Is the stress system hyperactive for single mothers?

Excessive activity of the stress system in single mothers

Single parents often face special challenges in everyday life that often cause stress. Moreover, the mere fact that an intact family structure is lacking seems to lead to excessive activity of the stress system - at least in mice. In a recent study, scientists from the University of Regensburg and Emory University in Atlanta, USA, found that single-headed vole mothers are more anxious and passive because they have excessive stress system activity in their brains.

The research team led by Professor dr. Oliver Bosch from the Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Regensburg has investigated in his current study on prairie vultures how the changed family structure affects the behavior of the animals and which processes in the brain underlie these effects. Single mothers were therefore more passive and anxious in their behavior, which led the researchers back to a special messenger substance, which is increasingly produced when the stress system is excessively active. The scientists also see their relevance for humans in their study results. The study was published in the journal "Behavioral Brain Research".

Challenges for single parents many times higher

"Bringing your own offspring into an intact family structure is not always an easy task" and "without a partner, the challenges for the mother are many times higher," explain the scientists. This also applies to prairie voles, which usually live in solid, monogamous relationships, in which both partners are equally responsible for the rearing of the offspring. According to the researchers, the vole-mother does not show any changes to the vole-dad and leaves the vole-mother with intensive and passionate care for the boys. However, it seems to be changing emotionally.

Fear and more passive behavior

Like single parents, the single mother of vole attempts to provide her children with security and security, although the whole situation can be emotionally stressful for her. This shows in the vole mothers, inter alia, in a more timid and passive behavior, the scientists report. This is caused by an excessive activity of the stress system in their brain, in which the accompanying messenger "Corticotropin-releasing factor" is synthesized excessively strong - a sign of chronic stress.

Results also relevant to humans

Together with Prof. Dr. med. Inga Neumann from the University of Regensburg and Prof. Dr. med. Larry Young from Emory University Bosch also demonstrates in further experiments that the altered emotionality of the abandoned vole mothers is normalized by the blockade of the associated binding sites in the brain. According to Prof. Bosch, "these results are certainly relevant for humans." The identified messenger substance is associated with increased anxiety and passivity, which are parameters for depression.

If the study results are transferable to humans, single parents may be more susceptible to mental health problems as a result of the excessive activity of the stress system. It could also be linked to the increased risk of single parent diseases, which has already been documented in previous studies. Intact family structures seem to offer a clear advantage here. However, life in a partnership does not automatically equate to intact family structures, and sometimes it can reduce the stress burden when an onerous relationship ends. (Fp)