TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex-specific effects of mindfulness on romantic partners' cortisol responses to conflict and relations with psychological adjustment
AU - Laurent, Heidemarie
AU - Laurent, Sean
AU - Hertz, Robin
AU - Egan-Wright, Dorianne
AU - Granger, Douglas A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by a Faculty Grant-in-Aid from the University of Wyoming and a Basic Research Grant from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming, both awarded to the first two authors.
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.07.018
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.07.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 23988478
AN - SCOPUS:84888288135
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 38
SP - 2905
EP - 2913
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
IS - 12
ER -
