Relations between plasma oxytocin and cortisol: The stress buffering role of social support
Open accessAbstract
Stress responses in humans can be attenuated by exogenous oxytocin administration, and these stress-buffering properties may be moderated by social factors. Yet, the influence of acute stressors on circulating endogenous oxytocin levels have been inconsistent, and limited information is available concerning the influence of social support in moderating this relationship. In the current investigation, undergraduate women ( N = 67) were assessed in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) with either social support available from a close female friend or no social support being available. An additional set of women served as controls. The TSST elicited marked elevations of state anxiety and negative emotions, which were largely attenuated among women who received social support. Furthermore, baseline oxytocin levels were inversely related to women's general feelings of distrust, as well as basal plasma cortisol levels. Despite these associations, oxytocin levels were unaffected by the TSST, and this was the case irrespective of oral contraceptive use or estrogen levels. In contrast, plasma cortisol elevations were elicited by the psychosocial stressor, but only in women using oral contraceptives, an effect that was prevented when social support was available. Taken together, these data provisionally suggest that changes in plasma oxytocin might not accompany the stress attenuating effects of social support on cortisol levels. Moreover, as plasma oxytocin might not reliably reflect brain oxytocin levels, the linkage between oxytocin and prosocial behaviors remains tenuous.
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Perceived social support and oxytocin may be intrinsically linked.
“As such, these findings, in addition to other empirical studies with women (Ozbay et al., 2007; McQuaid et al., 2016), suggest that perceived social support and oxytocin may be intrinsically linked.”
From The evolved nest, oxytocin functioning, and prosocial development (2023) · cites this paper as McQuaid et al., 2016
The Results (Friends’ responses; page unavailable) link a female friend’s empathy with the participant’s higher baseline oxytocin, supporting a possible social connection. But the study did not establish a link specifically between participants’ perceived social support and oxytocin; the Discussion (Oxytocin and cortisol in relation to post-stressor responses; page unavailable) says the social-support manipulation did not change plasma oxytocin. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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“As such, these findings, in addition to other empirical studies with women (Ozbay et al., 2007; McQuaid et al., 2016), suggest that perceived social support and oxytocin may be intrinsically linked.”
Result
- Authors
- McQuaid, R. J., McInnis, O. A., Paric, A., Al-Yawer, F., Matheson, K., & Anisman, H.
- Affiliations
- Carleton University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- McQuaid, Robyn J.
- Venue
- Neurobiology of Stress
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-06
- Volume
- 3
- Pages
- 52-60
- ISSN
- 2352-2895 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5146198
- OpenAlex
- W2268958638
- Cited by
- 135
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7
- FWCI
- 11.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neurobiology of Stress (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Carleton University's Institutional Repository (MacOdrum Library, Carleton University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- CIHR
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- plasma oxytocin, plasma cortisol, social support, stress buffering, acute psychosocial stress, Trier Social Stress Test, state anxiety, distrust, oral contraceptives, estrogen, women, prosocial behavior
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