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Concordance in salivary cortisol and subjective anxiety to the trier social stress test in social anxiety disorder
Grace, Caitlin Heinrichs, Markus Koval, Peter Gorelik, Alexandra von Dawans, Bernadette Terrett, Gill Rendell, Peter Labuschagne, Izelle
Grace, Caitlin
Heinrichs, Markus
Koval, Peter
Gorelik, Alexandra
von Dawans, Bernadette
Terrett, Gill
Rendell, Peter
Labuschagne, Izelle
Abstract
Background
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterised by an excessive fear of negative social evaluation. There is a limited understanding of how individuals with SAD react physiologically and subjectively to social stress.
Method
The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), an acute social stress task, was completed by 40 SAD individuals (50% female) and 41 healthy controls (matched on age, sex, and education) to examine salivary cortisol and self-reported stress reactivity. Salivary cortisol concentrations and self-reported affect (anxiety, sadness, tiredness, withdrawal, and happiness) were assessed at baseline and across nine-time points during the TSST.
Results
Bayesian salivary cortisol analyses revealed no group differences in salivary cortisol levels at baseline or during the TSST, with results comparative after the removal of 17 cortisol non-responders (21%). Contrastingly, the groups significantly differed on self-reported affect. At baseline, the SAD group (vs. controls) reported heightened negative affect and diminished happiness. In response to the TSST, the SAD group (vs. controls) displayed greater negative affect reactivity and diminished happiness reactivity, and significantly higher rates of change in their anxiety and sadness over time. After accounting for differences in the temporal resolution of self-reported versus cortisol responses, a moderate positive association was found between salivary cortisol and anxiety reactivity to social stress that was comparable between the groups.
Conclusions
Despite elevated subjective anxiety, our findings suggest concordance in psychobiological stress reactivity in SAD and healthy controls. We discuss the possibility of heightened subjective sensitivity to social evaluative stress as a core treatment target for SAD.
Keywords
TSST, HPA axis, social phobia, public speaking, mental arithmetic
Date
2022
Type
Journal article
Journal
Biological Psychology
Book
Volume
175
Issue
Page Range
1-10
Article Number
Article 108444
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled