Mood and autonomic responses to repeated exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G).
BACKGROUND
A group version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-G) was introduced as a standardized, economic and efficient tool to induce a psychobiological stress response simultaneously in a group of subjects. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of the TSST-G to repeatedly induce an affective and autonomic stress response while comparing two alternative protocols for the second examination.


METHODS
Healthy young male recruits participated twice in the TSST-G 10 weeks apart. In the first examination, the TSST-G consisted of a combination of mental arithmetic and a fake job interview (TSST-G-1st; n=294). For the second examination, mental arithmetic was combined with either (a) a defensive speech in response to a false shoplifting accusation (TSST-G-2nd-defence; n=105), or (b) a speech on a more neutral topic selected by the investigators (TSST-G-2nd-presentation; n=100). Affect ratings and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) were determined immediately before and after the stress test, while heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured continuously.


RESULTS
TSST-G-1st resulted in a significant increase of negative affect, HR, and sAA, and a significant decrease in positive affect and HRV. TSST-G-2nd, overall, resulted in a significant increase of HR and sAA (the latter only in response to TSST-G-2nd-defence) and a decrease in HRV, while no significant affect alterations were found. When comparing both, TSST-G-2nd-defence and -2nd-presentation, the former resulted in a stronger stress response with regard to HR and HRV.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings reveal that the TSST-G is a useful protocol to repeatedly evoke an affective and autonomic stress response, while repetition leads to affective but not necessarily autonomic habituation. When interested in examining repeated psychosocial stress reactivity, a task that requires an ego-involving effort, such as a defensive speech, seems to be significantly superior to a task using an impersonal speech.
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Military Academy, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Maria
M
Boesch
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Military Academy, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Sandra
S
Sefidan
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ulrike
U
Ehlert
Military Academy, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Hubert
H
Annen
Swiss Federal Institute of Sports Magglingen SFISM, Magglingen, Switzerland.
Thomas
T
Wyss
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London UCL, London, United Kingdom.
Andrew
A
Steptoe
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: r.lamarca@psychologie.uzh.ch.
Roberto
R
La Marca
D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases
Autonomic nervous system; Heart rate; Heart rate variability; Repeated stress provocation; Salivary alpha-amylase; Trier Social Stress Test for Groups