High self-esteem, hardiness and affective stability are associated with higher basal pituitary-adrenal hormone levels

Whereas much is known about the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during environmental stress and in psychiatric disorders, little is known about the relation of individual differences in basal HPA-functioning to individual differences in healthy psychological functioning. In the present study, we recruited 37 healthy young men and examined the relations of hardiness, self-esteem and hypomanic personality--dispositions that moderate the effects of psychosocial stress on depressive reactions and health--to circulating levels of cortisol and beta-endorphin at rest. High self-esteem, hardiness and affective stability were associated with higher plasma cortisol levels and less psychological distress. Additionally, affective stability was associated with higher levels of beta-endorphin. The present findings suggest that individual differences in basal HPA-function are associated with individual differences in psychological functioning following stress.