Cognitively‐Based Compassion Training for parents reduces cortisol in infants and young children

Poehlmann, Julie; Engbretson, Ashleigh M.; Vigna, Abra B.; Weymouth, Lindsay; Burnson, Cynthia; Zahn‐Waxler, Carolyn; Kapoor, Amita; Gerstein, Emily D.; Fanning, Kerrie A.

doi:10.1002/imhj.21831

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…In the study by Fisher and colleagues, there was a decrease in the mean cortisol level of the caregivers who participated in the intervention [ 40 ]. One other study measured hair cortisol in children and the results showed that the cortisol concentration was lower in the intervention group compared with the controls [ 49 ]. Because hair cortisol measures evaluate the average level of cortisol over several months prior to the sample being taken, these results were not comparable to the other studies included in the review (based on saliva and urine samples), and so could not be included in the meta-analysis [ 48 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That approach, a proxy measure of the HPA axis activity over the previous months, evaluates chronic stress, which is less influenced by immediate variables, and may better capture parenting intervention effects not seen in the studies reviewed here [ 61 , 62 ]. The single study using this method found that parent-training intervention can reduce chronic cortisol levels [ 49 ]. The use of markers like hair samples of cortisol in future studies might better represent the chronic stress that is considered so toxic for human functioning and development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of parenting interventions on child and caregiver cortisol levels: systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2020

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Background Nurturing care, in which children are raised in engaging and safe environments, may reduce child stress and shape hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Hence, parent-training programs may impact child cortisol levels, as well as behavioral, social and health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of the impact of parent-training interventions on children’s and caregivers’ cortisol levels, and meta-analyzed the results. Methods In January 2020, searches in PubMed, LILACS, ERIC, Web of Science, Scielo, Scopus, PsycNET and POPLINE databases were conducted, and two independent researchers screened the results for eligible studies – randomized trials that assessed the impact of parent-training interventions on child or caregiver cortisol levels. Random effects were used to pool the estimates, separately for children and caregivers, and for children’s morning and evening cortisol levels, as well as change across the day. Results A total of 27 eligible studies were found. Data from 19 studies were extracted and included in the meta-analyses, with 18 estimates of child cortisol levels and 5 estimates for caregiver cortisol levels. The pooled effect size (standardized mean difference) for the effects of parent training programs on morning child cortisol was 0.01 (95%CI: − 0.14 to 0.16; I 2 : 47.5%), and for caregivers it was 0.04 (95%CI: − 0.22 to 0.30; I 2 : 0.0%). Similar null results were observed for child evening cortisol and for the slope between morning and evening child cortisol. No evidence of publication bias was found. Conclusion Existing evidence shows no effect of parent-training interventions on child or caregiver post-intervention cortisol. Researchers are encouraged to adopt standardized protocols to improve evaluation standards, to test for intervention effects on psychosocial outcomes that are theorized to mediate the effects on biomarkers, and to use additional biomarkers for chronic stress.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of parenting interventions on child and caregiver cortisol levels: systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2020

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“…At the householdlevel, parent-child interventions that promote supportive parenting styles or social cohesion during times of instability and/or heightened parental stress may help to foster resiliency in children 78,79 . In fact, parenting interventions that focus on maternal responsiveness have revealed measurable biological impacts on children's genome-wide DNAm profiles 80 and on other biomarkers [81][82][83] . At the neighborhood-level, after-school programs, community recreational centers, or other community-based interventions 65 that provide added support/routine to children's environments might be particularly beneficial to children whose families are experiencing socioeconomic instability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioeconomic changes predict genome-wide DNA methylation in childhood

Liu

Cerutti

Lussier

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is a major determinant of health and well-being across the entire life course. To effectively prevent and reduce health risks related to SEP, it is critical to better understand when and under what circumstances socioeconomic adversity shapes biological processes. DNA methylation (DNAm) is one such mechanism for how early life adversity "gets under the skin". Using data from a large, longitudinal birth cohort, we showed that changes in the socioeconomic environment may influence DNAm at age 7. We also showed that middle childhood (ages 6-7) may be a potential sensitive period when socioeconomic instability, reflected in parental job loss, is especially important in shaping DNAm. Our findings highlight the importance of socioeconomic stability during childhood, providing biological evidence in support of public programs to help children and families experiencing socioeconomic instability and other forms of socioeconomic adversity during childhood.

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“…We computed the a priori power using G*Power 3.1 [ 36 ] based on a repeated measures MANOVA with two outcome variables, an α = 0.05 and an effect size of f = 0.37, based on the effect size of Poehlmann-Tynan et al [ 17 ]. With a sample size of 798 (both cohorts, sample size at T4), the a priori power was excellent (0.99) for detecting main effects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, only chronic stress indicated by long-term deviations in cortisol levels as assessed with HCC across several months may be problematic [ 16 ]. To our knowledge, only one small RCT including 25 parents and their children investigated the effect of compassion training in parents on children’s HCC and found decreased HCC in the intervention group [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conduct Problems and Hair Cortisol Concentrations Decrease in School-Aged Children after VIPP-SD: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Two Twin Cohorts

Runze

Pappa

IJzendoorn

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) is effective in increasing parental sensitivity and sensitive discipline, and aims to decrease child behavior problems. Changes in quality of parenting may be accompanied by effects on child stress levels. However, studies of VIPP-SD effects on child behavior problems have shown mixed results and there are no studies to date of the effect of the intervention on children’s stress levels, as measured by hair cortisol concentration (HCC). Furthermore, differences in intervention effectiveness may be explained by differential susceptibility factors. We hypothesized that the effects of the VIPP-SD on child behavior problems might be moderated by currently available child polygenic scores of differential susceptibility (PGS-DS). In the current pre-registered trial, we randomly assigned 40% of n = 445 families with school-aged twin children to the intervention group. The VIPP-SD was successful in decreasing both children’s conduct problems and HCC. Effects were not moderated by available child PGS-DS. We conclude that a brief, home-based video-feedback parenting intervention can decrease child behavior problems and affect the child’s stress-related neuroendocrine system as assessed with hair cortisol. In future studies, more specific PGS-DS for externalizing behaviors should be used as well as parental PGS-DS.

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Cognitively‐Based Compassion Training for parents reduces cortisol in infants and young children

Cited by 19 publications

References 94 publications

Effects of parenting interventions on child and caregiver cortisol levels: systematic review and meta-analysis

Effects of parenting interventions on child and caregiver cortisol levels: systematic review and meta-analysis

Socioeconomic changes predict genome-wide DNA methylation in childhood

Conduct Problems and Hair Cortisol Concentrations Decrease in School-Aged Children after VIPP-SD: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Two Twin Cohorts

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