High self-esteem, hardiness and affective stability are associated with higher basal pituitary-adrenal hormone levels

Eric P. Zorrilla*, Robert J. DeRubeis, Eva Redei

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Whereas much is known about the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during environmental stress and in psychiatric disorders, little is known about the relation of individual differences in basal HPA-functioning to individual differences in healthy psychological functioning. In the present study, we recruited 37 healthy young men and examined the relations of hardiness, self-esteem and hypomanic personality-dispositions that moderate the effects of psychooocial stress on depressive reactions and health-to circulating levels of cortisol and β-endorphin at rest. High self-esteem, hardiness and affective stability were associated with higher plasma cortisol levels and less psychological distress. Additionally, affective stability was associated with higher levels of β-endorphin. The present findings suggest that individual differences in basal HPA-function are associated with individual differences in psychological functioning following stress.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)591-601
Number of pages11
JournalPsychoneuroendocrinology
Volume20
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1995

Funding

Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by an NSF Predoctoral Fellowship (to E.P. Zorrilla), a University Research Foundation grant (to R.J. DeRubeis and E.P. Zorrilla) and the Public Health Services Research Grant MOl-RR00040 from NIH. The authors express their sincere thanks to Fernando Suarez-Rivas and Dr. Shiv Kapoor for technical assistance, Lisa Eyler Zorrilla and two anonymous reviewers for comments on previous drafts, and Dr. Gerald Metalsky for providing vital materials.

Keywords

  • Cortisol
  • Depression
  • Hardiness
  • Hypomania
  • Self-esteem
  • β-endorphin

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Biological Psychiatry
  • Endocrinology
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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