Table 2.
Physiological response to acute psychosocial stress in patients with clinical burnout and healthy controls.
| Baseline | Peak | Paired samples t-test |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (range) | Mean (range) | t | df | p Value | Eta squared | |
| Patients | ||||||
| P-ACTH (pmol/L) | 5.98 (2.70−16.5) | 21.6 (4.60−58.0) | −7.9 | 17 | <0.001 | 0.79 |
| S-cortisol (nmol/L) | 307 (160−660) | 618 (220−1200) | −9.3 | 14 | <0.001 | 0.86 |
| Sal-cortisol | 4.52 (1.35−11.7) | 16.5 (4.00−41.0) | −7.9 | 17 | <0.001 | 0.79 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 64 (44−88) | 94 (67−144) | −8.8 | 17 | <0.001 | 0.82 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 127 (100−159) | 166 (140−205) | −9.3 | 15 | <0.001 | 0.85 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 82 (62−101) | 107 (86−133) | −10 | 17 | <0.001 | 0.85 |
| Controls | ||||||
| P-ACTH (pmol/L) | 6.87 (1.85−23.9) | 18.9 (3.20−49.0) | −11 | 38 | <0.001 | 0.76 |
| S-cortisol (nmol/L) | 288 (185−570) | 562 (290−880) | −17 | 35 | <0.001 | 0.89 |
| Sal-cortisol | 5.57 (2.90−13.4) | 21.6 (5.90−52.0) | −12 | 37 | <0.001 | 0.80 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 64 (47−87) | 96 (67−133) | −10 | 37 | <0.001 | 0.77 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 123 (106−144) | 161 (129−213) | −17 | 37 | <0.001 | 0.89 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 79 (62−96) | 100 (68−116) | −13 | 37 | <0.001 | 0.82 |
p Value in bold indicate significant difference (p < 0.05). p Values are adjusted for multiple comparisons (Bonferroni). P-ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone measured in plasma; S-cortisol, cortisol measured in serum; Sal-cortisol, cortisol measured in saliva; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure. Baseline levels of ACTH, cortisol, heart rate, SBP, and DBP are the average of the level at the −10 and the 0 time point. The peak level are the highest levels reached between the +20 and +50 time points, for ACTH and cortisol, and between the +5 and +20 time point for heart rate and blood pressure.