Adult attachment and social support interact to reduce psychological but not cortisol responses to stress.
- Ditzen B Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Schmidt S
- Strauss B
- Nater UM
- Ehlert U
- Heinrichs M
- 2008-04-29
Published in:
- Journal of psychosomatic research. - 2008
Adult
Anxiety Disorders
Humans
Hydrocortisone
Male
Object Attachment
Psychology
Social Support
Stress, Psychological
Surveys and Questionnaires
English
OBJECTIVE
Adult attachment has been suggested to mediate the effect of social support on stress protection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adult attachment and social support on psychological and endocrine responses to psychosocial stress.
METHODS
Sixty-three healthy men who were married or cohabiting were randomly assigned to receive either instructed social support from their partner or no social support before being exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Attachment was determined using the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire. State anxiety, mood, and salivary cortisol levels were repeatedly assessed before and after stress.
RESULTS
Secure attachment was associated with stronger decreases in state anxiety levels following stress exposure. More importantly, the combination of social support and secure attachment exhibited the lowest anxiety levels after stress (interaction effect). Social support alone reduced cortisol responses to stress, whereas secure attachment did not influence cortisol concentrations.
CONCLUSION
This first study on the interaction of adult attachment and social support in terms of psychological and endocrine stress responses concurs with previous studies suggesting an important protective role of attachment for psychological stress responsiveness. However, attachment did not directly moderate cortisol responses to acute stress.
Adult attachment has been suggested to mediate the effect of social support on stress protection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adult attachment and social support on psychological and endocrine responses to psychosocial stress.
METHODS
Sixty-three healthy men who were married or cohabiting were randomly assigned to receive either instructed social support from their partner or no social support before being exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Attachment was determined using the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire. State anxiety, mood, and salivary cortisol levels were repeatedly assessed before and after stress.
RESULTS
Secure attachment was associated with stronger decreases in state anxiety levels following stress exposure. More importantly, the combination of social support and secure attachment exhibited the lowest anxiety levels after stress (interaction effect). Social support alone reduced cortisol responses to stress, whereas secure attachment did not influence cortisol concentrations.
CONCLUSION
This first study on the interaction of adult attachment and social support in terms of psychological and endocrine stress responses concurs with previous studies suggesting an important protective role of attachment for psychological stress responsiveness. However, attachment did not directly moderate cortisol responses to acute stress.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- green
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2007.11.011
- PMID 18440400
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/280422
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