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Mindfulness improves couples reactivity to stressful interactions

March 21, 2016 by IISBR

mindfulness-reactivity-cortisol-study

Investigators

Heidemarie Laurent, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Oregon
Robin Hertz
Doctoral Student
University of Oregon
Sean Laurent, PhD
Assistant Professional Lecturer
University of Wyoming
Dorianne Egan-Wright
Doctoral Student
University of Oregon
Douglas A. Granger, PhD
Foundation Professor of Psychology
Director Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research
Project Description
Mindfulness is known to improve individuals’ and couples’ subjective stress regulation, but little is known about how it impacts hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responses to acute psychosocial stress. The current study tested effects of dispositional mindfulness facets on young adult couples’ cortisol responses to a conflict discussion stressor, as well as associations with psychological adjustment. One hundred heterosexual couples completed the five facet mindfulness questionnaire one week before engaging in a conflict discussion task. Each partner provided five saliva samples from pre- to post-conflict, which were assayed for cortisol. Measures of adjustment – depression and anxiety symptoms and global well-being – were also completed at this session. Hierarchical linear modeling of cortisol trajectories revealed sex-specific effects; whereas women’s mindfulness (nonreactivity facet) predicted higher conflict stress cortisol levels, men’s mindfulness (describing facet) predicted less pronounced cortisol reactivity/recovery curves. These patterns were related to better adjustment—lower depression symptoms for women and greater well-being for men. Implications for sex differences in mindfulness benefits are discussed.

Filed Under: Research

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