title: Sex-specific effects of mindfulness on romantic partners' cortisol responses to conflict and relations with psychological adjustment.
abstract: Mindfulness is known to improve individuals' and couples' subjective stress regulation, but little is known about how it impacts hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to acute psychosocial stress. The current study tested effects of dispositional mindfulness facets on young adult couples' cortisol responses to a conflict discussion stressor, as well as associations with psychological adjustment. One hundred heterosexual couples completed the five facet mindfulness questionnaire one week before engaging in a conflict discussion task. Each partner provided five saliva samples from pre- to post-conflict, which were assayed for cortisol. Measures of adjustment - depression and anxiety symptoms and global well-being - were also completed at this session. Hierarchical linear modeling of cortisol trajectories revealed sex-specific effects; whereas women's mindfulness (nonreactivity facet) predicted higher conflict stress cortisol levels, men's mindfulness (describing facet) predicted less pronounced cortisol reactivity/recovery curves. These patterns were related to better adjustment-lower depression symptoms for women and greater well-being for men. Implications for sex differences in mindfulness benefits are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Wyoming Psychology, Laramie, WY, United States; 1227, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States. Electronic address: hlaurent@uoregon.edu.
authors.forename: Heidemarie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hertz
authors.forename: Dorianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Egan-Wright
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Granger
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000465:Algorithms; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D064866:Mindfulness; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Cortisol; Couples; Depression; HPA; Interpersonal stress; Mindfulness; Sex difference; Well-being