Abstract
The current study aimed to examine the effects of personal growth (PG) on psychobiological responses at baseline and responsiveness to laboratory acute stress in students. Twenty-four healthy students were recruited as participants. Participants were screened from 203 candidates according to levels of PG using Ryff’s scale and classified into high and low PG groups. During the laboratory session, 13 high and 11 low PG participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Heart rate and high-frequency (HF) heart rate variability were monitored throughout the experiment. Salivary free-3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) and perceived stress were measured at baseline, immediately after tasks and after a recovery period. Baseline and recovery perceived stress (tense arousal) were significantly lower in the high PG group compared with the low PG group. Free-MHPG and HF component returned to baseline levels during recovery significantly more rapidly in the high PG group compared with the low PG group. There were no significant group differences in heart rate. The results showed that high PG students have lower noradrenaline and higher parasympathetic nervous system activity before and after acute stress. These findings suggest a protective psychobiological pathway linking PG with better psychosomatic health in students.
Highlights
Personal growth has recently received substantial attention as a positive psychological factor associated with favorable health outcomes and longevity
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of personal growth, which is regarded as important for students, on the following psychobiological indicators at rest and in responses to laboratory acute stress: (a) perceived stress; (b) salivary free-3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), which is a metabolic end-product of NA; (c) the HF component, which reflects parasympathetic nervous activity; and (d) heart rate (HR)
No significant intergroup differences were found for age, body mass index (BMI), free-MHPG, HF component, energetic arousal (EA) score, GHQ-28
Summary
Personal growth has recently received substantial attention as a positive psychological factor associated with favorable health outcomes and longevity. College students commonly face the need to adapt to changes in their living environment and the format of their classes, to make decisions about their steps, such as work or continuing education, and to have other experiences that require them to face themselves. For this reason, it has been reported that the level of personal growth in students is higher than that of other age groups [8,9]. The development of interventions to increase personal growth for the prevention and treatment of common mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and burnout has been increasingly encouraged [11]
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