Stress-related testosterone increases in men: psychological, physiological and social correlates

Research on stress and stress-related health impairments mainly focuses on classic stress hormones, such as cortisol and catecholamines. Testosterone, the predominant male sex hormone, in turn, is poorly studied in stress research despite its negative associations with many “classic” stress-related disorders, such as depression, diabetes or obesity in middle-aged and elderly men. This work examines the role of testosterone in the acute response to stress in elderly men and focuses on social status and parental bonding as possible psychobiological determinants of stress-related testosterone responses. Moreover, relations to stress hormones, subjective stress experience, hemoconcentration, aggression, masculinity, quality of life, depressed mood and obesity are investigated.