Depressive symptoms and attenuated physiological reactivity to laboratory stressors

There is evidence that depressive symptoms are associated with attenuated physiological reactivity to active stressors. However, it is not known whether blunted reactivity in depressed individuals is stressor-specific. We examined cardiovascular and electrodermal reactivity in non-clinical participants with varying levels of depressive symptoms to different active and passive stressors. Depressive symptoms were inversely related to both blood pressure and skin conductance reactivity during a public speaking task and the viewing of the speech video. However, no effects were found during a cold pressor task. Together these findings suggest that depressive symptoms are related to attenuated sympathetic nervous system reactivity in response to self-relevant stressors.

► We analyze cardiovascular and electrodermal reactivity to psychological and physical stress as related to depressive symptoms.
► Depressive symptoms are related to blunted cardiovascular and electrodermal reactivity to psychological stressors only.
► Attenuated physiological reactivity in depressed individuals depends on the self-relevance of the task.