A Test of the Perseverative Cognition Hypothesis Using Hair Cortisol in a Sample of Dementia Caregivers and Non-Caregiver Controls

    September 2017 in “ OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) ”
    William Alexander Woody
    TLDR Caregivers had lower stress hormone levels than non-caregivers, suggesting caregiving stress affects the body differently.
    The study tested the Perseverative Cognition Hypothesis, which posits that repetitive thinking about stressors can lead to prolonged physiological stress, using hair cortisol levels in dementia caregivers (n = 29) and non-caregiver controls (n = 47). Contrary to expectations, caregivers exhibited lower hair cortisol levels than controls, and higher perceived stress correlated with lower hair cortisol. These results provided weak support for the hypothesis and suggested that the stress of caregiving might affect physiological stress responses differently, highlighting potential boundary conditions for the long-term effects of perseverative cognition on physiological outcomes.
    Discuss this study in the Community →