Adverse childhood experiences and low socioeconomic status with respect to allostatic load in adulthood: A systematic review

Prenatal hair cortisol concentrations during the COVID-19 outbreak: Associations with maternal psychological stress and infant temperament

“…Therefore, an environmental stressor, such as the COVID-19 crisis, might affect them less physiologically. As a history of exposure to adversity and stress is hypothesized to result in altered HPA axis functioning with overall lower cortisol levels and lower reactivity to stressors ( Desantis et al, 2015 , Khoury et al, 2019 , Misiak et al, 2022 ), this could explain the lack of an association between psychological stress and hair cortisol concentrations in pregnant low SES women. In contrast, high SES women might be expected to display a more typical physiological reaction of the HPA axis, with higher cortisol levels when experiencing heightened levels of daily stress.…”

“…On the other hand, women with low SES have been found to be physiologically more resilient to an uncontrollable stressor due to already having experienced or experiencing more stress and adversity throughout their daily life ( Glazier et al, 2004 , Goyal et al, 2010 ). This previously experienced adversity can result in blunted cortisol (re)activity ( Desantis et al, 2015 , Khoury et al, 2019 , Misiak et al, 2022 ). Second, maternal psychological stress and hair cortisol concentrations may be different at different stages of pregnancy as cortisol is known to increase over the course of gestation ( de Weerth & Buitelaar, 2005 ), and pregnant women progressively exhibit dampened cortisol stress reactivity (Kammerer et al, 2002; Buss et al, 2009 ).…”

Pain catastrophizing, pain sensitivity and fear of pain are associated with early life environmental unpredictability: a path model approach

“…A low-quality, low-resource environment offers children less stability and the possibility of a more unpredictable, chaotic day-to-day life. This concept about the association of socioeconomic disadvantages and environmental unpredictability is not identical to other psychological constructs describing distressing childhood circumstances, such as childhood maltreatment [ 18 – 20 ] and adverse childhood experiences [ 19 , 21 ]. These constructs represent mainly the traumatic events, neglect, and physical and sexual abuses experienced in childhood [ 21 ].…”

“…This concept about the association of socioeconomic disadvantages and environmental unpredictability is not identical to other psychological constructs describing distressing childhood circumstances, such as childhood maltreatment [ 18 – 20 ] and adverse childhood experiences [ 19 , 21 ]. These constructs represent mainly the traumatic events, neglect, and physical and sexual abuses experienced in childhood [ 21 ]. Such traumatic experiences can, of course, contribute to children developing a view of an unsafe, uncertain environment, but the psychological constructs built upon these experiences and their operationalizations largely miss the consideration of socioeconomic circumstances and the fluctuations in environmental conditions across space and time [ 21 , 22 ].…”

“…These constructs represent mainly the traumatic events, neglect, and physical and sexual abuses experienced in childhood [ 21 ]. Such traumatic experiences can, of course, contribute to children developing a view of an unsafe, uncertain environment, but the psychological constructs built upon these experiences and their operationalizations largely miss the consideration of socioeconomic circumstances and the fluctuations in environmental conditions across space and time [ 21 , 22 ].…”