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Elevated allostatic load in individuals presenting at psychiatric emergency services
Robert-Paul Juster1, Marc Sasseville1, Charles-Édouard Giguère2
1Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et service sociaux Est, Montreal, Canada.
Psychiatric emergency patients exhibit heightened physiological stress markers, indicating chronic stress. Allostatic load, a measure of stress, was elevated due to cortisol, IL-6, and blood pressure, not substance use.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Individuals in psychiatric emergency services are often highly distressed and may be intoxicated.
- Objective measurement of stress-related physiological dysregulations is needed for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To index allostatic load using 14 biomarkers in psychiatric emergency patients.
- To compare physiological stress markers between patients and controls.
Main Methods:
- Allostatic load was measured using neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular biomarkers.
- Data were collected from 76 psychiatric emergency patients and 202 matched controls.
- Substance use was assessed using validated questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Psychiatric emergency patients showed elevated allostatic load, drug abuse, and tobacco use compared to controls.
- Elevated allostatic load was driven by cortisol, interleukin-6, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate.
- Patients with bipolar, depressive, or anxiety disorders had higher allostatic load than those with personality disorders.
Conclusions:
- Individuals presenting at psychiatric emergency services exhibit physiological dysregulations linked to chronic stress.
- Further research should investigate the clinical utility of allostatic load in predicting comorbidities in psychiatric patients.
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