Positive Health Online

Abstract

MA and co-workers, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, zhenfeng.ma@uoit.ca, have investigated the neuro-endocrine responses of women to the threat of cancer.

Background

The aim of this study was to provide initial validation of a computer-based stress task by examining the psychological, autonomic, and endocrine aspects of an individual's subjective experience of cancer threat surrounding mammography screening.

Methodology

A repeated measures design was used. A total of 38 healthy women performed a stress task (pertaining to mammography) and a control task (pertaining to osteoporosis prevention) on separate days. Psychological, autonomic, and endocrine reactions were monitored.

Results

Compared with the control task, the stress task induced higher autonomic responses (skin conductance and heart rate variability) and endocrine responses (salivary cortisol) but not psychological distress. Further, both the autonomic (skin conductance) and endocrine responses to cancer threat were moderated by mastery, a trait known to have a stress-buffering effect. Yet such a moderating effect was not observed for psychological indices of stress--that is, mood.

Conclusion

These results may have implications for nursing research and interventions.

References

Ma Z, Faber A, Dube L. Exploring women's psychoneuroendocrine responses to cancer threat: insights from a computer-based guided imagery task. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research 39 (1): 98-115, Mar 2007.