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Repressive Coping and Blood Measures of Disease Risk: Lipids and Endocrine and Immunological Responses to a Laboratory Stressor 1
Author(s) -
Barger Steven D.,
Bachen Elizabeth A.,
Marsland Anna L.,
Manuck Stephen B.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2000.tb02458.x
Subject(s) - stressor , psychology , immune system , endocrine system , coping (psychology) , medicine , psychoneuroimmunology , endocrinology , disease , clinical psychology , cholesterol , immunology , physiology , hormone
Relations between repressive coping and a variety of health‐related variahles including insulin, lipids, catecholamines, and cellular immune components, were investigated in a laboratory study of acute stress among a sample of healthy male college students ( N ‐ 83). Compared to nonrepressors, at baseline, repressors had fewer numbers of circulating CD4 (T‐helper) cells, greater numbers of natural killer (NK) cells. lower high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio, and higher fasting insulin levels. In response to an acute laboratory stressor (Stroop Color Word Conflict Test). repressors demonstrated an attenuated increase in the number of circulating NK cells compared to nonrepressors. Confounds such as physical activity, age, and smoking were unrelated to the dependent measures.