Relationship between resilience and stress: Perceived stress, stressful life events, HPA axis response during a stressful task and hair cortisol

Abstract

Background: There is no consensus about how resilience is related to the different types of stress such as daily or chronic stress and psychopathology. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between resilience and the different measures of stress such as perceived stress, chronic stress, life events, HPA axis response during a stressful task and psychopathology.

Material and methods: The design was cross-sectional. Resilience, perceived stress, stressful life events, hair cortisol and HPA axis response during Trier Social Stress Test measured by salivary cortisol samples and psychopathological symptoms were assessed in a sample of 80 University students.

Results: Participants with low resilience showed higher scores in perceived stress level (p < .001), the number of current life events (p < .02), the intensity of stressful events (p < .025) as well as Obsession and Compulsion (p = .006), Interpersonal Sensitivity (p = .028), Phobic Anxiety (p = .044) and psychopathological severity (p = .033). Resilience was associated with chronic stress by perceived stress (p < .001), hair cortisol concentration (p = .022), obsessions and compulsions (p = .016), interpersonal sensitivity (p = .022), and depression symptoms (p = .039).

Conclusion: Resilience seems to be determinant in perceived stress, the number of current life events, the intensity of stressful events, chronic stress, obsession and compulsions, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety and depression symptoms, and psychopathological severity index.

Keywords: Hair cortisol; Laboratory stressor; Life events; Perceived stress; Resilience; Salivary cortisol.