Higher trait reappraisal predicts stronger HPA axis habituation to repeated stress
Abstract
Undergoing stress can be advantageous when it leads to adaptation and growth; however, failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to habituate (i.e., nonhabituation) involves continuing to become highly activated in response to repeated exposure of the same stimulus and is considered maladaptive. Although 50-75% of individuals assessed in a laboratory exhibit adaptive habituation to repeated stress, variability in habituation suggests psychological processes used in response to stress may play a role, such as emotion regulation (ER). Nonetheless, no research to date has investigated whether ER strategies affect HPA axis habituation. We investigated whether tendency to use two ER strategies, reappraisal and suppression, influenced HPA axis habituation among 84 healthy young adults (60.7% female; M age = 24.8 years, SD = 6.0) exposed to a standardized experimental stress paradigm on two consecutive days. HPA axis stress responses were assessed using salivary cortisol concentrations. We also examined whether non-manipulated state ER strategies (i.e., those used by the participant during and following the stressor on the first day) modulated HPA axis habituation over and above trait-use in a subsample (N = 60). Trait, but not state, reappraisal was associated with stronger HPA axis habituation. Neither trait nor state suppression were significantly associated with HPA axis habituation. These findings expand our current understanding of how ER can affect stress-related health outcomes and suggest habitual reappraisal plays an important role in adaption of the HPA axis to stress.
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Chronic stress is associated with cognitive deficits, systemic inflammation, premature aging, immune system dysfunction, and a higher likelihood of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and IBD.
“Chronic stress is associated with various cognitive deficits, systemic inflammation, premature aging, immune system dysfunction, and a higher likelihood of suffering from metabolic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and IBD (490–492).”
From Signalling cognition: The gut microbiota and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (2023) · cites this paper as [491]
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- Authors
- Roos, L. G., Janson, J., Sturmbauer, S. C., Bennett, J. M., & Rohleder, N.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (US)
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Rohleder, Nicolas
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-03
- Volume
- 101
- Pages
- 12-18
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2896427743
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 1.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
- Keywords
- emotion regulation, emotional suppression, salivary cortisol, repeated stress, stress adaptation, stress response
- MeSH terms
- Emotional Regulation, Adaptation, Physiological, Adult, Female, Habituation, Psychophysiologic, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Saliva, Stress, Psychological, Young Adult
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