Lower cortisol response in high‐resilient caregivers of people with autism: the role of anger

Abstract

Caring for an offspring with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been related to high stress levels and health disturbances. However, a protective effect against these negative health outcomes has been described in high-resilient caregivers. In this context, the main aim of the present study was to assess the association between resilient coping and cortisol response to acute stress in caregivers of people with ASD. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore the mediating role of anger in this association. We exposed 40 caregivers of people with ASD to an acute psychosocial stressor in the laboratory. Salivary cortisol samples were obtained before, during, and after the stressor. Resilient coping, anger, and socio-demographic variables were also assessed. Resilient coping was negatively correlated with cortisol response. Specifically, cortisol release was lower in high-resilient than low-resilient caregivers. Anger was positively correlated with cortisol response, mediating the association with resilient coping. The observed associations of resilient coping and anger with cortisol response indicate that these variables may affect health outcomes, resilience being protective and anger harmful. Psychotherapeutic interventions focused on strengthening resilience and anger management could benefit caregivers, improving their health status and quality of life.

Psychological characteristics and physiological reactivity to acute stress in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

“…Therefore, further investigation is warranted to investigate the biological determinants of higher HR in mothers of children with ASD. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, M‐ASD showed greater HR and cortisol responses to the PST compared with noncaregivers, which is in apparent contradiction with previous reports of blunted sympathetic and cortisol responses to acute stress in parents of adolescents with ASD (De Andrés‐García et al, ; Ruiz‐Robledillo et al, ; Ruiz‐Robledillo et al, ; Ruiz‐Robledillo & Moya‐Albiol, ). The authors of these studies argued that a dampened physiological stress reactivity in caregivers could be explained by processes related to habituation to stress.…”

“…Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between parental stress levels and anxiety and depression symptom severity in parents of children with ASD, even though these self‐reported measures were not correlated to 24‐hr physiological (heart rate and blood pressure) and neuroendocrine (cortisol) measures (Padden & James, ). Interestingly, a recent study assessed the association between resilient coping and cortisol response to acute stress in caregivers of adolescents with ASD and demonstrated that stress‐induced cortisol response was lower in high‐resilient caregivers than low‐resilient caregivers (Ruiz‐Robledillo, Romero‐Martínez, & Moya‐Albiol, ).…”

“…To reach this goal, heart rate, HRV, and salivary cortisol levels were assessed during a psychosocial stress challenge alongside measures of state anxiety and non‐verbal behaviour. Based on the existing literature (De Andrés‐García et al, ; Ruiz‐Robledillo et al, ; Ruiz‐Robledillo et al, ; Ruiz‐Robledillo & Moya‐Albiol, ), we hypothesized that M‐ASD would show a blunted physiological stress reactivity compared with M‐TD. Second, we explored the extent to which parenting stress levels would predict physiological responses to an acute psychosocial challenge as a function of group and/or individual psychological characteristics and behavioural coping strategies.…”

Resilience is decreased in irritable bowel syndrome and associated with symptoms and cortisol response

“…We have previously shown that the ACTH‐stimulated cortisol response is divergent with greater responses in IBS men vs HC men and a blunted response in IBS women vs HC women . In prior studies evaluating the relationship between resilience and HPA axis response, more resilient healthy individuals were found to have lower cortisol levels in response to a psychosocial stressor . These studies differ from ours because the hormone challenge method used in our study provides an isolated measurement of the HPA axis function, while the HPA axis response to a mental stressor task reflects changes in several components of the integrated response to stress, including inputs from the amygdala and other regions of the emotional arousal network which enhance HPA axis response .…”

“…19 In prior studies evaluating the relationship between resilience and HPA axis response, more resilient healthy individuals were found to have lower cortisol levels in response to a psychosocial stressor. 30,31 These studies differ from ours because the hormone challenge method used in our study provides an isolated measurement of the HPA axis function, while the HPA axis response to a mental stressor task reflects changes in several components of the integrated response to stress, including inputs from the amygdala and other regions of the emotional arousal network which enhance HPA axis response. 32 We previously demonstrated that healthy individuals with low resilience have compromised cortico-limbic inhibition.…”