Psycho-Endocrinological Reactions in Female Relatives of Cancer Patients: Effects of an activation programme

Theorell, Töres; Häggmark, Caroline; Eneroth, P.

doi:10.3109/02841868709113710

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Apart from relaxation therapy, psychoendocrine reactivity may also be influenced by an intervention aimed at supporting the stressed individual. For instance, a group of female relatives of cancer patients who received special supportive attention from the ward staff tended to show lower plasma prolactin levels than another group who did not receive such attention [165]. …”

Section: Factors Modulating Psychoendocrine Reactivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Biondi

Picardi

1999

Psychother Psychosom

313

175

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This paper reviews experimental contributions published in the last two decades and exploring the effect of emotional stress on neuroendocrine function in healthy humans. Laboratory studies allow standardization of the stressor and better control for known confounding factors. Commonly used stressors are mental arithmetics, speech tasks, the Stroop test, videogame playing, films or videotapes and interviews. Little is known about the generalizability of laboratory results, with some studies suggesting great caution in extrapolating data to real-life stress conditions. Another strategy is studying the psychoendocrine reaction to real-life stressors, such as bereavement or anticipated loss, academic examinations, everyday work and parachute jumping. The effects of different stressors on neuroendocrine axes are reviewed, as well as the influence of gender, age, personality, coping style, social support, biological and nonbiological interventions. The subjective perception of the situation is probably a main determinant of the psychoendocrine response pattern. In fact, marked variability in individual responses to a variety of stressors has frequently been observed. Evidently, the ‘objective’ characteristics of a given event are not the only determinants of reaction to the event itself. According to a constructivistic perspective, every given stressor has a strictly personal and idiosyncratic meaning and loses its ‘objective’ characteristics. Of course, biological factors may also play a part. In any case, it is mandatory to overcome a rigid dichotomy between psychological and biological processes. Dualistic conceptions which imply a determination of the physical by the psychological or vice versa should give place to a systemic conception, which implies mutual, circular interactions.

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Section: Factors Modulating Psychoendocrine Reactivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Biondi

Picardi

1999

Psychother Psychosom

313

175

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“…Plasma prolactin change may be a good example of this. Plasma prolactin tended to be lower in women who received special supportive attention from the ward personnel in a cancer ward during their relative's cancer illness than in a control group of women who did not receive such attention during the same experience [16]. It has been hypothesized that plasma prolactin levels increase particularly during episodes of passive coping during a crisis and may ac cordingly, both in women and in men.…”

Section: Physiological Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…studies have shown that plasma corti sol and prolactin increase during unemploy ment [14], Plasma prolactin increases during the weeks after a subway train driver has killed or seriously injured somebody under the train [15]. Plasma cortisol increases dur ing the terminal phase of the cancer illness of a close relative [16,17], Cellular immune function is affected by the death of a spouse [18] and by unemployment. In general, the accumulation of several life changes during a week [19] or a month [20] is associated with increasing urinary excretion of adrenaline although the amount of reaction and the strength of the association vary markedly be tween subjects.…”

Section: Physiological Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Life Changes

Theorell

1992

Psychother Psychosom

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This review of ideas presented in life event research presents a psychological and a sociological research tradition. Physiological recordings of endocrine factors have been utilized in studies of life events both in the study of natural course (bereavement and accidents, for instance) and in the laboratory during talk about critical life events. Recently, several programmes have been started for improving people’s life event tolerance. However, ‘eventlessness’ has also been observed to be a possible disease-provoking factor.

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“…A rise in plasma prolactin is associated with a passive coping pattern during a crisis situation (6,8,9]. Prolactin, which is partly regulated by the dopamine system, is associated with the regulation of blood pressure and the immune defense.…”

Section: Adj R 2 F-test Dfmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Person under train” incidents: medical consequences for subway drivers.

Theorell¹,

Leymann²,

Jodko³

et al. 1992

Psychosomatic Medicine

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The PUT group had significantly more sick days during the interval from the event to 3 weeks later. During the period 3 weeks to 3 months after the event no difference between the groups was observed. From 3 months to 1 year after the PUT significantly more days were again reported by the PUT group. Thirty-eight percent in the PUT group versus 14% in the control group had at least 1 month of sickness absence during this period. A mild acute psychophysiological reaction was observed 3 weeks after the event, with elevated prolactin and increased sleep disturbance in the PUT group. Such acute reactions were transitory and not correlated with long-term sick leave, which was predicted independently, however, by a high plasma cortisol level (analyzed in men) and a high depression score. Drivers in the group with seriously injured victims were absent from work for longer periods than drivers in the groups with mildly injured or dead victims.

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Psycho-Endocrinological Reactions in Female Relatives of Cancer Patients: Effects of an activation programme

Cited by 13 publications

References 5 publications

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Critical Life Changes

“Person under train” incidents: medical consequences for subway drivers.

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