Eighty-five adults (51% female, mean agexA0;= 37.9 years) completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on two consecutive days. Blood samples were collected at 1 minute prior and 30 minutes and 2 hours post-TSST for measurement of plasma IL-6. Community and United States SSS were assessed using MacArthur ladders.
The sample consisted of n = 80 participants (n = 51 white, n = 29 non-white). Both TSSTs induced increases in plasma IL-6 (F = 65.1, p<0.001), with higher responses to the second exposure (F = 7.85, p = 0.006). Community SSS was positively associated with IL-6 responses to the first TSST (r = 0.24, p = 0.03) but not the second (r = −0.01, p = 0.9). Whites rated themselves higher than nonwhites in SSS (Community, trend, p = 0.053; US, p = 0.009). Regression analyses revealed a significant SSS by NW interaction predicting IL-6 responses to the first TSST (beta = 0.82, p = 0.046), with higher SSS predicting elevated IL-6 responses only in non-whites.
Subjective Social Status ratings were sensitive to race and predicted IL-6 responses to the TSST in only non-white individuals. Ethnicity and SSS may play a role in social evaluation, a key component of social stress. More research is needed to determine the nature these associations.