IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v17y2016i6d10.1007_s10902-015-9706-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cortisol Awakening Response as an Index of Mental Health and Well-Being in Adolescents

Author

Listed:
  • Nikki S. Rickard

    (Monash University)

  • Tan-Chyuan Chin

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick

    (University of Melbourne)

Abstract

Physiological measures provide a useful complement to self-report indices of mental health and well-being. The cortisol awakening response (CAR) has been associated with mental distress, but less consistently so with positive functioning. In this study, the utility of two CAR indices as a measure of the full spectrum of mental health and well-being in a sample of healthy adolescents was explored. Forty-seven adolescents (14M, 33F; mean age 13.89, SD = .73) completed questionnaires on mental distress and positive functioning, and provided three saliva samples for cortisol analysis as well as demographic and life event information. Correlational analyses revealed that both absolute CAR (CARi) and area under the curve during awakening (CARAUC) indices correlated positively with measures of mental distress, and inversely with measures of positive functioning. When the significant life events score was controlled, moderate to strong effects were maintained with negative and positive affect, mental well-being, satisfaction with life and perceived social support from significant others. These findings provide the first data confirming that CAR is a reliable index of positive functioning in healthy adolescents.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikki S. Rickard & Tan-Chyuan Chin & Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick, 2016. "Cortisol Awakening Response as an Index of Mental Health and Well-Being in Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2555-2568, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:17:y:2016:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-015-9706-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-015-9706-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-015-9706-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-015-9706-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dianne Vella-Brodrick & Nansook Park & Christopher Peterson, 2009. "Three Ways to Be Happy: Pleasure, Engagement, and Meaning—Findings from Australian and US Samples," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 165-179, January.
    2. Carmel Proctor & John Maltby & P. Linley, 2011. "Strengths Use as a Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 153-169, March.
    3. Carol Ryff & Burton Singer, 2008. "Know Thyself and Become What You Are: A Eudaimonic Approach to Psychological Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 13-39, January.
    4. N. Rickard & D. Vella-Brodrick, 2014. "Changes in Well-Being: Complementing a Psychosocial Approach with Neurobiological Insights," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 437-457, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonella Delle Fave & Ingrid Brdar & Teresa Freire & Dianne Vella-Brodrick & Marié Wissing, 2011. "The Eudaimonic and Hedonic Components of Happiness: Qualitative and Quantitative Findings," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 100(2), pages 185-207, January.
    2. Lung Chen & Ying-Mei Tsai & Mei-Yen Chen, 2010. "Psychometric Analysis of the Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire in Taiwanese Undergraduate Students," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 98(2), pages 239-249, September.
    3. Tohar Dolev-Amit & Avinadav Rubin & Sigal Zilcha-Mano, 2021. "Is Awareness of Strengths Intervention Sufficient to Cultivate Wellbeing and Other Positive Outcomes?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 645-666, February.
    4. Veronika Huta & Alan Waterman, 2014. "Eudaimonia and Its Distinction from Hedonia: Developing a Classification and Terminology for Understanding Conceptual and Operational Definitions," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1425-1456, December.
    5. René Proyer & Hubert Annen & Nadine Eggimann & Andrea Schneider & Willibald Ruch, 2012. "Assessing the “Good Life” in a Military Context: How Does Life and Work-Satisfaction Relate to Orientations to Happiness and Career-Success Among Swiss Professional Officers?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 106(3), pages 577-590, May.
    6. Nadine Richter & Marcel Hunecke, 2021. "The Mindful Hedonist? Relationships between Well-Being Orientations, Mindfulness and Well-Being Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3111-3135, October.
    7. Prinz, Aloys & Bünger, Björn, 2012. "Balancing ‘full life’: An economic approach to the route to happiness," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 58-70.
    8. W. Hallam & C. Olsson & M. O’Connor & M. Hawkins & J. Toumbourou & G. Bowes & R. McGee & A. Sanson, 2014. "Association Between Adolescent Eudaimonic Behaviours and Emotional Competence in Young Adulthood," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(5), pages 1165-1177, October.
    9. Mia M. Vainio & Daiva Daukantaitė, 2016. "Grit and Different Aspects of Well-Being: Direct and Indirect Relationships via Sense of Coherence and Authenticity," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 2119-2147, October.
    10. Ying Yang & Peipei Li & Yu Kou, 2017. "Orientations to Happiness and Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(4), pages 881-897, December.
    11. Soo Yon Yi & Aimee Jeehae Kim, 2023. "Implementation and Strategies of Community Music Activities for Well-Being: A Scoping Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-34, January.
    12. Lisa A. Newland & Daniel Mourlam & Gabrielle Strouse, 2018. "A Phenomenological Exploration of the Role of Digital Technology and Media in Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(5), pages 1563-1583, October.
    13. Agnieszka Krugielka & Grazyna Bartkowiak & Sebastian Dama, 2021. "Functioning of Academic Teachers in the Conditions of the COVID-19 Epidemy in Poland in 2020 (Qualitative Test on the Basis of Self-Assessment)," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 5), pages 269-287.
    14. María Josefina Peláez & Cristián Coo & Marisa Salanova, 2020. "Facilitating Work Engagement and Performance Through Strengths-Based Micro-coaching: A Controlled Trial Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1265-1284, April.
    15. Zhoulei Xiang & Shen Tan & Qian Kang & Baoshan Zhang & Lei Zhu, 2019. "Longitudinal Effects of Examination Stress on Psychological Well-Being and a Possible Mediating Role of Self-Esteem in Chinese High School Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 283-305, January.
    16. Annamaria Di Fabio & Maureen E. Kenny, 2018. "Intrapreneurial Self-Capital: A Key Resource for Promoting Well-Being in a Shifting Work Landscape," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-11, August.
    17. Bach Q. Ho & Kunio Shirahada, 2022. "Older People’s Knowledge Creation Motivations for Sustainable Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Gina Haines & Christopher Klopper, 2015. "Using Documentary Film for Authentic Representation of Phenomenological Research," Journal of Social Science Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 2(1), pages 250-263, January.
    19. Ruiz-Frau, A. & Krause, T. & Marbà, N., 2018. "The use of sociocultural valuation in sustainable environmental management," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 29(PA), pages 158-167.
    20. Zorana Ivcevic & Catherine Eggers, 2021. "Emotion Regulation Ability: Test Performance and Observer Reports in Predicting Relationship, Achievement and Well-Being Outcomes in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-15, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:17:y:2016:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-015-9706-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.