Relationship between baseline cortisol, social functioning and depression: a mediation analysis

Both elevated cortisol secretion and low social support have been commonly found in depressed patients, but their respective roles in depression remain unclear. In fact, it may not be a lack of social support but a failure to obtain it that is important. The present study used mediation analysis to study the interrelationships among cortisol, social functioning and depression. Sixty healthy volunteers were recruited from the community. Depression and social functioning were measured by the Beck Depression Inventory and the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale, respectively. Salivary samples were collected to measure the cortisol. Using mediation analysis, it was found that elevated cortisol secretion was a vulnerability factor for low social functioning, leading to higher depression scores. Hypercortisolaemia may be a predisposing factor and may interact with a low level of social functioning leading to depression.

[1]  A. Young,et al.  Basal activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in patients with depersonalization disorder , 2001, Psychiatry Research.

[2]  W. Drevets,et al.  New insights into the role of cortisol and the glucocorticoid receptor in severe depression , 2002, Biological Psychiatry.

[3]  J. Deakin,et al.  Bio-social origins of depression in the community , 2002, British Journal of Psychiatry.

[4]  D. A. Kenny,et al.  The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[5]  A. Dubini,et al.  Development and validation of a social functioning scale, the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale , 1997, European Neuropsychopharmacology.

[6]  I. Goodyer,et al.  First-episode major depression in adolescents. Affective, cognitive and endocrine characteristics of risk status and predictors of onset. , 2000, The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science.

[7]  A. Beck,et al.  Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation , 1988 .

[8]  N. Kalin,et al.  Maternal stress beginning in infancy may sensitize children to later stress exposure: effects on cortisol and behavior , 2002, Biological Psychiatry.

[9]  I. Goodyer,et al.  Adrenal steroid secretion and major depression in 8- to 16-year-olds, III. Influence of cortisol/DHEA ratio at presentation on subsequent rates of disappointing life events and persistent major depression , 1998, Psychological Medicine.

[10]  S. Checkley,et al.  Effects of social support during weekend leave on cortisol and depression ratings: a pilot study. , 2002, Journal of affective disorders.

[11]  G. Klerman.  Depressive disorders: further evidence for increased medical morbidity and impairment of social functioning , 1989 .

[12]  J. Deakin.  5HT2 receptors, depression and anxiety , 1988, Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.

[13]  C. Nemeroff,et al.  The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) hypothesis of depression: new findings and new directions. , 1996, Molecular psychiatry.