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A clinical allostatic load index is associated with burnout symptoms and hypocortisolemic profiles in healthy workers.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011 Jul; 36(6):797-805.P

Abstract

Chronic stress causes stress hormones to strain many biological systems in a process referred to as allostatic load (AL) that is measurable using an index of biomarkers. While the AL framework has been successfully applied in studies of workplace stress, few studies have investigated burnout, a debilitating condition sometimes characterized by blunted stress hormone levels. Using an AL index based on clinical norms, we hypothesized that higher AL indices would be associated with increased chronic stress, burnout symptoms, as well as hypoactive diurnal and reactive stress hormone levels. Fifteen neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular biomarkers were collected for 30 healthy participants from various professions and values were transformed into an AL index using clinical norms. Stress reactivity was assessed for salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels in response to the Trier Social Stress Test. Diurnal cortisol was measured at five time points (awakening, 30 min after awakening, 14:00 h, 16:00 h, and before bedtime) over two working days. We also administered questionnaires of chronic stress, burnout, and depression. Our results demonstrate that increased AL is associated with increased chronic stress, burnout symptoms, but not depressive symptoms. The High AL group demonstrated lower morning and stress reactive cortisol levels in comparison to the Low AL group, but no significant effects were detected for salivary α-amylase. These findings provide preliminary support for the utility of a new clinical AL index that is sensitive to physiological recalibrations intermittently observed in burnout research.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Juster RP
Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Fernand-Seguin Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
Sindi S
No affiliation info available
Marin MF
No affiliation info available
Perna A
No affiliation info available
Hashemi A
No affiliation info available
Pruessner JC
No affiliation info available
Lupien SJ
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultAgedBiomarkersBlood GlucoseBurnout, ProfessionalC-Reactive ProteinChronic DiseaseCircadian RhythmDepressionFemaleHormonesHumansHydrocortisoneHypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemIndolesLipidsMaleMiddle AgedOccupationsPancreatic alpha-AmylasesPituitary-Adrenal SystemSalivaSalivary alpha-AmylasesSeverity of Illness IndexStress, PsychologicalSurveys and QuestionnairesWaist-Hip Ratio

Pub Type(s)

Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

21129851

Citation

Juster, Robert-Paul, et al. "A Clinical Allostatic Load Index Is Associated With Burnout Symptoms and Hypocortisolemic Profiles in Healthy Workers." Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 36, no. 6, 2011, pp. 797-805.
Juster RP, Sindi S, Marin MF, et al. A clinical allostatic load index is associated with burnout symptoms and hypocortisolemic profiles in healthy workers. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011;36(6):797-805.
Juster, R. P., Sindi, S., Marin, M. F., Perna, A., Hashemi, A., Pruessner, J. C., & Lupien, S. J. (2011). A clinical allostatic load index is associated with burnout symptoms and hypocortisolemic profiles in healthy workers. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36(6), 797-805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.11.001
Juster RP, et al. A Clinical Allostatic Load Index Is Associated With Burnout Symptoms and Hypocortisolemic Profiles in Healthy Workers. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011;36(6):797-805. PubMed PMID: 21129851.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - A clinical allostatic load index is associated with burnout symptoms and hypocortisolemic profiles in healthy workers. AU - Juster,Robert-Paul, AU - Sindi,Shireen, AU - Marin,Marie-France, AU - Perna,Andrea, AU - Hashemi,Alireza, AU - Pruessner,Jens C, AU - Lupien,Sonia J, Y1 - 2010/12/03/ PY - 2010/06/02/received PY - 2010/11/03/revised PY - 2010/11/04/accepted PY - 2010/12/7/entrez PY - 2010/12/7/pubmed PY - 2011/9/21/medline SP - 797 EP - 805 JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology VL - 36 IS - 6 N2 - Chronic stress causes stress hormones to strain many biological systems in a process referred to as allostatic load (AL) that is measurable using an index of biomarkers. While the AL framework has been successfully applied in studies of workplace stress, few studies have investigated burnout, a debilitating condition sometimes characterized by blunted stress hormone levels. Using an AL index based on clinical norms, we hypothesized that higher AL indices would be associated with increased chronic stress, burnout symptoms, as well as hypoactive diurnal and reactive stress hormone levels. Fifteen neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular biomarkers were collected for 30 healthy participants from various professions and values were transformed into an AL index using clinical norms. Stress reactivity was assessed for salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels in response to the Trier Social Stress Test. Diurnal cortisol was measured at five time points (awakening, 30 min after awakening, 14:00 h, 16:00 h, and before bedtime) over two working days. We also administered questionnaires of chronic stress, burnout, and depression. Our results demonstrate that increased AL is associated with increased chronic stress, burnout symptoms, but not depressive symptoms. The High AL group demonstrated lower morning and stress reactive cortisol levels in comparison to the Low AL group, but no significant effects were detected for salivary α-amylase. These findings provide preliminary support for the utility of a new clinical AL index that is sensitive to physiological recalibrations intermittently observed in burnout research. SN - 1873-3360 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/21129851/A_clinical_allostatic_load_index_is_associated_with_burnout_symptoms_and_hypocortisolemic_profiles_in_healthy_workers_ L2 - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306-4530(10)00279-9 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -