Wirtz, Petra H.; Ehlert, Ulrike; Kottwitz, Maria U.; La Marca, Roberto; Semmer, Norbert K. (2013). Occupational role stress is associated with higher cortisol reactivity to acute stress. Journal of occupational health psychology, 18(2), pp. 121-131. American Psychological Association 10.1037/a0031802
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2013.Paper%20JOHP_ISTAandStress_final.version.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. Download (357kB) | Preview |
We investigated whether occupational role stress is associated with differential levels of the stress hormone cortisol in response to acute psychosocial stress. Forty-three medication-free nonsmoking men aged between 22 and 65 years (mean ± SEM: 44.5 ± 2) underwent an acute standardized psychosocial stress task combining public speaking and mental arithmetic in front of an audience. We assessed occupational role stress in terms of role conflict and role ambiguity (combined into a measure of role uncertainty) as well as further work characteristics and psychological control variables including time pressure, overcommitment, perfectionism, and stress appraisal. Moreover, we repeatedly measured salivary cortisol and blood pressure levels before and after stress exposure, and several times up to 60 min thereafter. Higher role uncertainty was associated with a more pronounced cortisol stress reactivity (p = .016), even when controlling for the full set of potential confounders (p < .001). Blood pressure stress reactivity was not associated with role uncertainty. Our findings suggest that occupational role stress in terms of role uncertainty acts as a background stressor that is associated with increased HPA-axis reactivity to acute stress. This finding may represent a potential mechanism regarding how occupational role stress may precipitate adverse health outcomes.
Item Type: |
Journal Article (Original Article) |
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Division/Institute: |
07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Work and Organisational Psychology 07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy |
UniBE Contributor: |
Wirtz, Petra Hedwig, Semmer, Norbert Karl |
Subjects: |
100 Philosophy > 150 Psychology 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology 600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health |
ISSN: |
1076-8998 |
Publisher: |
American Psychological Association |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Claudia Zuccarella |
Date Deposited: |
24 Apr 2014 17:29 |
Last Modified: |
02 Mar 2023 23:24 |
Publisher DOI: |
10.1037/a0031802 |
PubMed ID: |
23566275 |
BORIS DOI: |
10.7892/boris.45033 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/45033 |
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