SELF-REPORTED STRESSORS, SYMPTOM COMPLAINTS AND PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING .1. CARDIOVASCULAR STRESS REACTIVITY

Taking into account neuroticism and lifestyle variables (smoking and a lcohol consumption), cardiovascular and psychological reactions to str essful films were studied in four groups of subjects selected on self- reported levels of recent stressor load and symptom complaints (low-lo ad/low-symptoms; low-load/high-symptoms; high-load/low-symptoms; high- load/high-symptoms). The films were known either to stimulate or to de press cardiovascular activity. The results showed that psychological r eactions (distress; deactivation; openness/involvement) were associate d with group membership and condition. In addition, high-symptom subje cts were characterized by faster resting heart rates and smaller ECG T -wave amplitudes (TWAs), reflective of greater sympathetic tone on the myocard. Further, low-symptom subjects, in particular those labeled a s stress-resistant (high-load/low-symptoms), exhibited larger myocardi al responses to the cardiovascular-stimulating films than did high-sym ptom subjects. Low-symptom subjects showed predicted variations in phy siological responses to the different films, whereas the responses by the high-symptom subjects showed lesser variation across films. It is concluded that the cardiovascular responses of low-symptom subjects mo re accurately followed the energetic demands of the body, whereas the high-symptom subjects were in a comparatively enduring state of arousa l.