Associations between burnout symptoms and social behaviour: exploring the role of acute stress and vagal function.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to investigate the link between burnout symptoms and prosocial behaviour, as well as the role of acute stress and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) on this association. METHODS: Seventy men were randomly assigned to either the stress or the control condition of the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G). Prosocial behaviour was assessed via a social decision-making paradigm during the respective TSST-G condition. RESULTS: Correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between prosocial behaviour and burnout symptoms. Acute stress was also associated with reduced prosocial behaviour, whereas no interaction effects with burnout symptoms could be revealed. Exploratory analyses showed that vmHRV was negatively correlated with burnout symptoms during the social decision-making paradigm but did not mediate the link between burnout and prosocial behaviour. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we report first experimental evidence that burnout symptoms are negatively associated with prosocial behaviour. Further studies are needed to explore the causal relations.

The Longitudinal Association of Reduced Vagal Tone With Burnout.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research indicates a link between burnout symptoms and reduced vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV); however, the directionality of this relationship is still largely unknown. The objective of the present study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between HRV and burnout symptoms for 1 year, with a special focus on the emotional exhaustion (EE) burnout subdimension, which remains inadequately distinguished from overlapping with depressive symptoms. METHODS: Here we present HRV and behavioral data from 167 individuals (mean [SD] age = 43.43 [11.78] years; 30.5% male) who attended two biomarker samplings (T1 and T2) of the Dresden Burnout Study approximately 12 months apart. RESULTS: In hierarchical linear regression analyses, T1 HRV significantly inversely predicted T2 overall burnout symptoms (ß = -.16; p = .03) and EE (ß = -.23; p = .02), adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, adverse health behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Importantly, only high EE at T1 (ß = -.22; p = .04), and not the T1 Maslach Burnout Inventor total score, predicted reductions in HRV from T1 to T2. CONCLUSIONS: We report for the first time longitudinal evidence that HRV is associated with changes in burnout symptoms, independently of depressive symptoms. Results suggest vagal dysfunction being predictive and specific for burnout symptoms, making HRV a promising starting point for the explanation of biophysiological mechanisms underlying burnout symptoms and cardiovascular diseases. The finding of only EE at T1 being predictive for changes in HRV underscores the importance of exhaustion for modulations in autonomic regulation.

Exhaustion and cardiovascular risk factors: the role of vagally-mediated heart rate variability.

PURPOSE: Exhaustion symptoms are known to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Autonomic imbalance, as indicated by reductions in vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), appears to be a valid candidate for such a biological link, as it has been associated with both exhaustion symptoms and CVD risk and mortality. METHODS: The present study examined a potential mediation of vmHRV on the association between exhaustion symptoms and self-reported CVD risk factors as well as the age dependency of this mediation in a large, heterogeneous sample of the Dresden Burnout Study (N = 388; 72.9% females; Mage = 42.61, SD = 11.67). RESULTS: Results indicate that exhaustion symptoms were indirectly associated with CVD risk factors through vmHRV even after adjusting for well-known confounders (i.e., sex, body mass index, depressive symptoms). Moreover, this pattern was significant only among middle-aged (i.e., 54.27 years) and older individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings add to growing evidence that autonomic imbalance may be a key biological link between exhaustion symptoms and CVD risk in middle-aged and older individuals. Implications for public health are discussed.

High-frequency variability in heart rate is related to COVID-19-associated worries six years later.

Elevated resting heart rate variability (HRV) in the high frequency range has been proposed to be protective against worrying when facing environmental stressors. Yet, prospective studies using real-life stressors are still scarce. The present study set out to replicate the previous finding of reduced resting HRV predicting COVID-19-associated worries in a larger, more homogenous sample over a longer period of time (N = 123; age: 42.32 [SD:10.72]; 65.9 % female; average time lag: six years). In addition, we were interested in investigating the specificity of this effect with respect to worry content, other physiological markers of autonomic functions, and additional potentially relevant covariates with a special focus on a potential moderating effect of sex on this association. In regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, BMI and smoking status, the interaction between HRV and sex was significant, with women depicting a stronger association between HRV and COVID-19 associated worries. Further sensitivity analyses revealed the specificity of the effect for HRV as distinct from mean heart rate, as well as its dependence on previous COVID-19 infection, but not COVID-19 vaccination status and chronic stress level. These data are in line with theories that propose that higher HRV levels can be protective against the deleterious effects of real-life environmental stressors. However, our results also point to the specificity of this effect, especially with respect to worry content and sex.

Determining the direction of prediction of the association between parasympathetic dysregulation and exhaustion symptoms.

Stress-related exhaustion symptoms have a high prevalence which is only likely to increase further in the near future. Understanding the physiological underpinnings of exhaustion has important implications for accurate diagnosis and the development of effective prevention and intervention programs. Given its integrative role in stress-regulation, the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous systems has been a valid starting point in the exploration of the physiological mechanisms behind exhaustion. The aim of the present study was to examine the directionality and specificity of the association between exhaustion symptoms and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), a relatively pure measure of parasympathetic tone. Exhaustion symptoms and vmHRV were measured at four annually assessment waves (2015-2018) of the Dresden Burnout Study. A total sample of N = 378 participants who attended at least two of the four annual biomarker measurements were included in the present analyses. Cross-lagged multi-level panel modelling adjusting for various covariates (e.g., age, sex, BMI) revealed that vmHRV was meaningfully predictive of exhaustion symptoms and not vice versa. In addition, these effects were specific for exhaustion symptoms as no effect was shown for the other burnout sub-dimensions, or for depressive symptoms. Our findings indicate a clear link between exhaustion symptoms and vmHRV which may hold great potential for both enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of exhaustion symptoms.

Comparison of mental health outcomes in seropositive and seronegative adolescents during the COVID19 pandemic.

Post-COVID19 complications such as pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) and Long-COVID19 move increasingly into focus, potentially causing more harm in young adolescents than the acute infection. To better understand the symptoms of long-term mental health outcomes in adolescents and distinguish infection-associated symptoms from pandemic-associated symptoms, we conducted a 12 question Long-COVID19 survey. Using this survey, we compared the responses on neurocognitive, general pain and mood symptoms from seropositive and seronegative adolescents in a cross-sectional study design. Since May 2020, students grade 8-12 in fourteen secondary schools in Eastern Saxony were enrolled in the SchoolCovid19 study. Serostatus was assessed regularly in all participants. In March/April 2021, 1560 students with a median age of 15 years participated at the regular study visit after re-opening of the schools in mid-March and responded to our Long-COVID19 survey as part of this visit. 1365 (88%) students were seronegative, 188 (12%) were seropositive. Each symptom asked in the Long-COVID19 survey was present in at least 35% of the students within the last seven days before the survey. With the exception of seropositive students being less sad, there was no significant difference comparing the reported symptoms between seropositive students and seronegative students. The lack of differences comparing the reported symptoms between seropositive and seronegative students suggests that Long-COVID19 might be less common than previously thought and emphasizes on the impact of pandemic-associated symptoms regarding the well-being and mental health of young adolescents.Clinical Trial Registration: SchoolCoviDD19: Prospektive Erfassung der SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivität bei Schulkindern nach Ende der unterrichtsfreien Zeit aufgrund der Corona-Schutz-Verordnung (COVID-19), DRKS00022455, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00022455.

Evaluation of a brief cognitive behavioral group intervention to reduce depersonalization in students with high levels of trait test anxiety: a randomized controlled trial.

Background and objectives: Students with high levels of test anxiety frequently experience depersonalization during examinations. We investigated whether a brief cognitive behavioral group intervention reduces these symptoms.Design: Randomized controlled trial.Methods: Students with high levels of trait test anxiety and impairing depersonalization symptoms during their last oral examination were randomized. While the intervention group (n = 22) received a group training, a control group (n = 16) underwent an active waiting time protocol. Effects of the intervention on depersonalization severity and its appraisal, attention focus, emotion regulation, anxiety, heart rate, and heart rate variability within the Trier Social Stress Test for groups were examined. A follow-up assessment was conducted after a university oral examination. Registration number: DRKS00010190.Results: Depersonalization and its appraisal significantly changed within the intervention group, but not within the control group. The intervention group reported significantly less self-focused attention and fear and used the coping strategy reappraisal significantly more often. No significant Group × Time interaction was detected regarding heart rate and heart rate variability. Follow-up results give a first indication of the reduction of depersonalization through the intervention in a naturalistic setting.Conclusion: The intervention seems promising for treating depersonalization in students with high levels of trait test anxiety.

Effort-reward imbalance at work is associated with hair cortisol concentrations: Prospective evidence from the Dresden Burnout Study.

Chronic stress experienced at work is considered a major health challenge for modern societies. In fact there is ample evidence that deleterious work environments, based on high efforts in relation to few rewards, substantially augment the risk for a number of highly prevalent diseases (e.g. ischemic heart disease, stroke). One potential pathway mediating these associations involves the stress-related activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis with proceeding alterations in the secretion of its main effector hormone cortisol. In this study we assessed a prospective, two-year effect of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) on cortisol secretion, based on a sub sample (N = 150; mean ±â€¯SD age: 42.4 ±â€¯11.1; 84.0% female) of the ongoing Dresden Burnout Study (DBS). The provided ERI measures were collected as part of the online baseline and first follow up assessment. Further, cortisol secretion patterns over prolonged periods of time were evaluated in three consecutive years of laboratory baseline and follow up visits. Our findings suggest prospective associations between ERI and cortisol, indicating a blunted cortisol secretion in response to long-term work stress (p < 0.001). Given the regulatory properties of cortisol on various central and peripheral target tissues (e.g. cardiovascular system, liver, adipose tissue), a long-term decrease of cortisol availability can be hypothesized to cause multiple health-challenging consequences. Based on our findings, providing work environments where high efforts are always linked with high rewards have to be considered an important issue for employees health.

Examining reactivity patterns in burnout and other indicators of chronic stress.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout symptomatology is associated with various negative health consequences; however, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. One potential pathway involves alterations in the acute stress response. The aims of the present study were to examine burnout-associated alterations in stress-reactivity patterns, during a standardized social stressor compared to a control condition, as well as to examine whether effects associated with greater burnout symptomatology were distinct from other, conceptually overlapping indicators of chronic stress (i.e. depressive symptomatology and elevated hair cortisol concentration [HCC]). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized two-factor design a total of 70 employed males with varying burnout symptoms but without evidence of physical or psychiatric disease were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G) or a non-stressful control condition. Acute stress reactivity was assessed using self-report stress measures and non-invasive biomarkers. Associations among acute stress reactivity, burnout and depressive symptoms (assessed with self-report measures), as well as HCC were analysed using repeated measure ANCOVAs and moderation analysis. RESULTS: Burnout symptomatology was associated with elevated stress perception independent of the experimental condition. In addition, depressive symptomatology was associated with enhanced anticipatory appraisal, whereas HCC was not related to any subjective stress measure. On a physiological level, burnout and depressive symptomatology, as well as HCC were associated with a pattern of blunted cardiovascular reactivity, however the timing of this effect varied. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate burnout-associated modulations in stress reactivity, which diverge, at least partly, from other indicators of chronic stress.

Stressful life events predict one-year change of leukocyte composition in peripheral blood.

A plethora of cross-sectional studies suggest that psychological stress resulting from experiencing stressful life events (SLE) can result in an altered immune response. Potential maladaptive immune changes may outlast the event and affect the organism long after stress cessation. As a consequence, an increased vulnerability for immune-mediated pathologies (e.g. arthritis, diabetes) may develop over the life span. The objective of the present study was to monitor the longitudinal kinetics of peripheral white blood cells (WBCs; neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes) in response to SLE. Here we present blood, hair, and behavioural measures obtained in the Dresden Burnout Study, at first visit (T1; N = 446) and one year later (T2; N = 173). Cumulative impact of SLE was assessed at T1 with the Life Stressor Checklist (LSC-R). Results indicate a significant increase in neutrophils (+2.8% per each 10 LSC-R points) between T1 and T2 in association with reported SLE. The change in neutrophils tended to correlate with the change in hair cortisol (Cohens f = 0.6). We propose that SLE trigger immunological alterations that persist across time and thereby promote a continuous effect on WBC distribution. Such an effect might advance subclinical inflammatory processes, reduce an individuals immune defence, and promote a link between psychological stress and physical disease.

The Dresden Burnout Study: Protocol of a prospective cohort study for the bio-psychological investigation of burnout.

OBJECTIVES: The Dresden Burnout Study (DBS) is a 12-year longitudinal cohort study that aims to provide a description of the burnout syndrome on the basis of time and symptom criteria with a special focus on the search for biomarkers. Biological and psychosocial approaches are applied to examine the long-term course and consequences of burnout within a population-based German-speaking sample aged 18 to 68 years. METHODS: Demographics and psychosocial data are generated by online assessments, including demographics and questionnaires on burnout, burnout-related constructs, work-environment, and health-related factors. The lab-based biomarker assessment includes endocrine, physiological, immunological, and epigenetic markers obtained from blood and hair samples. In addition, heart rate variability is also measured repeatedly. Within the first 2 years, the DBS collected psychosocial data from over 7,600 participants with biological data obtained from more than 800 individuals. During the following 10 years, detailed assessments of biomarkers and psychosocial factors will be collected in annual study waves. RESULTS: Results will be generated during the following decade. CONCLUSION: The findings of the DBS are expected to pave the road for an in-depth biopsychosocial characterization of burnout and to give insight into the long-term course and potential mental and physical health consequences of the burnout syndrome.