An Experimental Examination of Stress Reactivity in Adolescents and Young Adults With Asthma

Abstract

Despite advancements in treatment for asthma, the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population continues to face a host of psychological challenges when compared to healthy controls. In addition, unusually high mortality and morbidity rates for asthma are present in the AYA population. Some researchers have suggested an examination of stress reactivity to shed light on these differences. Using a learned helplessness task, this study investigated the differences in cortisol elevation in a sample of college students with asthma and their healthy controls. Results supported an initial elevation of cortisol in asthma participants not evident in the healthy control population. Notably, neither college students with asthma nor healthy controls perceived the learned helplessness task to be stressful. Findings suggest that college students with asthma may be more reactive to novel environments when compared to healthy controls, as evidenced by increased cortisol levels. Future studies on the differences in stress reactivity in individuals with asthma are warranted.