Concordant assessments of psychological functioning, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), and cortisol activity were taken for children (n = 28, 6-10 yrs) and their mothers two months after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina and living in a relocation camp. Multilevel regression models revealed that the psychological functioning of the displaced children did not differ from that of demographically matched controls (n = 19 children), but the displaced group had higher sAA activity and lower cortisol levels. Compared to control mothers, displaced mothers showed higher sAA activity; greater symptoms of depression, distress, and anxiety; and lower self-esteem. Maternal psychological functioning was related to children's endocrine activity. The results suggest that pervasive stress exposure may be associated with unique psychobiological distress regulation for mother-child dyads.
Further research that incorporates quantitative and qualitative assessments of patient pain functioning is warranted to better understand how objective and subjective characteristics of patients' home-living environment may inform the development of more individualized pain treatment options for patients with differing social circumstances.
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