Cited by 102Stress Responses and CortisolAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Cortisol responses to psychosocial stress predict depression trajectories: social-evaluative threat and prior depressive episodes as moderators

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Morris, Matthew C., Rao, Uma, Garber, Judy·2012·Journal of Affective Disorders

Abstract

Background Alterations of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function are well-established in adults with current depression. HPA alterations may persist into remission and confer increased risk for recurrence.Methods A modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was administered at baseline to 32 young adults with remitted major depressive disorder and 36 never-depressed controls. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 'high-stress' condition involving social evaluation or a 'low-stress' control condition. Cortisol concentrations were measured in saliva samples throughout the TSST. Participants were assessed again after 6 months for the occurrence of stressful life events and depressive symptoms/disorders during the follow-up period.Results Participants who exhibited enhanced cortisol reactivity in the low-stress condition showed increases in depressive symptoms over follow-up, after controlling for stressful life events during the follow-up period. Anticipatory stress cortisol and cortisol reactivity each interacted with history of depressive episodes to predict depression trajectories.Limitations The single TSST administration limits conclusions about whether alterations of cortisol reactivity represent trait-like vulnerability factors or consequences ("scars') of past depression.Conclusions These results extend previous findings on stress sensitivity in depression and suggest that altered HPA function during remission could reflect an endophenotype for vulnerability to depression recurrence. Findings support interactive models of risk for depression recurrence implicating HPA function, depression history, and sensitivity to minor stressors. Results may have implications for interventions that match treatment approaches to profiles of HPA function.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jad.2012.05.059

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  • Cortisol and the activity of the HPA axis play a central role in the onset and maintenance of stress-related psychological illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders.

    “There are large inter-individual differences in the cortisol response to stress, and it has been proposed that cortisol and the activity of the HPA axis play a central role in the onset and maintenance of stress-related psychological illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders (Faravelli et al., 2012;Herbert, 2013;Morris et al., 2012).”

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Authors
Morris, M. C., Rao, U., & Garber, J.
Affiliations
  • Meharry Medical College (US)
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
Corresponding author
Morris, Matthew C.
Venue
Journal of Affective Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-12
Volume
143
Issue
1-3
Pages
223-230
ISSN
0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2031598339
Cited by
102
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 12
FWCI
4.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (T32 MH 18921, RC1MH088329, R01MH068391, T32MH018921, F31MH084425, R01MH064735)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA017805)
  • National Center for Research Resources (G12RR003032, U54RR026140, KL2RR024977, TL1RR024978, UL1RR024975)
  • National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (U54MD007593, MD007593)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30HD015052)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
cortisol response, psychosocial stress, depression recurrence, remitted depression, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, social-evaluative threat, anticipatory stress, Trier Social Stress Test, life events, endophenotypes, stress sensitivity, young adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Chronic Disease, Major Depressive Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Life Change Events, Male, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Recurrence, Risk Factors, Saliva, Stress, Psychological, Biomarkers, Young Adult

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