A cognitive-behavioural intervention improves cognition in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study
Abstract As postulated by the stress process model, chronically stressed individuals, such as caregivers of people with chronic psychological disorders, have poorer cognitive performance and higher age-related cognitive decline than individuals not exposed to chronic stress. When analysing this topic in caregivers, the majority of research has been conducted in populations in which the care recipient has dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease, while relatively few studies have analysed cognition in caregivers of offspring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The main objective of this pilot study was to analyse the effect of a cognitive-behavioural intervention on cognition in caregivers of pe…
Blunted Cortisol Awakening Response and Poor Self-Perceived Health in Informal Caregivers of People with Eating Disorders
Caring for offspring diagnosed with eating disorders (EDs) entails being under high chronic stress, with negative consequences for health. However, most previous research has only evaluated self-report measures of health, biological markers being poorly studied. In this regard, the evaluation of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) could add significant information about the biological basis of health disturbances in this population. The main aim of the present study was to compare CAR and self-reported health between informal caregivers (ICs) of people with EDs and non-caregivers. Furthermore, we explored the effect of the nature of the diagnosis, comparing ICs of people with anorexia and…
Blunted Electrodermal and Psychological Response to Acute Stress in Family Caregivers of People with Eating Disorders.
AbstractCaring for an offspring with an eating disorder (ED) is associated with high levels of distress, and health problems. Indeed, ED caregivers have to cope with a range of challenges related to their caring role, which represents a chronic stress situation. This tends to alter body homeostasis and caregivers’ health status. This study aimed to analyse the electrodermal reactivity and psychological response to acute stress in ED caregivers compared to non-caregivers. As expected, caregivers showed lower electrodermal (p < .001, η2partial = .269 for SCL and p < .01, η2partial = .214 for NSCRs) and psychological response (p < .05, η2partial = .198) to acute stress than non-caregi…
A Mindfulness-Based Program Improves Health in Caregivers of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Pilot Study
Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated to be effective in reducing stress and health complaints in clinical populations. However, to our knowledge, biological health markers have not been used in studies of the effectiveness of mindfulness programs in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study aimed to assess the effects of a mindfulness intervention on mood disturbances and health complaints in this population compared with non-caregivers. The design of the study was quasi-experimental, with repeated measures. Self-reported health, cortisol awakening response (CAR), and afternoon cortisol levels before and after a mindfulness session were assessed at …
Depressive Mood and Testosterone Related to Declarative Verbal Memory Decline in Middle-Aged Caregivers of Children with Eating Disorders
Caring for children diagnosed with a chronic psychological disorder such as an eating disorder (ED) can be used as a model of chronic stress. This kind of stress has been reported to have deleterious effects on caregivers' cognition, particularly in verbal declarative memory of women caregivers. Moreover, high depressive mood and variations in testosterone (T) levels moderate this cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to characterize whether caregivers of individuals with EDs (n = 27) show declarative memory impairments compared to non-caregivers caregivers (n = 27), using for this purpose a standardized memory test (Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Its purpose was also to e…
Highly resilient coping entails better perceived health, high social support and low morning cortisol levels in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder
The negative consequences of caring for people with developmental disabilities have been widely described. However, the ability to bounce back from the stress derived from care situations has been less studied. Those caregivers who have shown this ability are considered as resilient. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between resilience and self-reported health and cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a sample of caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It also aims to evaluate the role of social support as a mediator in the association between resilience and health. Caregivers with higher resilience show better perceived health, lower morning cortisol levels, an…
Gestación subrogada: aspectos psicosociales
ABSTRACT Innovation in assisted reproductive technologies together with increased infertility and new family structures are increasing the use of gestational surrogacy as a means to have children. Before, during and after the process, it is necessary to study the psychosocial characteristics of triad members: the gestational surrogate, intended parents, and offspring. Research has indicated positive adaptation to the process and benefits for all members of the triad. Altruism is the main motivation of surrogates. Notably, psychological well-being has been found to be higher in individuals who have become parents through surrogacy than in those who have used egg donation or have followed a n…
Relación entre empatía y respuesta matutina de cortisol
Con la finalidad de prevenir la conducta antisocial, el estudio de las bases biológicas de la empatía ha cobrado especial relevancia en los últimos años. Diversos estudios han resaltado la implicación del eje hipotálamo-hipófisis-adrenal (HHA) y el cortisol en la empatía, pero son escasos los que han estudiado la relación entre esta y la respuesta matutina de cortisol (CAR, por su nombre en inglés Cortisol Awakening Response) como indicador de la actividad basal del HHA. Este estudio analiza la asociación entre la empatía, tanto cognitiva como emocional, y la CAR en 39 hombres y 91 mujeres (47 fase folicular y 44 fase lútea del ciclo menstrual). La CAR se obtuvo a partir de muestras de sali…
Lower cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress in informal caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder than in non-caregivers: Implications for health outcomes.
Abstract Caring for offspring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with chronic stress. Such a situation could alter body homeostasis, and in turn, physiological systems associated with the stress response and health, such as the autonomic nervous system. The primary aim of the present study was to compare the cardiovascular response with a set of mental tasks in parents of people with (n = 34) and without (n = 36) ASD. The secondary aim was to explore a potential relationship between cardiovascular response and self-reported health. Caregivers had lower sympathetic activity than non-caregivers, especially during the acute stress period. Higher sympathetic activity was related …
High cognitive sensitivity to activational effects of testosterone in parents of offspring with autism spectrum disorders
Abstract The existence of mild forms of autistic-like characteristics in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been defined as a broader autistic phenotype (BAP). Excessive prenatal exposure to testosterone (T) seems to play a role in its development. The aims of this study were to characterize whether ASD parents show masculinized brains or high T prenatal exposure compared to a normative population, using cognitive questionnaires, and also to examine the T level changes in response to different cognitive tasks. ASD parents were found to present higher autistic and lower empathic trait scores than controls. They also have higher T levels and magnitude of T response …
Efectos de un programa de intervención cognitivo-conductual sobre la salud de cuidadores de personas con trastorno del espectro autista
Caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are chronically exposed to high levels of stress. In turn, such stress is associated with high rates of negative health outcomes. However, few studies have analyzed the effects of psychotherapeutic interventions in improving health in this population. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program, based on the model proposed by Ruiz-Robledillo and Moya-Albiol (2014a). For this, we used a sample of 17 informal caregivers of people diagnosed with ASD. The study was based on a pre-post design. Caregivers had lower levels of burden immediately after the intervention than…
Psychophysiological responses to cooperation: The role of outcome and gender
Instances of sustained cooperative behaviour in humans can be considered as an adaptive strategy that enhances the probability of reaching a goal. This study investigates psychophysiological responses to cooperation in healthy subjects, while considering outcome and gender as potential moderators of these responses. Salivary cortisol levels (Csal), heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), nonspecific skin conductance responses (NSRs), and mood states were measured at different points before, during and after a Lego house-building task in undergraduate men (n = 22) and women (n = 20). Once the task was finished, the experimenter informed the participants about the outcome obtained (pos…
Emotional intelligence modulates cortisol awakening response and self-reported health in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders
Abstract Caring for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has negative consequences for caregivers’ health. Specifically, caregivers of people with ASDs have been observed to have more somatic symptoms, poorer self-perceived general health, poorer social functioning and altered immune and endocrine systems. Various positive variables including emotional intelligence (EI) have been found to protect health in several populations, but no studies have previously analyzed the effect of EI in caregivers of people with ASDs. The present study aimed to analyze the association of the three components of EI (attention, clarity and repair) with self-reported health and cortisol awakening respon…
Sleep during the third trimester of pregnancy: the role of depression and anxiety
Depression has been associated with sleep disturbances in pregnancy; however, no previous research has controlled the possible confounding effect of anxiety on this association. This study aims to analyze the effect of depression on sleep during the third trimester of pregnancy controlling for anxiety. The sample was composed by 143 depressed (n = 77) and non-depressed (n = 66) pregnant women who completed measures of depression, anxiety, and sleep. Differences between groups in sleep controlling for anxiety were found. Depressed pregnant women present higher number of nocturnal awakenings and spent more hours trying falling asleep during the night and the entire 24 h period. Present findin…
Effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program on the health of caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder
AbstractCaregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are chronically exposed to high levels of stress. In turn, such stress is associated with high rates of negative health outcomes. However, few studies have analyzed the effects of psychotherapeutic interventions in improving health in this population. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program, based on the model proposed by Ruiz-Robledillo and Moya-Albiol (2014a). For this, we used a sample of 17 informal caregivers of people diagnosed with ASD. The study was based on a pre-post design. Caregivers had lower levels of burden immediately after the intervent…
The Role of Mental Rigidity and Alcohol Consumption Interaction on Intimate Partner Violence: A Spanish Study
ABSTRACTIntimate partner violence (IPV) has often been linked to alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse affects cognitive processing through its effects on the prefrontal cortex, generating influence in mental rigidity (MR). This study analyzes the influence of MR as a predisposing factor to violence. The sample consisted of 136 men with a history of IPV. Participants with high MR had lower empathy and perception of the severity of IPV, and higher alcohol consumption and hostile sexism than participants with lower MR. These results should be considered in the development of prevention and intervention programs with the goal of increasing their effectiveness.
Self-reported health and cortisol awakening response in parents of people with asperger syndrome: the role of trait anger and anxiety, coping and burden.
Caring for offspring with autism spectrum disorders entails high levels of stress for a long period of time and is associated with several types of health complaints. Few studies have focused on specific effects of particular disorders in the spectrum. This study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the global health of parents of people with Asperger syndrome (N = 53) compared to those of typically developing children (N = 54) through self-reported measures (medication consumption and somatic symptoms) and biological markers (cortisol awakening response [CAR]). Additionally, we analysed various psychological variables as potential predictors of caregiver health. We found that caregiv…
Gestational surrogacy: Psychosocial aspects
ABSTRACT Innovation in assisted reproductive technologies together with increased infertility and new family structures are increasing the use of gestational surrogacy as a means to have children. Before, during and after the process, it is necessary to study the psychosocial characteristics of triad members: the gestational surrogate, intended parents, and offspring. Research has indicated positive adaptation to the process and benefits for all members of the triad. Altruism is the main motivation of surrogates. Notably, psychological well-being has been found to be higher in individuals who have become parents through surrogacy than in those who have used egg donation or have followed a n…
Lower cortisol response in high-resilient caregivers of people with autism: the role of anger
Caring for an offspring with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been related to high stress levels and health disturbances. However, a protective effect against these negative health outcomes has been described in high-resilient caregivers. In this context, the main aim of the present study was to assess the association between resilient coping and cortisol response to acute stress in caregivers of people with ASD. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore the mediating role of anger in this association. We exposed 40 caregivers of people with ASD to an acute psychosocial stressor in the laboratory. Salivary cortisol samples were obtained before, during, and after the stressor. Resilient c…
Disminución del cortisol y mejora del estado de ánimo tras un programa psicoeducativo en cuidadores informales de personas con trastorno de la conducta alimentaria (TCA): un estudio preliminar.
El cuidado de un familiar con un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria (TCA) repercute negativamente en el cuidador, aumentando su percepción de estrés y deteriorando su calidad de vida. Los cuidadores informales de personas con TCA presentan mayores índices de ansiedad y depresión, y un peor estado de salud general. Se analizó la efectividad de un programa de intervención psicoeducativo en esta población, formado por 12 sesiones repartidas en 6 meses, y orientado a la reducción del estrés, la ansiedad y el estado de ánimo negativo. Se evaluaron los niveles de cortisol vespertino como marcador biológico de percepción de estrés, y la ansiedad y el estado de ánimo, antes y después de 3 sesione…
Relationship between Empathy and Cortisol Awakening Response
Con la finalidad de prevenir la conducta antisocial, el estudio de las bases biológicas de la empatía ha cobrado especial relevancia en los últimos años. Diversos estudios han resaltado la implicación del eje hipotálamo-hipófisis-adrenal (HHA) y el cortisol en la empatía, pero son escasos los que han estudiado la relación entre esta y la respuesta matutina de cortisol (CAR, por su nombre en inglés Cortisol Awakening Response) como indicador de la actividad basal del HHA. Este estudio analiza la asociación entre la empatía, tanto cognitiva como emocional, y la CAR en 39 hombres y 91 mujeres (47 fase folicular y 44 fase lútea del ciclo menstrual). La CAR se obtuvo a partir de muestras de sali…
Lack of institutional support entails disruption in cortisol awakening response in caregivers of people with high-functioning autism.
Several studies have found disruptions in cortisol awakening response in informal caregivers. Institutional support may modulate these effects, and this study analyses how the health of caregivers is affected when institutional support is provided for families of people with high-functioning autism. Self-reported health, depression and cortisol awakening response were analysed in three groups: supported caregivers, non-supported caregivers and non-caregivers. Non-supported caregivers presented higher somatic symptoms and lower cortisol awakening response than the supported caregiver and non-caregiver groups. A high number of somatic symptoms and low functionality of offspring were related …
La intervención cognitivo-conductual mejora la cognición de los cuidadores de personas con trastorno del espectro autista: estudio piloto
Abstract As postulated by the stress process model, chronically stressed individuals, such as caregivers of people with chronic psychological disorders, have poorer cognitive performance and higher age-related cognitive decline than individuals not exposed to chronic stress. When analysing this topic in caregivers, the majority of research has been conducted in populations in which the care recipient has dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease, while relatively few studies have analysed cognition in caregivers of offspring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The main objective of this pilot study was to analyse the effect of a cognitive-behavioural intervention on cognition in caregivers of pe…