Dexamethasone suppression test and coping behavior in psychosocial stress

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to 144 healthy inductees on day 2 of military service. One hundred and four of them completed a 120-item questionnaire describing their coping responses to this particular challenge....

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Published inPsychiatry research Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 137 - 145
Main Authors Frecska, Ede, Lukács, Hedvig, Arató, Mihály, Mód, László, Alföldi, Antal, Magyar, István
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.02.1988
Elsevier
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
coping
defense
Defense Mechanisms
Denial (Psychology)
Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone suppression test
Humans
Hydrocortisone - blood
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiopathology
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
MMPI
Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiopathology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Social Support
stress
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Techniques and methods
stress
Dexamethasone suppression test
defense
coping
Human
Pharmacologic test
Personality test
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Hypothalamohypophysoadrenal axis
Steroid hormone
Psychometrics
Cortisol
Stress
Dexamethasone test
Environment personality relation
Coping
Hormonal investigation
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Summary:The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to 144 healthy inductees on day 2 of military service. One hundred and four of them completed a 120-item questionnaire describing their coping responses to this particular challenge. Thirty-six subjects (25%) failed to suppress plasma cortisol adequately. Their mean scores on the MMPI clinical standard scales were within the normal range. High postdexamethasone cortisol levels were associated with denial and passivity, and with low demand for social support. These results suggest that the DST might be more related to coping with a stressor than to a specific diagnosis. The authors speculate that high hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity may have a primary role in psychological defense promoting inattention to the aversive aspects of stressful situations.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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content type line 23
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/0165-1781(88)90003-0