Diurnal cortisol and alpha-amylase in the daily lives of older adults with vital exhaustion

The Short Version of the Italian Maastricht Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire (MVEQ): Psychometric Properties and Relationships with Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in a Community Sample of Older Adults

Vital Exhaustion (VE) refers to a physical and mental state of excessive fatigue, feelings of demoralization, hopelessness, and increased irritability. The short form of the Maastricht Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire (MVEQ) is a widely used measure to assess VE. Despite its utility is broadly recognized, the validity and reliability of the scale have yet to be examined in the Italian context. The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the shortened MVEQ in a community sample of Italian older adults. A total of 722 older adults (Mage = 72.97, SD = 7.71; 60.4% females) completed the MVEQ, as well as other self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression and stress in order to evaluate the criterion-related validity of the scale. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the original MVEQ latent structure. Internal consistency was assessed through model-based omega coefficient. Test-retest reliability was examined by re-administering the MVEQ after three months to a subsample of 568 participants. Factorial invariance tests across gender were conducted by means of multi-group CFAs. The one-factor model showed an acceptable fit to the data. The MVEQ yielded a reliable total score (ω = 0.822) and showed moderate-to-large correlations with measures of anxiety, depression, and stress (r range 0.30 to 0.75, ps < 0.001). Test-retest reliability was supported by an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.661. Lastly, the scale was factorially invariant across gender. Overall, the MVEQ provided evidence of reliability and criterion-related validity in a sample of Italian older adults and may be useful for both clinical and research practices.

Cortisol Reactivity to a physical stressor in Patients with Depression and Alzheimer's disease

Some prevalent mental disorders in the elderly, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and major depression disorder (MDD), are associated with chronic stress and consequently with possible dysregulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and cortisol levels in basal conditions or in the reactivity of an acute stressor. However, evidence of cortisol behavior after a physical stressor in patients with AD and MDD is scarce.