Epidemiological studies have suggested that social support may offer a protective role for cardiovascular health. More recently, researchers have begun to examine possible mechanisms by which social support may reduce cardiovascular reactivity to stress. This study was undertaken to determine if the implementation of support (presence or absence) needs to be matched with a person's habitual level of support seeking (high or low) in order to obtain physiological benefits during laboratory stressors. It was hypothesized that high support seekers assigned to a support condition would show decreased reactivity relative to all other matched or mismatched conditions. Following the screening of480 students, 135 high and low support seeking men and women were recruited for the laboratory phase. In this phase, participants performed a math and a speech task, while alone or while receiving support. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition that either matched (e.g., support provision for support seekers) or mismatched their support seeking style. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were monitored continuously. Self-report measures evaluating the participants' reactions to the task and to support were administered pre- and post-task. Although the central (match) hypothesis of this study was not supported, several interesting findings emerged: Low support seeking men exhibited larger SBP responses than did high support seeking men during the tasks. Participants receiving support showed greater SBP responses relative to participants who were alone during the tasks. Additionally, supported men showed increased DBP reactivity relative to men who were assigned to an alone condition. Interestingly, high support seeking men and women showed lower resting blood pressures than did low support seeking participants. The findings from the self-report measures did not help to clarify the cardiovascular findings. The findings suggest that future research is needed to better understand how and when support is effective in reducing cardiovascular reactivity to stress.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / Bibliography: p. 39-40.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that social support may offer a protective role for cardiovascular health. More recently, researchers have begun to examine possible mechanisms by which social support may reduce cardiovascular reactivity to stress. This study was undertaken to determine if the implementation of support (presence or absence) needs to be matched with a person's habitual level of support seeking (high or low) in order to obtain physiological benefits during laboratory stressors. It was hypothesized that high support seekers assigned to a support condition would show decreased reactivity relative to all other matched or mismatched conditions. Following the screening of480 students, 135 high and low support seeking men and women were recruited for the laboratory phase. In this phase, participants performed a math and a speech task, while alone or while receiving support. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition that either matched (e.g., support provision for support seekers) or mismatched their support seeking style. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were monitored continuously. Self-report measures evaluating the participants' reactions to the task and to support were administered pre- and post-task. Although the central (match) hypothesis of this study was not supported, several interesting findings emerged: Low support seeking men exhibited larger SBP responses than did high support seeking men during the tasks. Participants receiving support showed greater SBP responses relative to participants who were alone during the tasks. Additionally, supported men showed increased DBP reactivity relative to men who were assigned to an alone condition. Interestingly, high support seeking men and women showed lower resting blood pressures than did low support seeking participants. The findings from the self-report measures did not help to clarify the cardiovascular findings. The findings suggest that future research is needed to better understand how and when support is effective in reducing cardiovascular reactivity to stress. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1960 C68

LD2668 .T4 1966 T985 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1966 M138 / Master of Science

No description available.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of the Witwatersrand, 1961.

Literature investigating trauma exposure, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cortisol secretion has produced conflicting results with regard to whether cortisol is increased or decreased. With trauma there is also a pro- inflammatory response which is intimately linked with the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA). The police population can offer useful information in this regard as they represent a sample that will undergo exposure to traumatic events as part of their normal duties. In South Africa few studies have examined biological correlates of the traumatic stress response in the police population. This study sought to determine whether correlations exist between cortisol and the inflammatory response in terms of the cytokines Interleukin 6 (IL6) and Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) in response to trauma exposure in a cohort of newly enrolled metro police officers, previously naïve to the duty related trauma exposure. Personality styles were assessed, as coping skills and personality have been suggested as factors determining responses to trauma. The study participants were followed up for one year with repeated measures analysis of urine, blood, and saliva cortisol as well as blood cytokine determination every 3 months. Measures for PTSD [the Clinician Administered Scale for Posttraumatic stress disorder (CAPS) and the revised version of the Impact of Event Scale (IES-R)] as well as for depression [the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)] were undertaken. 145 new recruits volunteered for the study, of which 120 completed all 5 visits. There were slightly more females than males in the sample and almost 50% of the sample admitted to alcohol abuse. Trauma exposure on entry into the police force was remarkably high with 99% having been exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lives. The majority (61.1 %) had been exposed to more than one traumatic event. There was evidence for the influence of prior trauma on responses to current traumatic events. MVA’s were very common, both duty and non duty related. Certain traumas were associated with greater changes in scores for PTSD and depression in relation to baseline. Over the 5 visits, only a third submitted valid 24 hour urine samples. Of these, the profile of the entire group indicated that 24 hour urine cortisol tended to initially decrease, and then increase with time. Saliva and blood cortisol, which were more reliably measured, tended to decrease with time. Scores for depression and post traumatic stress disorder were generally low in response to duty related traumatic events, and tended to decrease over time. However, the prevalence of lifetime PTSD as measured by the CAPS was high. There was a strong linear correlation between TNF and IL6. Results indicate a proinflammatory response, particularly with regard to IL6. There were no significant correlations between blood cortisol and HAM-D and between blood cortisol and CAPS (lifetime). There was an inverse relationship between CAPS (current scores) and blood cortisol. Cortisol and IES-R scores were significant at visit 3 (inverse relationship). For saliva, there were no significant associations with any of the variables for PTSD and depression. For personality styles, aggressive and antisocial clinical patterns were associated with lower current CAPS scores, while schizoid clinical pattern and the severe syndrome scale of thought disorder showed an association with lower lifetime CAPS score. For the IES-R, only narcissistic clinical pattern was associated with lower scores. A further analysis of those with low (less than 25% of the median) and high (greater than 25% of the median) cortisol responses was undertaken. The results indicate a similar trend to some studies showing lowered cortisol levels with chronic trauma exposure, but this did not correlate with sufficiently high scores for PTSD as measured by the CAPS. Similarly, proinflammatory cytokine increases are evident with trauma exposure, but not with scores for PTSD and depression. There were more variables significantly associated with the low cortisol responders than the high cortisol responders; with a suggestion of cumulative trauma exposure correlating with low cortisol response and a corresponding pro inflammatory response in terms of IL6. The results are discussed with a view to assisting the metro police force with recruitment and counseling strategies and important future research is recommended.