Increases in stress hormone levels in a UK population during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study
- Autor(en)
- Ru Jia, Kieran Ayling, Carol Coupland, Trudie Chalder, Adam Massey, Urs Nater, Elizabeth Broadbent, Norina Gasteiger, Wei Gao, Clemens Kirschbaum, Kavita Vedhara
- Abstrakt
BACKGROUND: Research suggests that psychological factors may influence vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection, although the mechanisms are unclear.
PURPOSE: We examined whether the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may be a possible mechanism, by measuring the relationship between indices of psychological distress and cortisone in hair (hairE) in a UK cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: Participants (N = 827) provided two 3 cm hair samples over a 6-month period between April-September 2020. Samples reflected hairE in the 3 months prior to the collection date.
RESULTS: HairE in the first samples (T1: commenced April 2020) did not differ significantly from pre-pandemic population norms. However, hairE in the second samples (T2: commenced July 2020) were significantly higher than T1 and pre-pandemic population norms, with a 23% increase between T1 and T2. Linear regressions, controlling for age and gender, demonstrated that at both timepoints, hairE levels were greatest in people with a history of mental health difficulties. In addition, stress reported at T1 predicted greater hairE at T2 and a greater change in hairE between T1 and T2.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic hairE was substantially elevated across a large community cohort, with greatest levels in those with a history of mental health difficulties and greatest changes in those reporting greatest levels of stress early in the pandemic. Further research is required with verified SARS-CoV-2 outcomes to determine whether the HPA axis is among the mechanisms by which a history of mental health difficulties and stress influence SARS-CoV-2 outcomes.
- Organisation(en)
- Forschungsplattform The Stress of Life - Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie
- Externe Organisation(en)
- Technische Universität Dresden, University of Auckland, University of Nottingham, King's College London, Cortigenix Laboratory
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Band
- 148
- ISSN
- 0306-4530
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105992
- Publikationsdatum
- 11-2022
- Peer-reviewed
- Ja
- ÖFOS 2012
- 501010 Klinische Psychologie
- Schlagwörter
- ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
- Endocrine and Autonomic Systems, Psychiatry and Mental health, Biological Psychiatry, Endocrinology, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3 – Gesundheit und Wohlergehen
- Link zum Portal
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/increases-in-stress-hormone-levels-in-a-uk-population-during-the-covid19-pandemic-a-prospective-cohort-study(47f8bc1e-555f-4b6b-923e-d39662993ece).html