Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-2h6rp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-20T06:09:20.424Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Blunted Electrodermal and Psychological Response to Acute Stress in Family Caregivers of People with Eating Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2016

Nicolás Ruiz-Robledillo ,
Ángel Romero-Martínez  and
Luis Moya-Albiol
Nicolás Ruiz-Robledillo
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Ángel Romero-Martínez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Luis Moya-Albiol*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Luis Moya-Albiol. Universidad de Valencia – Psychobiology. Valencia (Spain). E-mail: Luis.moya@uv.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Caring 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-caregivers. The findings suggest the existence of physiological adaptation to chronic stress in family caregivers of people with EDs.

Keywords

caregiverseating disorderselectrodermal activity
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 19 , 2016 , E20
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anastasiadou, D., Medina-Pradas, C., Sepulveda, A. R., & Treasure, J. (2014). A systematic review of family caregiving in eating disorders. Eating Behaviors, 15, 464–477. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.06.001 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bayat, M. (2007). Evidence of resilience in families of children with autism. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, 702–714. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2007.00960.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boucsein, W. (2012). Electrodermal activity. New York, NY: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Society for Psychophysiological Research Ad Hoc Committee on Electrodermal Measures (2012). Publication recommendations for electrodermal measurements. Psychophysiology, 49, 1017–1034. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01384.x Google Scholar
Carroll, D., Phillips, A. C., Ring, C., Der, G., & Hunt, K. (2005). Life events and hemodynamic stress reactivity in the middle-aged and elderly. Psychophysiology 42, 269–276. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2005.00282.x Google Scholar
De Andrés-García, S., Moya-Albiol, L., & González-Bono, E. (2012). Salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A: Responses to stress as predictors of health complaints reported by caregivers of offspring with autistic spectrum disorder. Hormones and Behavior, 62, 464–474. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.08.003 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de la Rie, S. M., van furth, E. F., De Koning, A., Noordenbos, G., & Donker, M. C. H. (2005). The quality of life of family caregivers of eating disorder patients. Eating Disorders. The Journal of Treatment & Prevention 13, 345–351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10640260591005236 Google Scholar
Dias, R., Santos, R. L., Barroso de Sousa, M. F., Lima Nogueira, M. M., Torres, B., Belfort, T., & Nascimento Dourado, M. C. (2015). Resilience of caregivers of people with dementia: A systematic review of biological and psychosocial determinants. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 37(1), 12–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2237-6089-2014-0032 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dickerson, S. S., & Kemeny, M. E. (2004). Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 355–391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.355 Google Scholar
Evans, G. W., & Kim, P. (2007). Childhood poverty and health: Cumulative risk exposure and stress dysregulation. Psychological Science, 18, 953–957. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.02008.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eysenck, H. J. (1983). Stress, disease, and personality: The ‘‘inoculation effect.’’ In Cooper, C. L. (Ed.), Stress Research. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Google Scholar
Fernández-Lansac, V., Crespo López, M., Cáceres, R., & Rodríguez-Poyo, M. (2012). Resilience in caregivers of patients with dementia: A preliminary study. Revista Española de Geriatria y Gerontologia, 47, 102–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.regg.2011.11.004 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fuentes, I., Balaguer, I., Meliá, J., & García-Merita, M. (1995). Forma abreviada del Perfil de Estados de Ánimo [Abbreviated form of Profile of Mood States (POMS)]. In Cantón, E. (Ed.), Libro de Actas del V Congreso Nacional de Psicología de la Actividad Física y el Deporte [Proceedings of the V National Congress of Physical Activity and Sport Psychology]. Valencia, Spain: Universitat de València.Google Scholar
Gonçalves, T., & Graça, M. (2011). Variables fisiológicas y sobrecarga familiar en hijos de enfermos oncológicos. [Physiological variables and family burden in children of cancer patients]. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica, 20, 255–263.Google Scholar
Graap, H., Bleich, S., Herbst, F., Tristmann, Y., Wancata, J., & de Zwaan, M. (2008). The needs of carers of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 16(1), 21–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/erv.804 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gump, B. B., & Matthews, K. A. (1999). Do background stressors influence reactivity to and recovery from acute stressors? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 29, 469–494. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1999.tb01397.x Google Scholar
Hillege, S., Beale, B., & McMaster, R. (2006). Impact of eating disorders on family life: Individual parents' stories. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15, 1016–1022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01367.x Google Scholar
Jáuregui Lobera, I., Garrido, O., Santiago Fernández, M. J., & Alvarez Bautista, E. (2010). Social comparison as a coping strategy among caregivers of eating disorder patients. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 17, 775–782. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2010.01611.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirschbaum, C., Pirke, K. M., & Hellhammer, D. H. (1993). The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ a tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology, 28, 76–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kudielka, B. M., Buske-Kirschbaum, A., Hellhammer, D. H., & Kirschbaum, C. (2004). Differential heart rate reactivity and recovery after psychosocial stress (TSST) in healthy children, younger adults, and elderly adults: The impact of age and gender. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 11, 116–121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm1102_8 Google Scholar
Kyriacou, O., Treasure, J., & Schmidt, U. (2008). Understanding how parents cope with living with someone with anorexia nervosa: Modeling the factors that are associated with carer distress. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41, 233–242. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eat.20488 Google Scholar
Las Hayas, C., López de Arroyabe, E., & Calvete, E. (2015). Resilience in family caregivers of persons with acquired brain injury. Rehabilitation Psychology, 60, 295–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rep0000040 Google Scholar
Martín, J., Padierna, A., Aguirre, U., Quintana, J. M., Hayas, C. L., & Muños, P. (2011). Quality of life among caregivers of patients with eating disorders. Quality of Life Research, 20, 1359–1369. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-9873-z Google Scholar
Martín, J., Padierna, A., van Wijngaarden, B., Aguirre, U., Anton, A., Muñoz, P., & Quintana, J. M. (2015). Caregivers consequences of care among patients with eating disorders, depression or schizophrenia. BMC Psychiatry, 15(1), 124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0507-9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840(1), 33–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x Google Scholar
McEwen, B. S., & Wingfield, J. C. (2003). The concept of allostasis in biology and biomedicine. Hormones and Behavior, 43(1), 2–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0018-506X(02)00024-7 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (2009). Guía de práctica clínica sobre trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. [Clinical practice guideline on eating disorders.] Barcelona, Spain: Agència d´Avaluació de Tecnologia i Recerca Mèdiques de Cataluña.Google Scholar
Miquel, M., Fuentes, I., Garcıa-Merita, M., & Rojo, L. (1999). Habituation and sensitization processes in depressive disorders. Psychopathology, 32(1), 35–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000029064 Google Scholar
Morandé, G., Celada, J., & Casas, J. J. (1999). Prevalence of eating disorders in a Spanish school-age population. Journal of Adolescent Health, 24, 212–219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(98)00025-1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murali, R., & Chen, E. (2005). Exposure to violence and cardiovascular and neuroendocrine measures in adolescents. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 155–163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3002_8 Google Scholar
Orive, M., Padierna, A., Martin, J., Aguirre, U., González, N., Muñoz, P., & Quintana, J. M. (2013). Anxiety and depression among caregivers of patients with eating disorders and their change over 1 year. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 48, 1503–1512. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0662-6 Google Scholar
Peláez-Fernández, M. A., Labrador, F. J., & Raich, R. M. (2007). Prevalence of eating disorders among adolescent and young adult scholastic population in the region of Madrid (Spain). Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 62, 681–690. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.12.010 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruiz-Lázaro, P., Alonso, J., Comet, P., Lobo, A., & Velilla, M. (2005). Prevalence of eating disorders in Spain: A survey on a representative sample of adolescents. In Swain, P., (Ed.), Trends in eating disorders research (pp. 85–108, 1 st Ed.). New York, NY: Pamela Swain.Google Scholar
Ruiz-Robledillo, N., Bellosta-Batalla, M., & Moya-Albiol, L. (2015). Lower cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress in informal caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder than in non-caregivers: Implications for health outcomes. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 98(1), 143–150. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.07.011 Google Scholar
Ruiz-Robledillo, N., & Moya-Albiol, L. (2015). Lower electrodermal activity to acute stress in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorder: An adaptive habituation to stress. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 576–588. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1996-3 Google Scholar
Ruiz-Robledillo, N., De Andrés-García, S., Pérez-Blasco, J., González-Bono, E., & Moya-Albiol, L. (2014). Highly resilient coping entails better perceived health, high social support and low morning cortisol levels in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 686–695. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.12.007 Google Scholar
Santonastaso, P., Saccon, D., & Favaro, A. (1997). Burden and psychiatric symptoms on key relatives of patients with eating disorders: A preliminary study. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 2(1), 44–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03339949 Google Scholar
Schulz, R., & Sherwood, P. R. (2008). Physical and mental health effects of family caregiving. American Journal of Nursing, 108, 23–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000336406.45248.4c Google Scholar
Sepúlveda, A. R., Graell, M., Berbel, E., Anastasiadou, D., Botella, J., Carrobles, J. A., & Morandé, G. (2012). Factors associated with emotional well-being in primary and secondary caregivers of patients with eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 20(1), e78–e84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/erv.1118 Google Scholar
Smink, F. R., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2012). Epidemiology of eating disorders: Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates. Current Psychiatry Reports, 14, 406–414. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0282-y Google Scholar
Soares, A. J. (2009). Variáveis psicossociais e reactividade emocional em cuidadores de dependentes de substâncias [Psychosocial variables and emotional reactivity in caregivers of people with substances dependence]. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Minho, Minho, Portugal.Google Scholar
Thorell, L. H., Kjellman, B., & D’Elia, G. (1987). Electrodermal activity in relation to diagnostic subgroups and symptoms of depressive patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 76, 693–701. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1987.tb02941.x Google Scholar
Treasure, J., Murphy, T., Szmukler, T., Todd, G., Gavan, K., & Joyce, J. (2001). The experience of caregiving for severe mental illness: A comparison between anorexia nervosa and psychosis. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 36, 343–347. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s001270170039 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitney, J., Haigh, R., Weinman, J., & Treasure, J. (2007). Caring for people with eating disorders: Factors associated with psychological distress and negative caregiving appraisals in carers of people with eating disorders. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46, 413–428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/014466507X173781 Google Scholar
Zabala, M. J., Macdonald, P., & Treasure, J. (2009). Appraisal of caregiving burden, expressed emotion and psychological distress in families of people with eating disorders: A systematic review. European Eating Disorders Review, 17, 338–349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/erv.925 Google Scholar