title: Reciprocal relationship between acute stress and acute fatigue in everyday life in a sample of university students.
abstract: We investigated whether stress may influence fatigue, or vice versa, as well as factors mediating this relationship. Fifty healthy participants (31 females, 23.6±3.2 years) completed up to 5 momentary assessments of stress and fatigue during 5 days of preparation for their final examinations (exam condition) and 5 days of a regular semester week (control condition). Sleep quality was measured by self-report at awakening. A sub-group of participants (n=25) also collected saliva samples. Fatigue was associated with concurrent stress, stress reported at the previous measurement point, and previous-day stress. However, momentary stress was also predicted by concurrent fatigue, fatigue at the previous time point, and previous-day fatigue. Sleep quality mediated the association between stress and next-day fatigue. Cortisol and alpha-amylase did not mediate the stress-fatigue relationship. In conclusion, there is a reciprocal stress-fatigue relationship. Both prevention and intervention programs should comprehensively cover how stress and fatigue might influence one another.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: johanna.doerr@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Doerr
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology in the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 20, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Beate.Ditzen@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ditzen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: jana.strahler@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strahler
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: linnemann@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linnemann
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: jannis_ziemek@web.de.
authors.forename: Jannis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ziemek
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: skoluda@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skoluda
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. Electronic address: choppmann@psych.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Christiane A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hoppmann
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: urs.nater@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Urs M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Nater
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000516:alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Cortisol; Fatigue; Sleep quality; Stress