Stress-is-debilitating mindset is linked to higher cortisol awakening response in women

Abstract

Negative attributes and expectations ascribed to the nature of stress itself, known as a stress-is-debilitating mindset, are linked to poor cognitive, psychological, and cardiovascular outcomes. However, how negative perspectives about stress impact biological systems remains unclear. to determine whether stress-mindset is associated with diurnal cortisol rhythm in highly stressed women. Using a cross-sectional design, 60 women (age range 23-44) from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with high levels of stress determined through the Stress Symptoms Inventory (SSI) were included. Stress-mindset (stress-is-enhancing vs. stress-is-debilitating) was evaluated using the Stress Mindset Scale (SMS). Saliva samples obtained over two consecutive workdays at awakening, 30 min after it, afternoon, and bedtime determined the diurnal cortisol rhythm through the area under the curve (AUC) for total concentration over the day and cortisol awakening response (CAR). Adjusting for age, anticontraceptive and awakening time, lower SMS scores, representing stress-is-debilitating mindsets, were associated with higher CAR (F=5.866; R2=0.10; β= -0.316; p=0.019). No association was observed between SMS scores and AUC for total cortisol concentration (p=0.572). Negative perspectives about stress are linked to higher cortisol reactivity to awakening demands, suggesting that stress-mindsets might influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the stress response. These findings inform future studies, including men at different age levels, analyzing stress-mindset profiles related to acute stress responsiveness to expand the understanding of how our beliefs about stress influence the body responses impacting our health.