Salivary cortisol responses to household tasks among couples with unexplained chronic fatigue

Karen B Schmaling; Joan M Romano; Mark P Jensen; Charles W Wilkinson; Sterling McPherson

doi:10.1037/fam0000074

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Salivary cortisol responses to household tasks among couples with unexplained chronic fatigue

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Salivary cortisol responses to household tasks among couples with unexplained chronic fatigue

Karen B Schmaling, Joan M Romano, Mark P Jensen, Charles W Wilkinson and Sterling McPherson

Journal of family psychology, Vol.29(2), pp.296-301

04/2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000074

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/115675

PMCID: PMC4388037

PMID: 25844497

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https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000074View

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Abstract

Activities of Daily Living

Spouses - statistics & numerical data

Family Characteristics

Saliva - metabolism

Humans

Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic - metabolism

Hydrocortisone - metabolism

Adult

Female

Male

Surveys and Questionnaires

Personal Satisfaction

This study examined salivary cortisol levels in couples in which one member had unexplained chronic fatigue (CF). The couples completed questionnaires and seven household activities in a laboratory setting and provided salivary cortisol samples prior to and immediately after the activities, as well as again after completing additional questionnaires and debriefing. The couples rated their interactions as similar to those at home, suggesting ecological validity, and patients with CF experienced the activities as involving more exertion than did their partners. The multilevel model results indicated that patients with CF had overall lower cortisol levels and flatter slopes across repeated measurements than did their significant others. Patients' and significant others' cortisol concentrations were significantly associated with each other over time. Furthermore, significant others' cortisol was associated with greater relationship satisfaction and greater observed rates of patients' illness/pain behaviors per minute, but patients' levels of cortisol were not associated with relationship variables. This study is the first to examine cortisol in couples with CF; the results are discussed in terms of implications for future research.

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Title: Salivary cortisol responses to household tasks among couples with unexplained chronic fatigue
Creators: Karen B Schmaling - Department of Psychology
Joan M Romano - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
Mark P Jensen - Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington
Charles W Wilkinson - Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Sterling McPherson - School of Nursing, Washington State University
Publication Details: Journal of family psychology, Vol.29(2), pp.296-301
Academic Unit: Medical Education and Clinical Science, Department of; Psychology, Department of
Publisher: United States
Grant note: U19AI38429 / NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI038429 / NIAID NIH HHS
Identifiers: 99900547914701842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article