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The relationship between cortisol awakening response and trait resilience in two patient cohorts and one
Patrick Linnemann1, Nele Friedrich2, Matthias Nauck2
1Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Munster, Germany.
Objectives:
We examined (1) the proportion of cortisol awakening non-responders, (2) the association between cortisol awakening response (CAR) and trait resilience, and (3) the association between CAR increase and trait resilience in two patient cohorts (depression and myocardial infarction [CVD]) and one population-based cohort.
Methods:
Eight hundred and eighty study participants delivered CAR scores (response and increase) based on three self-collected saliva samples and a trait resilience score. Descriptive data of CAR non-responders were reported and calculated. Associations between CAR response/increase and trait resilience, sociodemographic and compliance variables were evaluated using multiple logistic and multiple linear regression analyses stratified by cohort.
Results:
The proportion of CAR non-responders was high in all cohorts (57% depression cohort, 53.4% CVD cohort, 51.6% control cohort). In the depression cohort age was associated with CAR response and increase. In the CVD cohort salivary collection on a weekday was associated with CAR response and awakening time with CAR increase. In the control cohort age was associated with CAR response and sex with CAR increase.
Conclusions:
We observed many CAR non-responders and significant associations between CAR response and CAR increase with single sociodemographic and compliance variables. We did not find significant relationships between CAR response or increase and trait resilience.
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