Stressor-evoked heart rate, perceived physiological arousal, and anxiety symptoms in young adults

Acute psychological stress is associated with increases in heart rate (HR) and state anxiety. Stressor-evoked perceived HR changes relate more strongly to state anxiety than actual HR reactivity. However, research has yet to examine these associations in the context of general anxiety symptoms.

Participants (N = 160) completed a resting baseline period followed by a standardized acute psychological stress task; HR was recorded throughout. After the stress task, participants rated their perceived stressor-evoked physiological arousal and anxiety intensity. Participants also completed a general anxiety symptoms measure ~17 days later.

The a priori hypothesized model demonstrated a good fit to the data, χ² (59) = 93.15, p = .003; CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.91; SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.06 (90 % CI = 0.04-0.08). After controlling for covariates, perceived physiological arousal was positively related to both cognitive and somatic anxiety. In turn, only somatic anxiety was positively associated with general anxiety symptoms. Perceived physiological arousal was related to general anxiety symptoms through state somatic anxiety. HR reactivity was not statistically significantly associated with either cognitive or somatic anxiety.

The study was correlational, which limits the ability to determine causation.

Perceived HR, rather than actual HR, is more closely associated with anxiety intensity during acute psychological stress. Stressor-evoked perceived HR and general anxiety symptoms are related indirectly through stressor-evoked somatic anxiety intensity. The findings have implications for elucidating the mechanisms of the stress-anxiety relationship.