The role of subjective distress in contextualizing testosterone-cortisol coupling

The psychological conditions under which hormonal response profiles predict later distress remain unclear. The present study tested whether subjective distress during a biological stressor moderates the association between testosterone-cortisol coupling and responses to subsequent psychosocial stress. Participants completed a 35% CO₂ Challenge and, a few days later, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Analyses included 115 males and 49 females with hormonal and subjective distress data collected during the stress protocols. Hormonal and subjective responses were quantified using area under the curve with respect to ground (AUC_G), and separate regression analyses were conducted for males and females. Significant interactions between CO₂ Challenge-evoked testosterone, cortisol, and subjective distress emerged for TSST stress in males and females, and TSST fear in males. In males, the dual-hormone hypothesis pattern of higher testosterone coupled with lower cortisol during the CO₂ Challenge predicted higher TSST stress and fear when CO₂ Challenge distress was average or higher. These findings suggest the emotional significance of testosterone-cortisol coupling may depend, in part, on whether the initial stressor is experienced as distressing.