Cortisol Patterns and Stress in Working Parents

Lianne M. Kurina, University of Chicago
Barbara Schneider, University of Chicago

There is strong interest in the use of cortisol as a biomarker for stress. Little is known, however, about the day-to-day behavior of cortisol in the general population. We characterized the cortisol patterns of 91 adults from dual-earner families across the U.S. for two days (4-6 samples per day) and analyzed these patterns in relation to several measures of stress and psychological distress. We hypothesized that stress would be associated with flattened diurnal cortisol slopes and increased average cortisol levels. We found only one significant association; women who reported that work was more frequently stressful had lower average cortisol levels. Cortisol patterns varied widely across individuals and within individuals across days. Our results argue against the simple model that stress is a major determinant of differences in diurnal cortisol patterns in the general population and indicate that cortisol patterns have limited utility as a biomarker for chronic stress.