Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36495625›Full record

ArticlePsychoneuroendocrinology2023

Increases in stress hormone levels in a UK population during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study.

Ru Jia, Kieran Ayling, Carol Coupland, Trudie Chalder, Adam Massey, Urs Nater, Elizabeth Broadbent, Norina Gasteiger, Wei Gao, Clemens Kirschbaum and 1 more

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Article in Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Age and Hair Cortisol Levels as Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ru JiaCentre for Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
Kieran AylingCentre for Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
Carol CouplandCentre for Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
Trudie ChalderDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
Adam MasseyCortigenix, Cortigenix Laboratory, 6 Westhill Court, Walcott, Lincoln LN4 3BU, UK.
Urs NaterDepartment of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
Elizabeth BroadbentDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Private bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Norina GasteigerDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Private bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand; School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Wei GaoFaculty of Psychology, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
Clemens KirschbaumFaculty of Psychology, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
Kavita VedharaCentre for Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. Electronic address: Kavita.Vedhara@nottingham.ac.uk.

Funding

Department of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundResearch suggests that psychological factors may influence vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection, although the mechanisms are unclear. PURPOSE: We examined whether the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may be a possible mechanism, by measuring the relationship between indices of psychological distress and cortisone in hair (hairE) in a UK cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsParticipants (N = 827) provided two 3 cm hair samples over a 6-month period between April-September 2020. Samples reflected hairE in the 3 months prior to the collection date.

resultsHairE in the first samples (T1: commenced April 2020) did not differ significantly from pre-pandemic population norms. However, hairE in the second samples (T2: commenced July 2020) were significantly higher than T1 and pre-pandemic population norms, with a 23% increase between T1 and T2. Linear regressions, controlling for age and gender, demonstrated that at both timepoints, hairE levels were greatest in people with a history of mental health difficulties. In addition, stress reported at T1 predicted greater hairE at T2 and a greater change in hairE between T1 and T2.

conclusionsThese findings demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic hairE was substantially elevated across a large community cohort, with greatest levels in those with a history of mental health difficulties and greatest changes in those reporting greatest levels of stress early in the pandemic. Further research is required with verified SARS-CoV-2 outcomes to determine whether the HPA axis is among the mechanisms by which a history of mental health difficulties and stress influence SARS-CoV-2 outcomes.

Indexed as

COVID-19Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemHumansHydrocortisonePandemicsPituitary-Adrenal SystemProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2United KingdomHydrocortisoneCOVID-19Hair cortisolHair cortisoneMental healthSARS-CoV-2Stress

Identifiers

PMID36495625
PMCPMC9705007

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.