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Patterns of Respiration Rate Reactivity in Response to a Cognitive Stressor Associate With Self-Reported Mental
Josh Kaplan1, Dana Dharmakaya Colgan1, Daniel Klee1
1Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Neurology, Portland, OR, USA.
Psychological Reports
|April 21, 2023
Summary
Physiological stress reactivity, particularly respiration rate, impacts health. Moderate respiration rate reactivity to stress is linked to better psychological attributes and health outcomes, while blunted reactivity is associated with worse outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Health Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Physiological stress reactivity studies often show conflicting results regarding exaggerated vs. blunted responses.
- Past research has overlooked respiration rate as a key indicator of acute physiological stress.
- Abnormal stress reactivity is linked to negative health outcomes, but the role of respiration is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in health and psychological outcomes based on respiration rate reactivity to acute stress.
- To explore whether blunted, moderate, or exaggerated respiration rate responses are associated with specific health and psychological profiles.
- To establish respiration rate as a relevant marker for acute physiological stress reactivity and its health implications.
Main Methods:
- Secondary cross-sectional analysis of data from older adults (n=55) experiencing mild stress.
- Participants were categorized into three subgroups based on respiration rate reactivity: blunted, moderate, and exaggerated.
- Statistical analyses examined differences in perceived stress, depression, and mindfulness across the reactivity groups.
Main Results:
- The moderate respiration reactivity group reported significantly lower perceived stress and depression compared to the high reactivity group.
- Self-reported mindfulness was significantly lower in the moderate reactivity group compared to the low reactivity group.
- Moderate reactivity was associated with better psychological attributes and health outcomes; blunted reactivity was linked to worse outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Respiration rate is a significant, yet understudied, marker of acute physiological stress reactivity.
- Blunted respiration rate reactivity to stress is associated with negative psychological attributes and poorer health outcomes in older adults.
- A moderate range of physiological stress reactivity, including respiration, appears optimal for psychological well-being and health.
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