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The moderating role of meaning in life in the relationship between perceived stress and diurnal cortisol - Pulopulos et al

  • 2 de febrer de 2018
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Nos complace anunciar que se acaba de publicar en la revista Stress el siguiente artículo:

Pulopulos, M. M., & Kozusznik, M. W. (2018). The moderating role of meaning in life in the relationship between perceived stress and diurnal cortisol, Stress, online first, 1-8. doi: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1429397

Lay summary: The results of this study indicate that people who perceive their life activities to be valuable and important will show a healthier secretion of cortisol (the stress hormone) in stressful periods. In this way, this study helps to explain why some people might develop health problems, whereas others do not, when confronting stressful periods.

Resumen:

Previous studies have suggested that meaning in life may buffer the negative effects of stress. This study is the first to investigate the moderating role of meaning in life in the relationship between the perception of stress and diurnal cortisol in two independent samples of healthy adults. In study 1 (n = 172, men = 82, women = 90, age range = 21–55 years, mean age = 37.58 years), the results of moderated regression analyses revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between overall perceived stress in the past month and both diurnal cortisol levels (area-under-the-curve with respect to the ground; AUCg) and the diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) only in individuals with low levels of meaning in life conceptualized as the degree to which one engages in activities that are personally valued and important. In study 2 (n = 259, men = 125, women = 134, age range = 18–54 years, mean age = 29.06 years), we found a non-significant interaction term between meaning in life conceptualized as having goals and a sense of excitement regarding one’s future and perception of stress in a model of both adjusted AUCg and DCS. The results were independent of age, sex, body mass index, education, and race. The results shed light on the importance and the complexity of the construct of meaning in life and offer a possible explanation for why some people who face stressors may be more vulnerable than others to developing stress-related health problems.

¡Enhorabuena a los autores!

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