Vulnerability to stress: Personality facet of vulnerability is associated with cardiovascular adaptation to recurring stress

• Published in: International journal of psychophysiology 2019-10, Vol.144, p.34-39
• Main Authors: O'Súilleabháin, Páraic S., Hughes, Brian M., Oommen, Anup M., Joshi, Lokesh, Cunningham, Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active stress; Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Adolescent; Adult; Blood Pressure - physiology; Cardiovascular adaptation; Disease Susceptibility - physiopathology; Female; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Male; Neuroticism; Personality - physiology; Personality facets; Personality traits; Stress; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Vulnerability; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0167-8760; 1872-7697
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.06.013

It is increasingly suggested that personality traits are critical to understanding patterns of cardiovascular stress adaptation. However, studies have focused on higher-order traits with no research having examined underlying facet effects to repeated stress. The examination of facets provides a more granular examination, which has the potential to identify specific personality components that are relevant within the context of psychophysiological stress adaptation. This study objective was to determine if the underlying facets which encapsulate the dimension of emotional stability, are associated with cardiovascular adaptation to recurring stress. Continuous cardiovascular monitoring and psychometric measures were collated from 79 healthy young male and female adults, across a protocol of recurring active stress tasks. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the facet of vulnerability was associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure adaptation across the protocol. More specifically, vulnerability was negatively associated with adaptation to recurring stress, such that those highest in vulnerability displayed a sensitization to the recurring stressor. No significant effects emerged for any other facet. Importantly, this research adds to the existing literature examining stress adaptation and has implications for future research on the relevance of examining facet effects. This study is the first to implicate the personality facet of vulnerability which encapsulates an individual's tendency to feel unable to cope with stress and becoming hopeless when faced with emergency situations, in the context of cardiovascular stress adaptation. Taken together, this study suggests that the facet of vulnerability is a critical component to consider in the context of cardiovascular stress adaptation. •Vulnerability facet was associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure adaptation.•Those higher in vulnerability displayed a sensitization to the recurring stress exposure.•No significant effects for the higher-order trait of neuroticism were observed.•Examining facets may provide more precision in personality effects on stress.•Vulnerability appears to be a critical factor in the context of stress adaptation.