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Depressed Affect is Associated with Poorer Cardiovascular Recovery in Young Women Following a Mental Stressor

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  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Depressed mood has been prospectively associated with hypertension. Altered ANS function, as reflected in poor CV recovery, may be one mechanism that underlies this relationship.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between depressed mood and cardiovascular recovery following a standard mental stress task in healthy young women.

Methods

Depressed mood was assessed in 63 young women. Cardiovascular data were collected during a 5-min baseline period, 5-min public speaking stress task, and 15-min recovery period.

Results

Depressed mood accounted for 9.6% of the variation in HR reactivity (F(1,58) = 6.513, p = 0.013) and 4.5% of DBP recovery (F(1,58) = 4.538, p = 0.037).

Conclusions

Greater depressed mood was associated with greater HR reactivity and poorer DBP recovery. This is the first study to directly investigate associations between depressed mood and CV recovery following mental stress.

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Abbreviations

ANS:

Autonomic nervous system

AUC:

Area-under-the-curve

BDI:

Beck depression inventory

BMI:

Body mass index

BP:

Blood pressure

BPM:

Beats per minute

CES-D:

Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale

CV:

Cardiovascular

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

HPA:

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal

HR:

Heart rate

MMHG:

Millimeters of mercury

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

VAS:

Visual analog scales

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, and the Undergraduate Student Research Program at the University of Calgary, without which this research would not have been possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 256-2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Brenda Louise Key MSc, Kharah MacKenzie Ross BSc & Tavis Campbell PhD

  2. Department of Exercise Science, Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre, Concordia University, Hôpital du Sacré-Couer de Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute, 256-2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Simon L. Bacon PhD

  3. Department of Psychology, Division of Chest Medicine, Research Centre, University of Quebec at Montreal, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute, 256-2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Kim L. Lavoie PhD

Authors
  1. Brenda Louise Key MSc
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  2. Kharah MacKenzie Ross BSc
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  3. Simon L. Bacon PhD
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  4. Kim L. Lavoie PhD
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  5. Tavis Campbell PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tavis Campbell PhD.

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Key, B.L., Ross, K.M., Bacon, S.L. et al. Depressed Affect is Associated with Poorer Cardiovascular Recovery in Young Women Following a Mental Stressor. ann. behav. med. 38, 154–159 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9104-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9104-9

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