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Dexamethasone suppression test and coping behavior in psychosocial stress
Psychiatry Research
|February 1, 1988
Summary
The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) may indicate how individuals cope with stress, not diagnose specific conditions. High cortisol levels correlated with passive coping mechanisms in healthy military recruits.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Stress and Coping Research
- Military Psychology
Background:
- The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) is a diagnostic tool, but its relation to psychological responses is less understood.
- Military induction presents a significant stressor, offering a unique context to study physiological and psychological adaptations.
- Understanding coping mechanisms is crucial for mental health in high-stress environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results and psychological coping strategies in healthy military inductees.
- To explore whether physiological stress responses, as measured by DST, are associated with specific personality inventory (MMPI) profiles and coping behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Administered the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to 144 healthy military inductees.
- Collected data on coping responses using a 120-item questionnaire from 104 participants.
- Analyzed correlations between plasma cortisol levels post-dexamethasone and MMPI scores/coping strategies.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five percent of subjects exhibited inadequate plasma cortisol suppression, indicating a potential stress response.
- High post-dexamethasone cortisol levels were linked to passive coping, denial, and reduced need for social support.
- MMPI clinical scale scores remained within normal ranges for all subjects, regardless of DST results.
Conclusions:
- The DST may serve as a marker for an individual's coping style when facing stressors, rather than indicating a specific psychiatric diagnosis.
- Elevated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity might play a role in psychological defense by facilitating inattention to stressful situations.
- Findings suggest a link between physiological stress reactivity and adaptive/maladaptive coping mechanisms in demanding environments.