title: Changes in DHEA-s levels during the first year of treatment in patients with clinical burnout are related to health development.
abstract: The regenerative hormone DHEA-S was measured in 122 patients with clinical burnout during their first year of treatment. Relations between change of DHEA-S levels and development in health were investigated. About half of the patients exhibited increased DHEA-S levels during the year, while the other half exhibited decreased levels. There was no difference in burnout symptoms or associated health status at baseline between subsequent DHEA-S increasing and DHEA-S decreasing groups. Greater reduction in the burnout symptoms was observed in patients in who DHEA-S levels increased during the year, than in the patients in who DHEA-S levels decreased. Relative change of DHEA-S and direction of the change during the year both predicted burnout symptoms at the end of the year. In addition, patients with increased DHEA-S levels had better self-rated health, vitality and well-being. Our data suggest that changes in DHEA-S are associated with prognosis for the outcome in burnout patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Stress Medicine, Göteborg, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: anna-karin.lennartsson@ki.se.
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lennartsson
authors.affiliation: Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Töres
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theorell
authors.affiliation: ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Laboratory, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Mark M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kushnir
authors.affiliation: Institute of Stress Medicine, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingibjörg H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Jonsdottir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D057566:Self Report; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
keywords: Burnout; Changes in DHEA-S; Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; Health development