Adolescent Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: A Pilot Study of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Functioning

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; Nitiéma, Pascal

doi:10.1007/s10566-014-9297-3

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 48 publications

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“…Studies have aimed to identify lasting biological signatures of adversity such as war exposure and displacement, and whether these mediate the risk of poor mental health. Cortisol is the primary effector of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in physiological and psychological stress responses and its secretion is frequently altered in psychopathological states [11][12][13][14]. However, whether cortisol has utility as an biomarker of psychological adversity and poor mental health is less clear given differing findings across contexts, with reports of no association, hypersecretion and hyposecretion of cortisol [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

War exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and hair cortisol concentrations in Syrian refugee children

et al. 2022

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Altered secretion of cortisol, the primary effector of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis, has been proposed as a means by which traumatic experiences compromise later mental health. However, despite the popularity of cortisol as a potential biomarker for stress and adversity, findings are inconsistent, and little is known about the impact of war-related trauma on stress physiology of children and adolescents. Here we aimed to evaluate the relationships between war exposure, current living conditions, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a large cohort of Syrian refugee children and adolescents (6–18 years) and their caregiver. This longitudinal observational study assessed Syrian refugee children and adolescents in two waves, 1 year apart, within informal tented settlements in Lebanon. The relationships between war exposure, time since leaving Syria, PTSD symptoms and HCC were investigated using linear mixed-model regression utilising both waves of data collected (Y1: N = 1574, Y2: N = 923). Hair cortisol concentration was positively, but weakly associated with the number of war-related events experienced. This was limited to those who were at least 12 years old at the time of war exposure. Conversely, HCC decreased with time since leaving Syria. HCC was also associated with PTSD symptoms but not with the quality of their current living conditions. This study revealed that changes to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity may accompany both earlier war exposure and current PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents. Additionally, early adolescence may be a particularly sensitive time in terms of trauma-related changes to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

War exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and hair cortisol concentrations in Syrian refugee children

et al. 2022

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African American Adolescents Speak: The Meaning of Racial Identity in the Relation Between Individual Race-Related Stress and Depressive Symptoms

Cunningham

Mulser

Scott³

et al. 2019

Handbook of Children and Prejudice

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Biological Correlates of Child and Adolescent Responses to Disaster Exposure: a Bio-Ecological Model

Weems

2015

Curr Psychiatry Rep

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Exposure to both human-caused and natural disasters is associated with a number of postevent reactions in youth including the experience of symptoms of several mental disorders. There is wide variability in these responses, with some youth having very intense exposure to the disaster and yet showing resilience or even personal growth, while others with low exposure sometimes show intensely negative reactions. Research findings are reviewed in this article to identify biological correlates of risk and resilience focusing on potential genetic, neurobiological, and physiological factors linked to the reactions of children exposed to disasters. A bio-ecological model is presented to couch this review of biological correlates of disaster exposure. The model predicts susceptibility to negative reactions after disaster exposure, and the biological correlates of disaster reactions can be understood in terms of this susceptibility as it relates to biological markers of the fear system.

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Adolescent Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: A Pilot Study of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Functioning

Cited by 7 publications

References 48 publications

War exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and hair cortisol concentrations in Syrian refugee children

War exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and hair cortisol concentrations in Syrian refugee children

African American Adolescents Speak: The Meaning of Racial Identity in the Relation Between Individual Race-Related Stress and Depressive Symptoms

Biological Correlates of Child and Adolescent Responses to Disaster Exposure: a Bio-Ecological Model

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