Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2013
Department
Counseling and Human Development
Abstract
Objective: Previous research has revealed a relationship of depressive symptoms and hopelessness with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) which are associated with elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6). The objective of this study was to explore whether depressive symptoms and hopelessness are independent predictors of IL-6 levels. Method: Hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and IL-6 were measured in 45 Swedish adults (26 women and 19 men; age range: 31-65 years). Two separated linear regressions were conducted with hopelessness and depressive symptoms serving as individual predictors of IL-6. Another regression analysis examined whether the two predictors predict IL-6 when controlling for each other. The regression coefficients of the models with one predictor and with both predictors were compared. Results: As predicted, after adjusting for age, BMI, illness, smoking, and gender, more depressive symptoms and more hopelessness predicted higher IL-6 levels in independent regressions. When controlling for each other, hopelessness, but not depressive symptoms, predicted IL-6 levels. Finally, when controlling for hopelessness, the regression between depressive symptoms and IL-6 level was significantly reduced; however, there was no significant change in the regression between hopelessness and IL-6 level when controlling for depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Thus, these results suggest that depressive symptoms and hopelessness are not independent predictors of IL-6 levels. Future research should explore the interplay of hopelessness and depressive symptoms on other risk factors of CVDs.
Original Publication Information
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article:
Mitchell, Amanda M., Patrick Pössel, Elaine Sjögren and Margareta Kristenson. "Hopelessness the 'Active Ingredient'?: Associations of Hopelessness and Depressive Symptoms with Interleukin-6." 2013. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 46(1): 109-117.
which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.2190/PM.46.1.g
ThinkIR Citation
Mitchell, Amanda M.; Pössel, Patrick; Sjögren, Elaine; and Kristenson, Margareta, "Hopelessness the ‘active ingredient’? : associations of hopelessness and depressive symptoms with Interleukin-6." (2013). Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 272.
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/faculty/272
DOI
10.2190/PM.46.1.g
