Cortisol response to stress in schizophrenia: associations with oxytocin, social support and social functioning

Human social life is essentially linked with the ability to adjust to stress caused by interactions with others (Flinn, 2006) and, for a number of reasons, people with schizophrenia are particularly vulnerable to stress caused by social situations (Demjaha et al., 2012). The central neurobiological mechanism that may be underlying this abnormal vulnerability to social stress likely involves both the hormone cortisol, and the neuropeptide oxytocin. Considering the lack of social support and impairments in social functioning that schizophrenia patients often experience, schizophrenia provides a relevant model to explore the relationship between cortisol and oxytocin in response to social stress.

Source: Psychiatry Research - May 7, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Cumhur Tas, Elliot C. Brown, Gokcer Eskikurt, Sezen Irmak, Orkun Ayd ın, Aysen Esen-Danaci, Martin Brüne Source Type: research