Rx risk or resistance? Psychotropic medication use in relation to physiological and psychosocial functioning of psychiatric hospital workers
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Rx risk or resistance? Psychotropic medication use in relation to physiological and psychosocial functioning of psychiatric hospital workers. / Kerr, Philippe; Lupien, Sonia; Juster, Robert Paul.
In: Psychoneuroendocrinology, Vol. 115, 104634, 05.2020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Rx risk or resistance? Psychotropic medication use in relation to physiological and psychosocial functioning of psychiatric hospital workers
AU - Kerr, Philippe
AU - Lupien, Sonia
AU - Juster, Robert Paul
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - To avoid methodological biases, psychoneuroendocrine studies have generally excluded psychotropic medication users. In workplace stress research, this has limited our ability to understand how psychotropic medication use affects many stress-related measures of interest. In this exploratory study, the effects of psychotropic medication use on stress physiology, occupational stress, and mental health were measured in a sample of healthy adult psychiatric hospital workers (N = 203, 70 % women). Diurnal cortisol was assessed on two non-consecutive work-days at five time-points (e.g., awakening, thirty minutes after awakening, 2 P M, 4 P M and bedtime). Cortisol reactivity was assessed by exposing participants to the Trier Social Stress Test. An allostatic load index was constructed using 19 neuroendocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarkers. Occupational stress (e.g., job strain, effort-reward imbalance) and psychiatric symptoms (e.g., depression, burnout) were assessed with well-validated self-reports. Results showed that psychotropic medication use had no significant effects on diurnal cortisol profiles; however, psychotropic users had significantly decreased cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test and higher allostatic load. Psychotropic users also had decreased effort-reward imbalance, but not job strain. Depressive symptoms did not differ between psychotropic medications users and non-users; however, burnout symptoms were higher among psychotropic medication users than non-users. Taken together, our findings do not warrant the systematic exclusion of psychotropic medication users from psychoneuroendocrine studies if insights into individual differences are sought among workers and other populations exposed to elevated stress.
AB - To avoid methodological biases, psychoneuroendocrine studies have generally excluded psychotropic medication users. In workplace stress research, this has limited our ability to understand how psychotropic medication use affects many stress-related measures of interest. In this exploratory study, the effects of psychotropic medication use on stress physiology, occupational stress, and mental health were measured in a sample of healthy adult psychiatric hospital workers (N = 203, 70 % women). Diurnal cortisol was assessed on two non-consecutive work-days at five time-points (e.g., awakening, thirty minutes after awakening, 2 P M, 4 P M and bedtime). Cortisol reactivity was assessed by exposing participants to the Trier Social Stress Test. An allostatic load index was constructed using 19 neuroendocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarkers. Occupational stress (e.g., job strain, effort-reward imbalance) and psychiatric symptoms (e.g., depression, burnout) were assessed with well-validated self-reports. Results showed that psychotropic medication use had no significant effects on diurnal cortisol profiles; however, psychotropic users had significantly decreased cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test and higher allostatic load. Psychotropic users also had decreased effort-reward imbalance, but not job strain. Depressive symptoms did not differ between psychotropic medications users and non-users; however, burnout symptoms were higher among psychotropic medication users than non-users. Taken together, our findings do not warrant the systematic exclusion of psychotropic medication users from psychoneuroendocrine studies if insights into individual differences are sought among workers and other populations exposed to elevated stress.
KW - Allostatic load
KW - Cortisol
KW - Depression
KW - Occupational stress
KW - Psychotropic medication use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85080953500&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104634
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104634
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32145569
AN - SCOPUS:85080953500
VL - 115
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
SN - 0306-4530
M1 - 104634
ER -
ID: 393780318