RAISE study protocol: a cross-sectional, multilevel, neurobiological study of resilience after individual stress exposure

Abstract

IntroductionThis paper describes the protocol for an ongoing project funded by the Royal Society, the Resilience After Individual Stress Exposure (RAISE) study; which aims to examine the factors and mechanisms that facilitate resilient functioning after childhood adversity (CA).Methods and analysisWe aim to recruit up to 200 participants. We will use dimension reduction techniques (principal component analysis) on standard-normally transformed individual parameters of mental health, social functioning and CA to calculate a composite measure of adaptive (ie, ‘resilient’) psychosocial functioning. To examine the neuroimmune responses to stress and their relationship with the brain and social environment, we will use a well validated functional MRI task; the Montreal imaging stress task and venepuncture. We will run group or dimensional comparisons in multiple levels of biological and psychological outcomes, as well as mediation and moderation analyses to study how key biological systems (ie, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the immune system) interrelate and interact with brain function and social influences in order to facilitate resilient functioning after CA. We hypothesise that resilient functioning will be facilitated by reduced morning cortisol and cytokine levels before and after the stressor and improved neural responses to such stress, as well as increased gray matter volume in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, enhanced inhibitory control and emotion regulation, and more friendship and family support.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been reviewed and given favourable opinion by the National Research Ethics Service, NRES Committee East of England-Cambridge Central and external reviewers from the Royal Society (RGF\R1\180064 and RGF\EA\180029). The results of the RAISE study will be disseminated through (1) publications in scientific peer reviewed journals, (2) presentations on relevant scientific conferences and meetings, (3) publications and presentations for the general public and (4) through social media.

The stress-buffering role of friendships in young people with childhood threat experiences: a preliminary report

“…Data were drawn from the Resilience after Individual Stress Exposure (RAISE) study, a multilevel study of N = 102 young people aged 16–26 (Moreno-López et al, 2021 ). All RAISE participants retrospectively self-reported a history of CA, which was defined as exposure to any adverse life event experienced within the family environment before the age of 16.…”

“…At each timepoint, informed consent was obtained from the participant. A comprehensive description of the full study procedure as well as the inclusion and exclusion criteria has been previously published by (Moreno-López et al, 2021 ). To summarise, individuals were eligible to participate if they were aged between 16 and 26 years, able to speak, write, and understand English, had a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m 2 , did not currently take medication (e.g.…”

A systematic review of cross-cultural measures of resilience and its promotive and protective factors

“…However, consideration of these studies is valuable insofar as it provides methodological models of how such studies might be carried out, as well as the challenges currently facing this research. These studies also point towards the value of continuing to employ self-report scales at a time when descriptive ethnographic work and the biological quantifiability of biomarkers are increasingly being employed in assessments of resilience ( Moreno-López et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Culturally adapted scales have not only been shown to function better in validation studies ( Ali et al, 2016 ; Weobong et al, 2009 ), but may also facilitate greater community-based assessment and care, particularly when employed by community health workers with similar cultural experiences and explanatory models as the patients they are serving ( Kaiser et al, 2019 ; Kaiser & Kohrt, 2019 ). Administering self-report measures may also be a more feasible approach for evaluating an individual's current state than the growing emphasis on assessing biomarkers such as serum levels of C-reactive protein and brain activity in resource challenged settings ( Moreno-López et al, 2021 ; Panter-Brick et al, 2008 ). Even when gathering this objective data is feasible, the subjective perspective gleaned from self-report scales can serve as a valuable complementary data set.…”

Stress, Resilience, and the Immune System: A Health Psychology Analysis

“…The multifaceted nature of resilience, stress, and the immune system is further exemplified by the ongoing RAISE study, which aims to examine the factors and mechanisms facilitating resilient functioning after childhood adversity, highlighting the complex interplay of psychosocial, neurobiological, and immune factors in resilience (Moreno-López et al, 2021). Furthermore, the meta-analysis of factors related to resilience in adulthood has emphasized the presence of numerous factors directly and indirectly linked to resilience, underscoring the intricate web of influences shaping resilience across the lifespan (Franczok-Kuczmowska, 2022).…”