Psychological stress and neuroendocrine function in humans: The last two decades of research

This paper reviews experimental contributions published in the last two dec ades and exploring the effect of emotional stress on neuroendocrine functio n in healthy humans. Laboratory studies allow standardization of the stress or and better control for known confounding factors. Commonly used stressor s are mental arithmetics, speech tasks, the Stroop test, videogame playing, films or videotapes and interviews. Little is known about the generalizabi lity of laboratory results, with some studies suggesting great caution in e xtrapolating data to real-life stress conditions. Another strategy is study ing the psychoendocrine reaction to real-life stressors, such as bereavemen t or anticipated loss, academic examinations, everyday work and parachute j umping. The effects of different stressors on neuroendocrine axes are revie wed, as well as the influence of gender, age, personality, coping style, so cial support, biological and nonbiological interventions. The subjective pe rception of the situation is probably a main determinant of the psychoendoc rine response pattern. In fact, marked variability in individual responses to a variety of stressors has frequently been observed. Evidently, the 'obj ective' characteristics of a given event are not the only determinants of r eaction to the event itself. According to a constructivistic perspective, e very given stressor has a strictly personal and idiosyncratic meaning and l oses its 'objective' characteristics. Of course, biological factors may als o play a part. In any case, it is mandatory to overcome a rigid dichotomy b etween psychological and biological processes. Dualistic conceptions which imply a determination of the physical by the psychological or vice versa sh ould give place to a systemic conception, which implies mutual, circular in teractions.