Perceived stress and socioeconomic status differentially modulate the relationship between progesterone and cortisol...

The research on how progesterone shapes physiologic responses to acute stress has yielded inconsistent results. This heterogeneity may be partially attributable to progesterone's effects being shaped by psychosocial stress, whether in the form of stress exposure, such as that associated with low subjective socioeconomic status (SES), or perceived stress. Though one's preexisting levels of stress exposure and perceived stress have been identified as impacting the cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress as well, like progesterone, prior results have been mixed. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine how subjective SES and perceived stress interact with progesterone to predict cortisol reactivity to an in-lab psychosocial stressor. Undergraduate cisgender women (n = 66) were exposed to the Socially-Evaluated Cold Pressor Task, with salivary hormones measured before, immediately, and + 20 min after the task. Results showed a main effect of progesterone on cortisol responsivity such that those low in progesterone produced a blunted cortisol response and those high in progesterone produced the expected cortisol spike (b = 0.012, t(64) = 3.67, p < 0.001). SES (0.004, t(62) = 2.39, p = 0.02) and PSS scores (b = 0.001, t(62) = 2.13, p = 0.037) moderated this effect. Among those high in progesterone, lower levels of SES were correlated with blunted cortisol responses and, separately, higher levels of perceived stress were correlated with heightened cortisol responses. Our finding that self-reported SES and perceived stress modulate the relationship between progesterone and acute stress reactivity can further our understanding of how and why progesterone's relationship to certain health outcomes differs between individuals. Elucidating the relationship between progesterone and stress reactivity may have implications for understanding individual differences in the mental health effects of the menstrual cycle and progestin-based contraceptives.