title: Modulatory effects of defense and coping on stress-induced changes in endocrine and immune parameters.
abstract: We examined whether habitual defense and coping affect the response of hormones (ACTH. cortisol, prolactin. endorphins, and noradrenaline) and immune parameters (numbers of T cells. B cells. natural killer [NK] cells, and proliferative responses to mitogens or antigens) to an acute laboratory stressor (i.e., solving a 3-dimensional puzzle and explaining it to a confederate) in 86 male high school teachers. Defense and coping were assessed by Kragh's tachistoscopic Defense Mechanism Test (a measure of perceptual defense) and by 4 questionnaire-based coping styles assessing instrumental mastery-oriented coping, emotion-focused coping, cognitive defense, and defensive hostility. The laboratory stressor per se caused a relative increase in immunological (in particular NK cells) and endocrine (cortisol, prolactin) parameters. Defense and coping, however, significantly codetermined the response to the stressor. In particular, instrumental mastery-oriented coping and perceptual defense were related to stress-induced changes in numbers of B cells and in the pituitary-adrenal hormones. The results indicate that the impact of a mild psychological stressor on the immune and endocrine system depends to a considerable extent on the specific ways people deal with stressors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Health Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olff
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brosschot
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Godaert
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Benschop
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ballieux
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Heijnen
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: de Smet
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ursin