisol level in PLWH.

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