Physiological reactivity during autobiographical narratives in older adults: the roles of depression and anxiety

Objectives: Physiological reactivity (PR) describes the change in physiological functioning (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, pulse pressure) that occurs after the induction of a stressful task. This study aims to understand the influence of mental health symptoms on patterns of PR during autobiographical narratives in an older adult sample. Method: Eighty older adults completed self-report measures regarding their symptoms of depression and anxiety. Next, their blood pressure was recorded while they completed two verbal autobiographical narratives. Results: During the positive narrative, anxiety was positively associated with increased PR while depression was negatively associated with PR. During the negative narrative, a significant interaction occurred whereby anxiety was significantly positively associated with PR for those participants low in depression. Discussion: The above results are explained in the context of the Tripartite Model of Depression and Anxiety, which predicts different patterns of PR as a function of mental health symptoms. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.