Total diurnal cortisol secretion before the pandemic started was associated with depressive-like symptoms, anxiety levels, and total perceived stress state-reported during the confinement period of COIVID-19, and was moderated by resilient coping capacity

Diurnal cortisol secretion's affect on negative psychological state during the pandemic

- Measured through Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
- Perceived Helplessness/distress and Total Perceived Stress increased between pre-confinement and during-confinement measuring
-  Self-Efficacy, a person's interpretation of how capable they are in dealing with future events, remains the same


Smith College

Objective: determine if pre-pandemic diurnal cortisol indices can predict the effect of strict social confinement on:
- perceived stress
-  empathy
- attention
- working memory

Differential Susceptibility to the Impact of the COVID-19
Pandemic on Working Memory, Empathy, and Perceived Stress:
The Role of Cortisol and Resilience

Baliyan, S., Cimadevilla, J. M., de Vidania, S., Pulopulos, M. M., Sandi, C., & Venero, C. (2021). Differential Susceptibility to the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Working Memory, Empathy, and Perceived Stress: The Role of Cortisol and Resilience. Brain Sciences, 11(3), 348.

Differential Susceptibility to the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Working Memory, Empathy, and Perceived Stress: The Role of Cortisol and Resilience

Perceived Stress in the COVID-19 Pandemic

- Measured through Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)
- Perspective-Taking significantly increased between pre-confinement and during-confinement measuring
- Empathetic Concern remained the same

Changes in Empathy in the COVID-19 Pandemic

- No significant changes in attention
-  Attention was measured by Electronic Corsi Block-Tapping Test
    -  THere as some significant increae in working memory (both Corsi forward and total Corsi scores had significant increase)

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