Life Change as a Predictor of Catecholamines, Cortisol, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms

Life change count and life change adjustment values were included in predictor models for urinary catecholamine levels, urinary cortisol levels, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms among motor vehicle accident survivors and minor injury control subjects. The ability of motor vehicle accident and minor injury exposure to duplicate aspects of the toughened neuroendocrine pattern induced in laboratory stress studies greater catecholamine capacity and reactivity, and diminished cortisol responses was assessed. Successive hierarchical multiple regressions were run to determine the predictive capacity of life change variables for hormone and symptom levels. Life change counts or adjustment ratings were effective predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms at 6 months and 18 months following accident or injury. Few neurohormone associations with life change and mood scores were detected. However, some minor injury group associations and the neurohormone correlates of life counts proximate to accidentinjury were consistent with some aspects of the toughened neuroendocrine pattern.