Cortisol Response to Stress in Female Youths Exposed to Childhood Maltreatment: Results of the Youth Mood Project

Abstract

Background Few studies have examined stress reactivity and its relationship to major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among maltreated youth. We examined differences between maltreated and control participants in heart rate and cortisol resting and reactivity levels in response to a psychosocial stressor. Methods We recruited 67 female youths aged 12 to 16 with no prior history of depression from child protection agencies and a control group of 25 youths matched on age and postal code. Child maltreatment was measured with two self-report instruments. Psychiatric status was assessed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children. Results Piecewise multilevel growth curve analysis was used to model group differences in resting and reactivity cortisol levels and heart rate in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). During the resting period, both the maltreated and control groups showed a similar decline in levels of cortisol. During the reactivity phase, youth in the control group showed an increase in cortisol levels following the TSST and a gradual flattening over time; maltreated youth exhibited an attenuated response. This blunted reactivity was not associated with current symptoms of MDD or PTSD. There were no group differences in resting and reactivity levels of heart rate. Conclusions These findings provide further support for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation among maltreated youth. Since the ability to respond to acute stressors by raising cortisol is important for health, these findings may assist in understanding the vulnerability of maltreated youth to experience physical and mental health problems.

Perspectivas dos estudos sobre violência na adolescência e cortisol: revisão bibliográfica sistemática

“…There are no papers originating from research conducted in South America or in Portuguese. The main ways of selecting participants were from a larger study [14][15][16][17][18] , advertising [19][20][21] and in health and education services [22][23][24][25] . Due to the very nature of the research object, it is difficult to use samples with strict designs.…”

“…Most studies included individuals of both genders (58.3%). However, three papers covered only girls 14,15,18 (25.0%) and two included only males 23,25 (16.7%). Regarding the age of participants, most of them worked exclusively with adolescents (five papers, 41.7%), two included children and adolescents 16,22 (16.7%), two adolescents and adults 14,19 (16.7%) and the rest reported only the average age of the participants 21,23,24 .…”

“…Most 14,15,[17][18][19]21,22 (58.3%) refer to family violence, where victimization or witnessing are addressed. Two studies 16,24 focus on community violence, one 25 on violence motivated by political and religious issues, another 23 on media violence, and one 20 that addresses witnessing of situations of violence in various contexts.…”

“…Most of the analyzed publications 14,15,17,22,23,26 use structured and validated tools, such as the Conflict Tactic Scale 14 , to verify an exposure to violent acts or actions suffered or perpetrated by adolescents, and the Trier Social Score Test 15,17,19,22 . Two other applied methodological lines were the realistic laboratory simulation of violent acts, such as the screening of a movie with violent scenes or staging of actors showing a violent act, and the application of a mixed work plan, containing the realistic simulation and application of questionnaires.…”

HPA axis dysregulation in adult adoptees twenty years after severe institutional deprivation in childhood

“…It has been challenging to validate these results in humans given justifiable constraints on exposing participants to adverse experiences. Although the majority of studies in adults reporting adversity in childhood have found HPA axis dysregulations (Carpenter et al, 2007;Elzinga et al, 2008;Lovallo et al, 2011;MacMillan et al, 2009;Power et al, 2012;Schwaiger et al, 2016), linking these effects to early life adversity per se, rather than, for instance, later emerging mental health problems is problematic, given the retrospective, and potentially questionable nature of the reports of the nature and timing of exposures .…”