The anticipatory response to stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety in early adulthood

Background: Whilst cortisol reactivity has been associated with depression and anxiety disorders, research examining cortisol reactivity with early symptoms of these conditions in males and females is limited. Methods: At age 18, 748 males and females from Gent of the Raine Study were assessed for their salivary cortisol response to a psychosocial stressor using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Participants later completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) at age 20 which was used as the outcome measure in regression models. Results: We found differences in DASS-21 across TSST responder categories in females but not males. Female reactive-responders (RR) and non-responders (NR) had increased symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to anticipatory-responders (AR). AR were associated with the lowest symptomology in females. We found limited evidence for an association between salivary cortisol summary measures (C-BL, C-MAX, C-MIN, C-RANGE, AUC(G) and AUC(R)) and depression/anxiety symptoms at age 20. Conclusions: This study sheds new light on adaptive and maladaptive physiological responses to psychosocial stress in terms of depression and anxiety symptoms. These preliminary findings indicate the pattern of response to a psychosocial stressor may contribute to individual vulnerability for stress-related diseases in a sex-specific manner.

Automated summary

This study explores the relationship between cortisol reactivity to psychosocial stress and early symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders in males and females. While there were gender differences in symptom presentation, limited evidence was found for a direct association between salivary cortisol measures and depression/anxiety symptoms at age 20. The results suggest that individual vulnerability to stress-related diseases may be influenced by the pattern of response to psychosocial stress in a sex-specific manner.