The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity

Sex difference in the relationship between environmental unpredictability and depressive symptom in Chinese adolescents: The chain mediating role of sense of control and fast life history strategies

BACKGROUND

Adolescents are at a high risk of depressive symptom. A substantial body of literature indicates that early environmental unpredictability (EU) significantly affects the likelihood of developing depressive symptom. However, only a few studies have focused on the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Based on life history (LH) theory and the adaptive calibration model, this study constructed a chain-mediating model to examine whether the association between EU and depressive symptom among Chinese adolescents is mediated by sense of control and fast life history strategies.

METHODS

In total, 1838 Chinese adolescents (47.8 % women, mean age = 13.17 ± 0.99 years) participated in this study and responded to self-report measures of EU, fast LH strategies, sense of control, and depressive symptom.

RESULTS

(1) There were significant correlations between EU, sense of control, fast LH strategies, and depressive symptom. (2) After controlling for the effects of sex, age and socioeconomic status, EU still had a significant positive effect on depressive symptom. (3) Adolescent depressive symptom was partly influenced by EU through three different pathways: the mediating role of sense of control, the mediating role of fast LH strategies, and the chain-mediating role of both sense of control and fast LH strategies. (4) There are significant gender differences in the above chain mediation models.

LIMITATIONS

The analysis is cross-sectional, which limits causal inference.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of risk factors for adolescent depressive symptom. The chain-mediating effect of a sense of control and fast LH strategies plays an important role in the occurrence of depressive symptom.

Hippocampal HDAC5-mediated histone acetylation underlies stress susceptibility in mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress

Chronic stress leads to social avoidance and anhedonia in susceptible individuals, a phenomenon that has been observed in both human and animal models. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular mechanisms underpinning stress susceptibility and resilience remain largely unclear. There is growing evidence that epigenetic histone deacetylase (HDAC) mediated histone acetylation is involved in the modulation of depressive-related behaviors. We hypothesized that histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5), which is associated with stress-related behaviors and antidepressant response, may play a vital role in the susceptibility to chronic stress. In the current study, we detected the levels of HDAC5 and acetylation of histone 4 (H4) in the hippocampus subsequent to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) in C57BL/6J mice. We found that CSDS induces a notable increase in HDAC5 expression, concomitant with a reduction in the acetylation of histone H4 at lysine 12 (H4K12) in the hippocampus of susceptible mice. Meanwhile, intrahippocampal infusion of HDAC5 shRNA or HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) both reversed the depression susceptibility in susceptible mice that subjected to CSDS. Furthermore, HDAC5 overexpression was sufficient to induce depression susceptibility following microdefeat stress, accompanied by a significant reduction in H4K12 level within the hippocampus of mice. Additionally, the Morris water maze (MWM) results indicated that neither CSDS nor HDAC5 exerted significant effects on spatial memory function in mice. Taken together, these investigations indicated that HDAC5-modulated histone acetylation is implicated in regulating the depression susceptibility, and may be serve as potential preventive targets for susceptible individuals.

The Long-Term Effect of Early-Life Uncertainty on Mental Health in Adolescence and Adulthood: A Meta-Analysis

Turbulent changes in early life are a hidden source of childhood trauma, increasing potential risks for mental illness. Many studies have identified the link between childhood uncertainty and mental health. However, research on the long-term effect of early-life uncertainty (EU) on mental health has not been systematically synthesized. This meta-analysis aims to provide a quantitative estimate of the association between EU and subsequent mental health outcomes. Eight electronic databases and gray literature were searched. Twenty-eight studies met our inclusion criteria: samples of non-clinical adolescents or adults and clear and valid assessments. Random-effect models were used to calculate the pooled effect sizes of EU on internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and well-being. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were used to explore potential moderators. Results indicated small to moderate associations involving EU and internalizing problem (r = .28; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.228, 0.326]) and externalizing problem (r = .16; 95% CI [0.102, 0.220]). EU was not significantly associated with well-being (r = -.41; 95% CI [-0.738, 0.071]). Furthermore, moderator analyses found that composite uncertain experiences in childhood had a stronger negative effect than single experiences. EU was a stronger predictor of mental health problems in adults than in adolescents. Cross-sectional studies would amplify the correlation between EU and mental illness compared to longitudinal studies. In the future, childhood uncertain and unpredictable risks should receive more attention. More research needs to focus on positive psychological indicators and samples from non-Western countries.

Mortality risk predicts global, local, and individual patterns of human reproduction

BACKGROUND

Human reproductive dynamics in the post-industrial world are typically explained by economic, technological, and social factors including the prevalence of contraception and increasing numbers of women in higher education and the workforce. These factors have been targeted by multiple world governments as part of family policies, yet those policies have had limited success. The current work adopts a life history perspective from evolutionary biology: like most species, human populations may respond to safer environments marked by lower morbidity and mortality by slowing their reproduction and reducing their number of offspring. We test this association on three levels of analysis using global, local, and individual data from publicly available databases.

RESULTS

Data from over 200 world nations, 3,000 U.S. counties and 2,800 individuals confirm an association between human reproductive outcomes and local mortality risk. Lower local mortality risk predicts "slower" reproduction in humans (lower adolescent fertility, lower total fertility rates, later age of childbearing) on all levels of analyses, even while controlling for socioeconomic variables (female employment, education, contraception).

CONCLUSIONS

The association between extrinsic mortality risk and reproductive outcomes, suggested by life history theory and previously supported by both animal and human data, is now supported by novel evidence in humans. Social and health policies governing human reproduction, whether they seek to boost or constrain fertility, may benefit from incorporating a focus on mortality risk.

Intergenerational effects of maternal childhood maltreatment on newborns' stress regulation: The role of maternal depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) has been repeatedly associated with negative offspring's emotional outcomes. The dysregulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis has emerged as the main underlying physiological mechanism.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association between maternal CM and newborns' physiological and neurobehavioral stress responses, considering the role of perinatal maternal depression and bonding.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

150 healthy women were followed throughout pregnancy. 79 mother-infant dyads were included in the final analyses. Maternal CM was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and depressive symptoms by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at each trimester. At 7 weeks postpartum, the EPDS and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire were administered. Newborns' behavioral responses were assessed using "States Organization" (SO) and "States Regulation" (SR) subdomains of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). Newborns' salivary samples were collected before and after the NBAS to study cortisol reactivity.

METHODS

A cross-lagged panel model was employed.

RESULTS

Infants born to mothers with higher CM presented more optimal scores on SO (β (0.635) = 0.216, p 〈001) and SR (ß (0.273) = 0.195, p = .006), and a higher cortisol reactivity after NBAS handling (β(0.019) = 0.217, p = .009). Moreover, newborns of mothers with higher CM and postpartum depressive symptoms exhibited a poorer performance on SR (ß (0.156 = -0.288,p = .002). Analyses revealed non-significant relationships between mother-infant bonding, newborns' cortisol reactivity and SO.

CONCLUSIONS

Newborns from mothers with greater CM present higher cortisol reactivity and more optimal behavioral responses, which may reflect a prenatal HPA axis sensitization. However, those exposed to maternal postnatal depressive symptoms present poorer stress recovery.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning in offspring of parents with a major affective disorder: a meta-analytic review

Because the offspring of parents with an affective disorder (OAD) are at high risk for developing mental disorders, and persons with an affective disorder (AD) show dysfunctional hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, changes in HPA functioning in OAD might be an etiological risk factor that precedes the development of ADs. The primary aim of the meta-analysis was to quantitatively summarize the existing data on different indices of diurnal cortisol in the OAD. The secondary aim was to explore potential moderators of this relation. Following PRISMA guidelines, we included 26 studies (3052 offspring) on diurnal cortisol in our meta-analysis after an initial screening of 3408 articles. Intercept-only and meta-regression models were computed using the robust variance estimation method. Analyses examining mean cortisol levels at discrete timepoints, total cortisol output, and the cortisol rise in response to awakening (CAR) were conducted separately. The results demonstrated that the OAD had higher mean levels of cortisol at different timepoints throughout the day compared to controls (Hedge's g = 0.21). There was evidence of publication bias in studies examining CAR, such that effect sizes were positively biased. The present findings are consistent with a meta-analysis showing elevated cortisol in youth having an AD. Notable limitations across studies include the method of cortisol measurement and assessment of ADs. Altogether, these results highlight the fact that increased cortisol levels may act as a potential neuroendocrine antecedent and/or risk factor for the development of ADs among high risk youth.

Reconsidering the nature of threat in infancy: Integrating animal and human studies on neurobiological effects of infant stress

Early life stress has been associated with elevated risk for later psychopathology. One mechanism that may contribute to such long-term risk is alterations in amygdala development, a brain region critical to stress responsivity. Yet effects of stress on the amygdala during human infancy, a period of particularly rapid brain development, remain largely unstudied. In order to model how early stressors may affect infant amygdala development, several discrepancies across the existing literatures on early life stress among rodents and early threat versus deprivation among older human children and adults need to be reconciled. We briefly review the key findings of each of these literatures. We then consider them in light of emerging findings from studies of human infants regarding relations among maternal caregiving, infant cortisol response, and infant amygdala volume. Finally, we advance a developmental salience model of how early threat may impact the rapidly developing infant brain, a model with the potential to integrate across these divergent literatures. Future work to assess the value of this model is also proposed.

Parenting practices as a buffer in the relationship between exposure to community violence and bullying in Mexican adolescents

Multiple studies have shown that adolescents exposed to community violence are likely to engage in bullying behaviors. However, we still need to understand which variables can help reduce the influence of community violence exposure (CVE) on bullying. To investigate this question, a study was conducted with a sample of 568 Mexican adolescents, comprising 276 (48.6%) males and 292 (51.4%) females aged 12 to 16 years old (M age = 13.7 years, SD = 0.82). The study examined how parental support (PS) and parental induction to justice sensitivity (JS) can moderate the relationship between CVE and bullying. The study used structural equation modeling with latent variables. The results showed that CVE was positively associated with bullying, whereas PS and the induction to perpetrator JS were negatively associated. The moderation analysis suggests that the relationship between CVE and bullying was weaker among adolescents who received high PS. On the other hand, low and high parental induction to JS had the same moderating effect. Based on the findings, parental practices are critical when developing preventive programs to reduce the harmful effects of CVE on bullying behavior.

When virtual reality becomes psychoneuroendocrine reality: A stress(or) review

This review article was awarded the Dirk Hellhammer award from ISPNE in 2023. It explores the dynamic relationship between stressors and stress from a historical view as well as a vision towards the future of stress research via virtual reality (VR). We introduce the concept of a "syncytium," a permeable boundary that blurs the distinction between stress and stressor, in order to understand why the field of stress biology continues to inadequately measure stress alone as a proxy for the force of external stressors. Using Virtual Reality (VR) as an illustrative example to explicate the black box of stressors, we examine the distinction between 'immersion' and 'presence' as analogous terms for stressor and stress, respectively. We argue that the conventional psychological approaches to stress measurement and appraisal theory unfortunately fall short in quantifying the force of the stressor, leading to reverse causality fallacies. Further, the concept of affordances is introduced as an ecological or holistic tool to measure and design a stressor's force, bridging the gap between the external environment and an individual's physiological response to stress. Affordances also serve to ameliorate shortcomings in stress appraisal by integrating ecological interdependencies. By combining VR and psychobiological measures, this paper aims to unravel the complexity of the stressor-stress syncytium, highlighting the necessity of assessing both the internal and external facets to gain a holistic understanding of stress physiology and shift away from reverse causality reasoning. We find that the utility of VR extends beyond presence to include affordance-based measures of immersion, which can effectively model stressor force. Future research should prioritize the development of tools that can measure both immersion and presence, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of how external stressors interact with individual psychological states.

Corticosterone exposure is associated with long-term changes in DNA methylation, physiology and breeding decisions in a wild bird

When facing challenges, vertebrates activate a hormonal stress response that can dramatically alter behaviour and physiology. Although this response can be costly, conceptual models suggest that it can also recalibrate the stress response system, priming more effective responses to future challenges. Little is known about whether this process occurs in wild animals, particularly in adulthood, and if so, how information about prior experience with stressors is encoded. One potential mechanism is hormonally mediated changes in DNA methylation. We simulated the spikes in corticosterone that accompany a stress response using non-invasive dosing in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and monitored the phenotypic effects 1 year later. In a subset of individuals, we characterized DNA methylation using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing shortly after treatment and a year later. The year after treatment, experimental females had stronger negative feedback and initiated breeding earlier-traits that are associated with stress resilience and reproductive performance in our population-and higher baseline corticosterone. We also found that natural variation in corticosterone predicted patterns of DNA methylation. Finally, corticosterone treatment influenced methylation on short (1-2 weeks) and long (1 year) time scales; however, these changes did not have clear links to functional regulation of the stress response. Taken together, our results are consistent with corticosterone-induced priming of future stress resilience and support DNA methylation as a potential mechanism, but more work is needed to demonstrate functional consequences. Uncovering the mechanisms linking experience with the response to future challenges has implications for understanding the drivers of stress resilience.

Food insecurity and adolescent impulsivity: The mediating role of functional connectivity in the context of family flexibility

Adolescent food insecurity is a salient adversity hypothesized to affect neural systems associated with increased impulsive behavior. Family environments shape how adverse experiences influence development. In this study, hypotheses were tested regarding the conjoint effects of food insecurity and family flexibility on impulsivity via alterations in connectivity between regions within the salience and central executive networks. Such alterations are reflected in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) metrics between the anterior insula (AI) and the middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Hypotheses were tested in a longitudinal moderated mediation model with two waves of data from 142 adolescents (Time 1 [T1] Mage = 12.89, SD = 0.85; Time 2 [T2] Mage = 15.01, SD = 1.07). Data on past-year household food insecurity, family flexibility, and rsFC were obtained at T1. Impulsivity was self-reported by the adolescent at T1 and T2. Findings revealed that high T1 left-to-left rsFC between the AI and MFG was associated with increased impulsivity at T2. The interaction of family flexibility and food insecurity was associated with AI and MFG rsFC. In the context of low family flexibility, food insecurity was linked to high levels of AI and MFG rsFC. Conversely, in the context of optimal family flexibility, food insecurity was associated with low levels of AI and MFG rsFC. Conditional indirect analysis suggests that the links among food insecurity, rsFC, and impulsive behavior depend on family flexibility. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Adolescent food insecurity was associated with anterior insula and middle frontal gyrus connectivity only at certain levels of family flexibility. High family flexibility attenuated the link between food insecurity and neural connectivity, while low levels of family flexibility increased this risk. High left anterior insula and left middle frontal gyrus connectivity was associated with increased impulsivity 1 year later.

"Why (Zebra)fish May Get Ulcers": Cognitive and Social Modulation of Stress in Fish

BACKGROUND

In the bestseller book "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers", Robert Sapolsky argues that animals do not suffer from stress-related diseases like humans because for them, stress is episodic, while humans in contrast suffer from chronic psychological stress. In particular, the idea that fish cannot experience psychological stress is still prevalent, partly due to the lack of a homologous brain area to the neocortex. However, emerging evidence suggests that teleosts can undergo psychological stress, defined as a subjective and perceptual experience of the stressor, and in recent years, the underlying mechanisms started to be unveiled.

SUMMARY

The occurrence of cognitive appraisal in the assessment of stressors has been demonstrated in fish, indicating that the subjective evaluation of stimulus valence and salience, rather than absolute intrinsic characteristics of the stimulus itself, play a key role in the activation of the stress response. Moreover, individual biases (i.e., cognitive bias) in the cognitive appraisal of stimuli have also been described in fish, with some individuals consistently evaluating ambiguous stimuli as positive (aka optimists) whereas other individuals (aka pessimists) appraise them as negative. As a result, optimists and pessimists show consistent differences in stress reactivity and susceptibility/resilience to disease. Finally, social context has also been shown to modulate the response to aversive stimuli with the behavior of conspecifics either buffering or enhancing the response (i.e., social buffering vs. social contagion).

KEY MESSAGES

Cognitive appraisal of stressors occurs in fish, implying that the stress response is modulated by a subjective and perceptual experience of the stressor. Moreover, interindividual consistent cognitive biases in the appraisal of stressors are also present in fish making some individuals more susceptible to stress-related diseases. Therefore, psychological stress has a health toll in fish, and psychologically stressed fish can potentially have ulcers.

Longitudinal analysis of cortisol changes during pubertal development in indigenous Qom girls

Pubertal research has primarily focused on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) regulation of puberty, though the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is increasingly considered critical. Heightened HPA function proxied by increasing cortisol levels may play a role in accelerated pubertal timing. However, the extent to which cortisol varies across ages and its relation to pubertal changes in linear growth are less well substantiated. We explored relationships between age, linear growth, adiposity, C-peptide (proxy for insulin), and cortisol across puberty, and we tested whether higher cortisol levels are associated with earlier ages at menarche and peak height velocity. We utilize longitudinal data (n = 777 urine samples) from Qom females ages 7-14 (n = 46) and test our pre-registered analysis using Bayesian longitudinal mixed effects models and joint modeling techniques. We find limited evidence supporting the overarching hypothesis that HPA upregulation is associated with pubertal maturation or timing. We find some evidence that HPA upregulation, as proxied by cortisol, may be more clearly related to differences in relative linear growth at early-mid puberty, as measured by height-for-age z-scores. Transdisciplinary perspectives on puberty, including the assumption that stressors acting via cortisol accelerate pubertal development, are discussed.

Polygene by environment interactions predicting depressive outcomes

Depression is a major public health problem with a continued need to uncover its etiology. Current models of depression contend that gene-by-environment (G × E) interactions influence depression risk, and further, that depression is polygenic. Thus, recent models have emphasized two polygenic approaches: a hypothesis-driven multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS; "MGPS × E") and a polygenic risk score (PRS; "PRS × E") derived from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This review for the first time synthesizes current knowledge on polygene by environment "P × E" interaction research predicting primarily depression-related outcomes, and in brief, neurobiological outcomes. The "environment" of focus in this project is stressful life events. It further discusses findings in the context of differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress theories-two major theories guiding G × E work. This synthesis indicates that, within the MGPS literature, polygenic scores based on the serotonin system, the HPA axis, or across multiple systems, interact with environmental stress exposure to predict outcomes at multiple levels of analyses and most consistently align with differential susceptibility theory. Depressive outcomes are the most studied, but neuroendocrine, and neuroimaging findings are observed as well. By contrast, vast methodological differences between GWAS-based PRS studies contribute to mixed findings that yield inconclusive results.

Validation of the Chinese version of the adverse life experiences scale

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly linked to many mental health problems, and play important role in the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology. Additionally, the developmental timing may also be critical in ACEs' impact on these problems. The Adverse Life Experiences Scale (ALES), as a recently developed measure, has demonstrated good reliability and validity in indexing cumulative risk, developmental timing, and intergenerational transmission. This scale has not been used in China. The purpose of present study was to revise the Chinese version of the ALES and examine its psychometric properties.

Methods

A total of 527 parents (fathers n = 246, mothers n = 281) from families with at least one child (12-18 years) completed this online survey. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, correlations, regression models were examined for assessing the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the ALES.

Results

The Chinese version of the ALES showed acceptable internal consistency (children: α = .72, parents: α = .74) and test-retest reliability (children: r = .86, parents: r = .84). In terms of validity, both parents and children's ACEs scores (total score and most age intervals scores) were significantly correlated with their current symptoms; ACEs scores of some age intervals in early childhood and adolescence significantly predicted symptoms in regression models; and parents' ACEs total score significantly correlated with children's ACEs total score and symptoms (all, girls, boys) except boys' Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire total score.

Conclusion

The Chinese version of the ALES showed good psychometric properties for assessing ACEs cumulative risk, developmental timing, and intergenerational transmission, and can serve as a reliable tool to evaluate ACEs in Chinese samples.

Effects of social environments on male primate HPG and HPA axis developmental programming

Developmental plasticity is particularly important for humans and other primates because of our extended period of growth and maturation, during which our phenotypes adaptively respond to environmental cues. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are likely to be principal targets of developmental "programming" given their roles in coordinating fitness-relevant aspects of the phenotype, including sexual development, adult reproductive and social strategies, and internal responses to the external environment. In social animals, including humans, the social environment is believed to be an important source of cues to which these axes may adaptively respond. The effects of early social environments on the HPA axis have been widely studied in humans, and to some extent, in other primates, but there are still major gaps in knowledge specifically relating to males. There has also been relatively little research examining the role that social environments play in developmental programming of the HPG axis or the HPA/HPG interface, and what does exist disproportionately focuses on females. These topics are likely understudied in males in part due to the difficulty of identifying developmental milestones in males relative to females and the general quiescence of the HPG axis prior to maturation. However, there are clear indicators that early life social environments matter for both sexes. In this review, we examine what is known about the impact of social environments on HPG and HPA axis programming during male development in humans and nonhuman primates, including the role that epigenetic mechanisms may play in this programming. We conclude by highlighting important next steps in this research area.

Maltreatment type differences in cortisol stress response trajectories across adolescence

This study examined cortisol stress response trajectories across adolescence in 454 maltreated and comparison youth recruited from Los Angeles County between 2002 and 2005 (66.7% maltreated; 46.7% girls; 39.0% Latino; 37.7% Black; 12.3% Mixed or Biracial; 11.0% White; Mage = 10.9 years, SD = 1.2). Adolescents' peak activation and cortisol reactivity and recovery slopes following the Trier Social Stress Test for Children were calculated at four waves, then used to model peak activation and cortisol reactivity and recovery trajectories arrayed by age. Maltreated youth had blunted cortisol reactivity at age 9 relative to comparison youth (b = -.19, p = .02). Sexually and physically abused youth showed blunted cortisol reactivity and recovery trajectories relative to emotionally abused and neglected youth.

Unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol among emerging adults

Though considerable work supports the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology, prior research has not tested whether the dimensions-threat (e.g., abuse) and deprivation (e.g., neglect)-are uniquely related to salivary trait indicators of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We examined the unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol (LTC)-and whether these effects were modified by co-occurring adversities. Emerging adults (n = 90; Mage = 19.36 years; 99.88% cisgender women) provided salivary cortisol samples four times a day (waking, 30 min and 45 min postwaking, bedtime) over three 3-day measurement waves over 13 weeks. Contextual life stress interviews assessed early adversity. Though the effects varied according to the conceptualization of early adversity, overall, threat-but not deprivation, nor other co-occurring adversities-was uniquely associated with the across-wave LTC. Specifically, the incidence and frequency of threat were each negatively related to the across-wave LTC. Threat severity was also associated with the across-wave LTC, but only among those with no deprivation. Finally, the effects of threat were modified by other co-occurring adversities. Findings suggest that threat has unique implications for individual differences in HPA axis activity among emerging adults, and that co-occurring adversities modify such effects.

The interactive roles of narrative processing and emotion negativity/lability in relation to autonomic coordination

Emotion regulation (ER) is a multifaceted construct, involving behavioral, cognitive, and physiological processes. Although autonomic coordination is theorized to play a crucial role in adaptive functioning, few studies have examined how different individual and contextual factors together may contribute to such coordination. This study examined the joint influences of narrative processing and emotional negativity/lability (N/L) traits on the coordination of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in a sample of 112 children, ages 8-12 years (Mage = 10.15 years, SD = 1.33). Children completed a stress-induction task followed by an interview about the task. Children's trait-level N/L was assessed via parent-report on the Emotion Regulation Checklist. Narrative processing was assessed and coded based on children's narrative accounts of the event (i.e., causal coherence, overall emotional tone). Indexes of sympathetic (skin conductance response, SCR) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) functioning were derived from physiological data obtained during the interview. Results revealed that children's trait-level N/L and narrative processing of the stressful event interacted to predict the RSA-SCR correlation. Specifically, children who were high on either N/L or narrative causal coherence, but not both, demonstrated significant RSA-SCR correlation. Similarly, children with high N/L and negative-to-neutral narratives, as well as those with low N/L and neutral-to-positive narratives, exhibited significant RSA-SCR correlation. This work provides empirical evidence that narrative processing and trait N/L, together with RSA-SCR correlation, work in tandem to regulate emotional arousal.

A mixed methods comparison of adolescents' and researchers' observations of neighborhood characteristics in Latinx neighborhoods

We used a convergent mixed methods research design to compare and contrast researchers' neighborhood environmental assessments collected using systematic social observations with adolescents' neighborhood environmental assessments collected by semi-structured interviews with US Mexican adolescents. Using qualitative methods, we found that adolescents sometimes observed the same neighborhood environmental features as researchers. They also sometimes observed different environmental features altogether; in both cases they sometimes layered on additional meaning making. Using mixed methods, we found that there was a high degree of overlap between researchers and adolescents in terms of agreement on the presence of neighborhood environmental features, including physical disorder, physical decay, street safety, and sociocultural symbols. Adolescents expanded upon these neighborhood environmental features with references to positive and negative affect and neighborhood environmental resources. This work highlights the shared and unique aspects of researcher versus adolescent observations and how both data sources are critical to understanding Latinx neighborhood environments.

Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates How Resting Heart Rate Variability Predicts Pain Response

Higher resting heart rate variability (HRV)-an index of more flexible response to environmental stressors, including noxious stimuli-has been linked to reduced perception of experimentally induced pain. However, as stress responses are adapted to one's chronic environments, we propose that chronic exposure to threats captured by one's subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) may shape different adaptations that produce distinct pain responses linked to higher resting HRV. Specifically, lower SSS individuals with more threat exposures may prioritize threat detection by upregulating sensitivity to stressors, such as acute pain. Therefore, higher HRV would predict greater perceived acute pain among lower SSS individuals. In contrast, higher SSS individuals with less threat exposures may instead prioritize affective regulation by downregulating sensitivity to stressors, producing lower pain perception with higher HRV. We examined this stress response moderation by SSS in 164 healthy young adults exposed to experimental pain via the cold pressor test (CPT). Resting HRV, indexed by the root-mean-square of successive differences in heart rate, and self-reported SSS were measured at rest. Pain perception indexed by self-reported pain and pain tolerance indexed by hand-immersion time during the CPT were assessed. Results revealed that among higher SSS individuals, higher resting HRV predicted lower pain reports and subsequently greater pain tolerance during the CPT. Conversely, among lower SSS individuals, higher resting HRV predicted higher pain reports and subsequently lower pain tolerance. These findings provide preliminary evidence that environmental stress exposures linked to one's SSS may shape unique biological adaptations that predict distinct pain responses.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-023-00234-w.

Sex Differences in Stress-Induced Cortisol Response Among Infants of Mothers Exposed to Childhood Adversity

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase risk for mental illness in women and their children, and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may play a role. The impact of ACEs on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may be strongest when ACEs occur prepubertally and in people who are exposed to abuse ACEs.

METHODS

To test this, we measured salivary cortisol in 96 mother-infant dyads while mothers were separated from their infants, who were experiencing a laboratory stressor. Mothers completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire; ACEs that occurred prepubertally (pACEs) were measured, and mother-infant dyads were grouped based on maternal pACE history as follows: no pACEs, ≥1 pACEs with abuse, or ≥1 pACEs but no abuse.

RESULTS

Mothers with ≥1 pACEs exhibited decreases in cortisol (relative to preinfant stressor), which differed significantly from the cortisol increase experienced by mothers with no pACEs, regardless of abuse presence (p = .001) or absence (p = .002). These pACE groups did not differ from one another (p = .929). Significant sex differences in infant cortisol were observed in infants of mothers with ≥1 pACEs (regardless of abuse) but not in infants of mothers with no pACEs. When mothers had experienced ≥1 pACEs, males showed decreases in cortisol in response to a stressor whereas females demonstrated increases, and males and females differed significantly when their mothers had ≥1 pACEs with (p = .025) and without (p = .032) abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of maternal exposure to childhood abuse, in response to a stressor, pACEs were associated with lower cortisol response in mothers and sex differences in 6-month-old infants, with males showing a lower cortisol response than females.

Maternal childhood emotional abuse increases cardiovascular responses to children's emotional facial expressions

Parents with a history of childhood maltreatment may be more likely to respond inadequately to their child's emotional cues, such as crying or screaming, due to previous exposure to prolonged stress. While studies have investigated parents' physiological reactions to their children's vocal expressions of emotions, less attention has been given to their responses when perceiving children's facial expressions of emotions. The present study aimed to determine if viewing facial expressions of emotions in children induces cardiovascular changes in mothers (hypo- or hyper-arousal) and whether these differ as a function of childhood maltreatment. A total of 104 mothers took part in this study. Their experiences of childhood maltreatment were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Participants' electrocardiogram signals were recorded during a task in which they viewed a landscape video (baseline) and images of children's faces expressing different intensities of emotion. Heart rate variability (HRV) was extracted from the recordings as an indicator of parasympathetic reactivity. Participants presented two profiles: one group of mothers had a decreased HRV when presented with images of children's facial expressions of emotions, while the other group's HRV increased. However, HRV change was not significantly different between the two groups. The interaction between HRV groups and the severity of maltreatment experienced was marginal. Results suggested that experiences of childhood emotional abuse were more common in mothers whose HRV increased during the task. Therefore, more severe childhood experiences of emotional abuse could be associated with mothers' cardiovascular hyperreactivity. Maladaptive cardiovascular responses could have a ripple effect, influencing how mothers react to their children's facial expressions of emotions. That reaction could affect the quality of their interaction with their child. Providing interventions that help parents regulate their physiological and behavioral responses to stress might be helpful, especially if they have experienced childhood maltreatment.

Coping and empowerment preventive intervention buffers early adolescent neuroendocrine-related risk for internalizing problems

There is an absence of mechanism-driven interventions equipped to reduce the large mental health disparities that exist for preadolescent youth living in poverty. Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills (BaSICS) is a preventive intervention designed to target multiple aspects of poverty-related stress adaptation, including altered neuroendocrine function. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether pre-post shifts in preadolescent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activation could longitudinally predict internalizing outcomes and to determine whether BaSICS could buffer such HPA-related risk for psychopathology. Low-income youth (n = 112) ages 11-12 years were randomized to the 16-session intervention or assessment-only control (53% intervention; 54% female; 40% Hispanic, 63% Black, 20% White). Youth completed questionnaires and the Trier Social Stress Test, and provided cortisol via saliva at six timepoints during the 90-minute assessment. Adjusting for pre-intervention Cortisol Area Under the Curve-Ground (CAUCg) scores and internalizing problems, post-intervention CAUCg and intervention main and interactive effects were modeled as predictors of internalizing outcomes across post-intervention, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up assessments using multilevel regression methods. A significant post-intervention CAUCg by intervention interaction emerged (B=1.198, SE=0.433, p = .006). For control youth, baseline-adjusted decreases in cortisol output were associated with increases in internalizing problems that remained stably elevated across follow-up assessments. For BaSICS youth, however, internalizing problems decreased and remained stably low following program delivery, irrespective of post-intervention increases or decreases in cortisol output. Findings illustrate how BaSICS may buffer against HPA-related risk for internalizing psychopathology and provide support for interventions targeting biological mechanisms of risk for low-income preadolescents.

Comparing the multivariate relationships of conceptual adversity models and structural brain development in adolescent girls: A registered report

Adverse experiences throughout development confer risk for a multitude of negative long-term outcomes, but the processes via which these experiences are neurobiologically embedded are still unclear. Adolescence provides an opportunity to understand how these experiences impact the brain's rapidly changing structure. Two models are central to current adversity conceptualizations: a cumulative risk model, where all types of experiences are combined to represent accumulating stress, and a dimensional model, where certain features of experience (e.g., threat or deprivation) exert unique neurophysiological influence. In this registered report, we extended upon previous research by using a form of representational similarity analysis to examine whether the dimensional and cumulative risk models of adversity predict cortical thinning in frontoparietal and frontotemporal networks and volumetric changes in subcortical regions throughout adolescence. Drawing from a longitudinal sample of 179 adolescent girls (ages 10-13 years at the first wave) from Lane County, Oregon, United States, and up to four waves of follow-up data, we found that operationalizing adversity by similarity in threat and deprivation provided better prediction of brain development than similarity in overall adversity. However, these dimensions do not exhibit unique associations with developmental changes in the hypothesized brain changes. These results underscore the significance of carefully defining adversity and considering its impact on the entire brain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Susceptibility to stress and nature exposure: Unveiling differential susceptibility to physical environments; a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Emerging epidemiological evidence indicates nature exposure could be associated with greater health benefits among groups in lower versus higher socioeconomic positions. One possible mechanism underpinning this evidence is described by our framework: (susceptibility) adults in low socioeconomic positions face higher exposure to persistent psychosocial stressors in early life, inducing a pro-inflammatory phenotype as a lifelong susceptibility to stress; (differential susceptibility) susceptible adults are more sensitive to the health risks of adverse (stress-promoting) environments, but also to the health benefits of protective (stress-buffering) environments.

OBJECTIVE

Experimental investigation of a pro-inflammatory phenotype as a mechanism facilitating greater stress recovery from nature exposure.

METHODS

We determined differences in stress recovery (via heart rate variability) caused by exposure to a nature or office virtual reality environment (10 min) after an acute stressor among 64 healthy college-age males with varying levels of susceptibility (socioeconomic status, early life stress, and a pro-inflammatory state [inflammatory reactivity and glucocorticoid resistance to an in vitro bacterial challenge]).

RESULTS

Findings for inflammatory reactivity and glucocorticoid resistance were modest but consistently trended towards better recovery in the nature condition. Differences in recovery were not observed for socioeconomic status or early life stress.

DISCUSSION

Among healthy college-age males, we observed expected trends according to their differential susceptibility when assessed as inflammatory reactivity and glucocorticoid resistance, suggesting these biological correlates of susceptibility could be more proximal indicators than self-reported assessments of socioeconomic status and early life stress. If future research in more diverse populations aligns with these trends, this could support an alternative conceptualization of susceptibility as increased environmental sensitivity, reflecting heightened responses to adverse, but also protective environments. With this knowledge, future investigators could examine how individual differences in environmental sensitivity could provide an opportunity for those who are the most susceptible to experience the greatest health benefits from nature exposure.

Child abuse and pubertal timing: what is the role of child sex and identity of the perpetrator?

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the association between child abuse [child neglect (CN), emotional (CEA) and physical abuse (CPA)] and early puberty with special regard to sex-specific effects concerning child and parental perpetrator.

METHODS

Data assessment took place within the framework of the LIFE Child Depression study, a longitudinal study on the development of depressive symptoms and disorders between child- and adulthood in Leipzig, Germany. A sample of 709 children (8-14 years) was recruited from the general population and via psychiatric hospitals. Data on pubertal status were assessed using an instrument for self-assessment of tanner stages (scales of physical pubertal development). Information on menarche was provided by parents. The Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-PC) served for data on child abuse.

RESULTS

Regarding physical puberty markers, significant correlations were found, especially with child neglect (CN) and child emotional abuse (CEA). Regression analyses, controlling for Body-Mass-Index (BMI) and Socioeconomic Status (SES), revealed that children affected by child neglect perpetrated by mother (CNm) and child emotional abuse (CEA) parent-non-specifically enter puberty significantly earlier. Sex-specific analyses identified child neglect perpetrated by mother (CNm) to be associated with early puberty in girls and child emotional abuse perpetrated by father (CEAf) with early puberty in boys. Concerning the onset of menstruation, there was a significant positive correlation between early menarche and parent-specific and non-specific child neglect (CN), as well as between early menarche and child emotional abuse perpetrated by the mother (CEAm). In regression models that controlled for Body-Mass-Index (BMI) and Socioeconomic Status (SES) no significant associations were maintained. Child physical abuse (CPA) was not associated with early puberty.

CONCLUSION

Results outlined child neglect (CN) and child emotional abuse (CEA) to be sex- and perpetrator-specific risk factors for early pubertal development. Knowledge of sex- and perpetrator-specific effects could help clinicians to specify their diagnostic process and to define differential prevention and treatment goals for children with experiences of CN and CEA. Further research on the sex-specific impact of parental CN and CEA on girls' and boys' puberty is needed.

Effects of prenatal opioid exposure on infant sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity

Prenatal opioid exposure has been associated with developmental problems, including autonomic nervous system dysregulation. However, little is known about the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on the autonomic nervous system beyond the first days of life, particularly across both the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches, and when accounting for exposure to other substances. The present study examined the effects of prenatal exposure to opioid agonist therapy (OAT, e.g., methadone) and other opioids on infant autonomic nervous system activity at rest and in response to a social stressor (the Still-Face Paradigm) at six months among 86 infants varying in prenatal opioid and other substance exposure. Results indicated that OAT and other opioids have unique effects on the developing autonomic nervous system that may further depend on subtype (i.e., methadone versus buprenorphine) and timing in gestation. Results are discussed in the context of theoretical models of the developing stress response system.

Childhood environmental risk and youth bedtime procrastination: A path model with life history strategy and sense of control as mediators

BACKGROUND

Bedtime procrastination is a serious threat to youths' sleep quality and physical and mental health. It is affected by various psychological and physiological factors, but few studies focused on the impact and internal mechanism of childhood experience on bedtime procrastination in adulthood from the evolutionary and developmental perspective.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the distal factors of bedtime procrastination among young people, that is, the association between childhood environmental risk (harshness and unpredictability) and bedtime procrastination, as well as the mediating roles of life history (LH) strategy and sense of control.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

By convenience sampling, 453 Chinese college students aged 16 to 24 (55.2 % males, Mage = 21.21 years) completed questionnaires regarding demographics, childhood environmental harshness (from neighborhood, school, and family), and unpredictability (parental divorce, household moves, and parental employment changes), LH strategy, sense of control, and bedtime procrastination.

METHODS

Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model.

RESULTS

The results showed that childhood environmental harshness and unpredictability were both positively associated with bedtime procrastination. Sense of control had a partial mediating role between harshness and bedtime procrastination (B = 0.02, 95%CI = [0.004, 0.042]), and between unpredictability and bedtime procrastination (B = 0.01, 95%CI = [0.002, 0.031]), respectively. LH strategy and sense of control had a serial mediating role between harshness and bedtime procrastination (B = 0.04, 95%CI = [0.010, 0.074]), and between unpredictability and bedtime procrastination (B = 0.01, 95%CI = [0.003, 0.029]), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that childhood environmental harshness and unpredictability are potential predictors of youths' bedtime procrastination. Young people can reduce bedtime procrastination problems by slowing LH strategies and improving their sense of control.

Decreased salivary alpha-amylase reactivity for excluded young women after a speech task

Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) has gained popularity as an easily collected biomarker for sympathetic nervous system activation, and research has shown increases in sAA after completing experimental stress tasks in certain groups. However, recent work suggests that salivary cortisol, another stress biomarker, is suppressed after a speech task among experimentally induced exclusion in young women. The present analysis investigated the sAA response in biologically female undergraduates (n=31) who completed a game of Cyberball and then a speech anticipation task. Results showed that women in the social exclusion experimental group had a greater decrease in sAA compared to young women in the inclusion group after the speech task. Results of this study provide support for stress response suppression in women who have experienced social exclusion. The present findings provide pilot evidence for future, larger studies to advance the tend-and-befriend theory.

The effect of cognitive reappraisal and early-life maternal care on neuroendocrine stress responses

Early-life adversity (ELA) is related to profound dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reflected in both, blunted or exaggerated cortisol stress responses in adulthood. Emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal might contribute to this inconsistent finding. Here, we investigate an interaction of early-life maternal care (MC), where low MC represents a form of ELA, and instructed emotion regulation on cortisol responses to acute stress. Ninety-three healthy young women were assigned to a low (n = 33) or high (n = 60) MC group, based on self-reported early-life MC. In the laboratory, participants received regulation instructions, asking to cognitively reappraise (reappraisal group, n = 45) or to focus on senses (control group, n = 48) during subsequent stress exposure, induced by the Trier Social Stress Test. Salivary cortisol and subjective stress levels were measured repeatedly throughout the experiment. Multilevel model analyses confirmed a MC by emotion regulation interaction effect on cortisol trajectories, while controlling for hormonal status. Individuals with low MC in the control compared with the reappraisal group showed increased cortisol responses; individuals with high MC did not differ. These results highlight the significance of emotion regulation for HPA axis stress regulation following ELA exposure. They provide methodological and health implications, indicating emotion regulation as a promising target of treatment interventions for individuals with a history of ELA.

Differential psychophysiological responses associated with decision-making in children from different socioeconomic backgrounds

This study examined how socioeconomic status (SES) influences on decision-making processing. The roles of anticipatory/outcome-related cardiac activity and awareness of task contingencies were also assessed. One hundred twelve children (Mage  = 5.83, SDage  = 0.32; 52.7% female, 51.8% low-SES; data collected October-December 2018 and April-December 2019) performed the Children's Gambling Task, while heart rate activity was recorded. Awareness of gain/loss contingencies was assessed after completing the task. Distinct decision-making strategies emerged among low and middle/high-SES children. Despite similar awareness levels between SES groups, future-oriented decision-making was linked solely to the middle/high-SES group. Somatic markers did not manifest unequivocally. However, contrasting cardiac patterns were evident concerning feedback processing and the association between anticipatory activity and awareness (low: acceleration vs. middle/high: deceleration). Results are interpreted from an evolutionary-developmental perspective.

Cortisol's diurnal rhythm indexes the neurobiological impact of child adversity in adolescence

Adverse early life experiences, such as child maltreatment, shapes hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. The impact of social context is often probed through laboratory stress reactivity, yet child maltreatment is a severe form of chronic stress that recalibrates even stable or relatively inflexible stress systems such as cortisol's diurnal rhythm. This study was designed to determine how different social contexts, which place divergent demands on children, shape cortisol's diurnal rhythm. Participants include 120 adolescents (9-14 years), including 42 youth with substantiated child physical abuse. Up to 32 saliva samples were obtained in the laboratory, on days youth stayed home, and on school days. A 3-level hierarchical linear model examined cortisol within each day and extracted the diurnal rhythm at level 1; across days at level 2; and between-individual differences in cortisol and its rhythm at level 3. While cortisol's diurnal rhythm was flattened when youth were in the novel laboratory context, the impact of maltreatment was observed within the home context such that maltreated children had persistently flattened diurnal rhythms. The effect of maltreatment overlapped with current chronic interpersonal family stress. Results are consistent with the idea that maltreatment exerts a robust, detrimental impact on the HPA axis and are interpreted in the context of less flexibility and rhythmicity. The HPA axis adapts by encoding signifiers of relevant harsh or unpredictable environments, and the extreme stress of physical abuse in the family setting may be one of these environments which calibrates the developing child's stress responsive system, even throughout a developmental stage in which the family takes on diminishing importance.

Concurrent and prospective associations between family socioeconomic status, social support and salivary diurnal and hair cortisol in adolescence

BACKGROUND

Exposure to socioeconomic adversity is hypothesized to impact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and cortisol secretion, but existing evidence is inconsistent. Yet, few studies have investigated this association using a developmental approach that considers potential protective contextual factors. This study examined the role of stability and changes in family socioeconomic status (SES) in the prediction of multiple cortisol indicators and tested whether social support moderated these associations.

METHODS

Participants were part of a population-based sample of twin pairs recruited at birth. Family SES was assessed in early childhood (ages 0-5) and mid-adolescence (age 14). Social support was assessed at ages 14 and 19. Diurnal cortisol (n = 569) was measured at age 14 at awakening, 30 min later, in the afternoon and evening over four non-consecutive days. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC, n = 704) was measured at age 19. All data were collected before the pandemic and multilevel regression models were conducted to account for the nested data structure.

RESULTS

Youth exposed to lower family SES levels in childhood and mid-adolescence had a flatter diurnal slope and higher HCC compared with those who experienced upward socioeconomic mobility in mid-adolescence. Contrastingly, mid-adolescence SES showed no association with the diurnal slope or HCC for youth from higher-SES households in early childhood. Moreover, youth raised in higher-SES families in early childhood had a higher CAR in mid-adolescence if they reported greater social support in mid-adolescence. Social support also moderated the SES-cortisol association in mid-adolescence, with higher-SES youth showing higher awakening cortisol secretion when reporting more social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the hypothesis that early socioeconomic adversity sensitizes HPA axis activity to later socioeconomic disadvantage, which may bear consequences for socioemotional and behavioral functioning.

Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder: definition, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment

Psychological birth trauma and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder represent a substantial burden of disease with 6.6 million mothers and 1.7 million fathers or co-parents affected by childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder worldwide each year. There is mounting evidence to indicate that parents who develop childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder do so as a direct consequence of a traumatic childbirth experience. High-risk groups, such as those who experience preterm birth, stillbirth, or preeclampsia, have higher prevalence rates. The main risks include antenatal factors (eg, depression in pregnancy, fear of childbirth, poor health or complications in pregnancy, history of trauma or sexual abuse, or mental health problems), perinatal factors (eg, negative subjective birth experience, operative birth, obstetrical complications, and severe maternal morbidity, as well as maternal near misses, lack of support, dissociation), and postpartum factors (eg, depression, postpartum physical complications, and poor coping and stress). The link between birth events and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder provides a valuable opportunity to prevent traumatic childbirths and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder from occurring in the first place. Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder is an extremely distressing mental disorder and has a substantial negative impact on those who give birth, fathers or co-parents, and, potentially, the whole family. Still, a traumatic childbirth experience and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder remain largely unrecognized in maternity services and are not routinely screened for during pregnancy and the postpartum period. In fact, there are gaps in the evidence on how, when, and who to screen. Similarly, there is a lack of evidence on how best to treat those affected. Primary prevention efforts (eg, screening for antenatal risk factors, use of trauma-informed care) are aimed at preventing a traumatic childbirth experience and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder in the first place by eliminating or reducing risk factors for childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Secondary prevention approaches (eg, trauma-focused psychological therapies, early psychological interventions) aim to identify those who have had a traumatic childbirth experience and to intervene to prevent the development of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Tertiary prevention (eg, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) seeks to ensure that people with childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder are identified and treated to recovery so that childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder does not become chronic. Adequate prevention, screening, and intervention could alleviate a considerable amount of suffering in affected families. In light of the available research on the impact of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder on families, it is important to develop and evaluate assessment, prevention, and treatment interventions that target the birthing person, the couple dyad, the parent-infant dyad, and the family as a whole. Further research should focus on the inclusion of couples in different constellations and, more generally, on the inclusion of more diverse populations in diverse settings. The paucity of national and international policy guidance on the prevention, care, and treatment of psychological birth trauma and the lack of formal psychological birth trauma services and training, highlight the need to engage with service managers and policy makers.

Quadratic associations between cardiovascular stress reactivity and development of cool and hot executive functions in adolescents

Stress affects executive functions and exploring the association between stress-induced physiological reactivity and executive functions could highlight the potential mechanism of the stress-cognitive function link. Our study examined the linear and nonlinear associations between cardiovascular stress reactivity and cool and hot executive functions among adolescents. In November 2021 (T1), 273 Chinese adolescents between 11 and 14 (Mage = 12.93, SDage = 0.79) underwent a speech task during which their cardiovascular data were recorded, and they completed a Flanker task and an Emotional Stroop task. In May 2023 (T2), 253 adolescents again completed the Flanker and Emotional Stroop tasks. Cool and hot executive functions were assessed using the intra-individual reaction time variability of the Flanker task and Emotional Stroop task, respectively. Results showed that cardiovascular stress reactivity was positively linearly associated with cool executive functions at T1 and quadratically (inverted U-shaped) associated with cool executive functions at T1 and hot executive functions at T1 and T2. These findings suggest that compared to very high and very low cardiovascular reactivity, moderate to high cardiovascular reactivity to a structured social challenge is associated with better cool and hot executive functions.

Relationships between cortisol levels across early childhood and processing speed at age 4.5 years in children born very preterm

Children born very low gestational age (VLGA, 29-32 weeks gestational age [GA]) display slower processing speed and altered hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function, with greater effects in those born extremely low gestational age (ELGA; 24-28 weeks GA). We investigated trajectories of HPA axis activity as indexed by cortisol output and patterns across cognitive assessment at ages 1.5, 3 and 4.5 years, comparing children born ELGA and VLGA and associations with 4.5-year processing speed. In a prospective longitudinal cohort study, infants born very preterm (<33 weeks gestation) returned for developmental assessment at ages 1.5, 3, and 4.5 years. At each age, children completed standardized cognitive testing and saliva samples collected before (Pretest), during (During) and after (End) challenging cognitive tasks were assayed for cortisol. For the total group (n = 188), cortisol area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) decreased, while cortisol reactivity to challenge (Pre-test to During) increased from 1.5 to 3 years, remaining stable to 4.5 years. This longitudinal pattern was related to higher Processing Speed (WPPSI-IV) scores at 4.5 years. Children born ELGA displayed higher AUCg than VLGA, particularly at age 3, driven by higher Pre-test cortisol levels. Overall, relative to those born VLGA, children born ELGA displayed greater cortisol responsivity to cognitive challenge. A higher setpoint of cortisol levels at age 3-years in children born ELGA may reflect altered HPA axis regulation more broadly and may contribute to difficulties with information processing in this population, critical for academic and social success.

Exploring stress response's role in executive function impairments among adults with early adverse childhood experiences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are recognised as precursors to numerous physical and mental health challenges. However, research on their impact on inhibitory control and working memory, particularly among healthy young adults, remains limited. The role played by the stress response as a moderator in these effects is likewise underexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining cognitive impairments in non-clinical adults with early childhood trauma, specifically trauma before the age of 13 years, and by assessing the influence of the stress response on these effects. A total of 15 participants with early ACEs were compared with a control group (n = 18) using the Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT) and Stroop Word Colour Test (SCWT). Results showed that participants with early ACEs exhibited lower scores on the SCWT but not the CBTT. The stress response emerged as a potential factor in the relationship between early ACEs and cognitive performance. The implications of these findings are then discussed in relation to the existing literature.

Investigating sensitivity through the lens of parents: validation of the parent-report version of the Highly Sensitive Child scale

Children differ in their environmental sensitivity (ES), which can be measured observationally or by self-report questionnaire. A parent-report scale represents an important tool for investigating ES in younger children but has to be psychometrically robust and valid. In the current multistudy, we validated the parent-report version of the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC-PR) scale in Italian children, evaluating its factorial structure (Study 1, N = 1,857, 6.2 years, age range: 2.6-14 years) through a multigroup Confirmatory Factory Analysis in preschoolers (n = 1,066, 4.2 years) and school-age children (n = 791, 8.8 years). We then investigated the HSC-PR relationship with established temperament traits (Study 2, N = 327, 4.3 years), before exploring whether the scale moderates the effects of parenting stress on children's emotion regulation (Study 3, N = 112, 6.5 years). We found support for a bi-factor structure in both groups, though in preschoolers minor adaptations were suggested for one item. Importantly, the HSC-PR did not fully overlap with common temperament traits and moderated the effects of parenting stress on children emotion regulation. To conclude, the HSC-PR performs well and appears to capture ES in children.

Prenatal stress and externalizing behaviors in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Accumulating evidence suggests that psychological distress during pregnancy is linked to offspring risk for externalizing outcomes (e.g., reactive/aggressive behaviors, hyperactivity, and impulsivity). Effect sizes across studies have varied widely, however, due to differences in study design and methodology, including control for the confounding continuation of distress in the postnatal period. Clarifying these inconsistencies is necessary to guide the precision of prevention efforts and inform public health policies. A meta-analysis was conducted with 55 longitudinal studies to investigate the association between prenatal psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) and offspring externalizing behaviors. Results revealed a significant but small effect (r = .160) of prenatal distress on externalizing behaviors. The magnitude of the prenatal effect size remained largely unchanged after adjusting for postnatal distress (r = .159), implicating a unique effect of psychological distress during the prenatal period in the etiology of externalizing behaviors. Moderation tests showed that prenatal effects did not vary based on type and timing of psychological distress during pregnancy. Greater instability of distress from prenatal to postnatal periods predicted larger effects. Prenatal effects were comparable across most externalizing outcomes, consistent with the common comorbidity of externalizing spectrum disorders, although effects appeared smaller for nonaggressive rule-breaking (vs. aggressive) behaviors. Significant associations persisted across all developmental periods, appearing slightly larger in early childhood. We discuss these results in the context of developmental and psychobiological theories of externalizing behavior, offer preliminary clinical and public health implications, and highlight directions for future research including the need for longitudinal studies with more racially and socioeconomically diverse families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Glucocorticoid and Adrenergic Receptor Distribution Across Human Organs and Tissues: A Map for Stress Transduction

OBJECTIVE

Psychosocial stress is transduced into disease risk through energy-dependent release of hormones from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axes. The levels of glucocorticoid and adrenergic hormones, together with the sensitivity of tissues to their signaling, define stress responses. To understand existing pathways responsible for the psychobiological transduction of stressful experiences, we provide a quantitative whole-body map of glucocorticoid and adrenergic receptor (AR) expression.

METHODS

We systematically examined gene expression levels for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), α- and β-ARs (AR-α1B, AR-α2B AR-β2, and AR-β3), across 55 different organs using the Human Protein Atlas and Human Proteome Map datasets. Given that mitochondria produce the energy required to respond to stress, we leveraged the Human Protein Atlas and MitoCarta3.0 data to examine the link between stress hormone receptor density and mitochondrial gene expression. Finally, we tested the functional interplay between GR activation and AR expression in human fibroblast cells.

RESULTS

The GR was expressed ubiquitously across all investigated organ systems, whereas AR subtypes showed lower and more localized expression patterns. Receptor co-regulation, meaning the correlated gene expression of multiple stress hormone receptors, was found between GR and AR-α1B, as well as between AR-α1B and AR-α2B. In cultured human fibroblasts, activating the GR selectively increased AR-β2 and AR-α1B expression. Consistent with the known energetic cost of stress responses, GR and AR expressions were positively associated with the expression of specific mitochondrial pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide a cartography of GR and AR expression across the human body. Because stress-induced GR and AR signaling triggers energetically expensive cellular pathways involving energy-transforming mitochondria, the tissue-specific expression and co-expression patterns of hormone receptor subtypes may in part determine the resilience or vulnerability of different organ systems.

Interoceptive beliefs moderate the link between physiological and emotional arousal during an acute stressor

Growing work suggests that interoception, that is, representations of one's internal bodily changes, plays a role in shaping emotional experiences. Past studies primarily examine how behavioral accuracy in detecting interoceptive signals (interoceptive ability) relates to emotional states, with less work examining self-reported interoceptive facets such as the characterizations of one's interoceptive abilities (interoceptive sensibility) or evaluative beliefs about the value versus danger of interoceptive signals (interoceptive beliefs). However, existing studies rarely examine physiological reactivity, behavioral, and self-reported dimensions of interoception together in the same sample. As such, it remains unclear whether and how much individual differences in interoceptive facets uniquely and in interaction with physiological reactivity may matter for emotional experience. Herein, 250 healthy young adults completed a heartbeat detection task assessing interoceptive ability and questionnaire measures of interoceptive sensibility and beliefs during an initial laboratory visit. At a follow-up session, 227 participants returned to undergo an acute psychosocial stressor. Measures of physiological arousal such as preejection period (PEP) and heart rate variability were acquired throughout the stressor with self-reported emotions acquired immediately after. Linear regressions revealed that greater sympathetic nervous system reactivity (i.e., PEP), poorer interoceptive ability (i.e., accuracy), and less positive interoceptive beliefs were related to more intense high arousal emotions during the stressor. Importantly, across models, interoceptive beliefs was the only interoceptive facet to moderate the concordance between physiological and emotional arousal. Implications for psychological theories of emotion, stress, and interoception are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-esteem buffers the stress sensitizing effect of childhood maltreatment on adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury

BACKGROUND

Adversity in childhood increases the risk of psychopathology, perhaps by influencing sensitivity to recent stressful life events (SLEs). However, little is known about the stress-sensitizing effect of childhood adversity on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), whether stress sensitization exists in specific types of SLEs, and the stress-buffering effect of self-esteem. This study aimed to investigate whether exposure to child maltreatment increases adolescent's vulnerability to the effects of dependent and independent SLEs on later NSSI and whether self-esteem buffers this risk.

METHODS

We conducted a two-wave study with 18-month intervals. 601 Chinese adolescents completed self-report measures of child maltreatment, SLEs, self-esteem, and NSSI.

RESULTS

Results supported the stress sensitization hypothesis for child maltreatment regarding dependent SLEs, with dependent SLEs significantly predicting later NSSI only in maltreated adolescents. Moreover, self-esteem buffered the relationship between dependent SLEs and NSSI in maltreated adolescents but amplified the relationship in non-maltreated adolescents. In the maltreated group, dependent SLEs predicted increased NSSI only in those with low self-esteem. In contrast, in the control group, dependent SLEs were significantly associated with NSSI in individuals with high self-esteem.

LIMITATIONS

We did not collect information on the timing of exposure to child maltreatment. Future studies that assess child maltreatment during critical periods of development may be able to identify sensitive period in which maltreatment sensitizes individuals to stress in adolescents.

CONCLUSION

Findings provide preliminary evidence that child maltreatment has a stress-sensitizing effect on adolescent NSSI. Improving self-esteem may mitigate the associations between SLEs and NSSI in adolescents exposed to child maltreatment.

Does sports participation affect the mediating role of impulsivity in the association between adverse childhood experiences and aggression?

Introduction

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and self-reported aggression have often been associated, however, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association are not fully understood. In addition, less is known about potential factors that could serve as protection against the development of aggressive behavior. In this study, we investigated a moderated mediation model of sports participation and five impulsivity traits including positive and negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation and perseverance, in the association between ACEs and two forms of aggression.

Methods and results

The sample comprised 651 (68.5% females) individuals from a Dutch community ranging in age from 18 to 82 years (M = 34.08). Contrary to our expectations, sports participation did not affect the associations of ACEs, the five impulsivity traits, and reactive and proactive aggression, except the association between ACEs and lack of premeditation. Specifically, the detrimental effect of ACEs on the propensity to act without thinking, increases among individuals with lower levels of sports participation. In addition, it was also found that sports participation directly contributed to higher levels of sensation seeking. Finally, after controlling for sociodemographic variables, the positive association between ACEs and reactive aggression was significantly mediated by negative urgency, lack of perseverance, and lack of premeditation, while the positive association between ACEs and proactive aggression was significantly mediated by lack of premeditation and positive urgency.

Conclusion

The findings of this study add to the body of knowledge about the role of sports participation and impulsivity traits in the development of both forms of aggression, however, replication studies among multiple populations are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

The Development of Stress Reactivity and Regulation in Children and Adolescents

Adversity experienced in early life can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. One pathway in which these effects occur is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key physiological stress-mediating system. In this review, we discuss the theoretical perspectives that guide stress reactivity and regulation research, the anatomy and physiology of the axis, developmental changes in the axis and its regulation, brain systems regulating stress, the role of genetic and epigenetics variation in axis development, sensitive periods in stress system calibration, the social regulation of stress (i.e., social buffering), and emerging research areas in the study of stress physiology and development. Understanding the development of stress reactivity and regulation is crucial for uncovering how early adverse experiences influence mental and physical health.

Adrenocortical and autonomic cross-system regulation in youth: A meta-analysis

Childhood and adolescence are salient periods for the development of adrenocortical and autonomic arms of the stress response system (SRS), setting the stage for subsequent health and adaptive functioning. Although adrenocortical and autonomic systems theoretically function in highly coordinated ways, the strength of the relationship between these systems remains unclear. We leveraged a multivariate mixed effects meta-analytic approach to assess associations between adrenocortical, sympathetic, and parasympathetic functioning at rest and reactivity during stress-inducing tasks across 52 studies (N = 7,671; 5-20 years old). Results suggested a modest positive relation between adrenocortical and sympathetic systems as well as between adrenocortical and parasympathetic systems. Moderation analyses indicated the strength of associations varied as a function of several methodological and sociodemographic characteristics. Environmental effects on cross-system regulation were less clear, perhaps due to underrepresentation of adverse-exposed youth in the included studies. Collectively, our findings call for greater methodological attention to the dynamical, non-linear nature of cross-system functioning, as well as the role of experience in their organization across development.

A mismatch between early and recent life stress predicts better response inhibition, but not cognitive inhibition

A growing body of work has found that a mismatch between early and recent life stress, more than a cumulative influence of stress, contributes to detrimental stress-related health outcomes. To date, however, no work has examined how such a mismatch might relate to stress-related cognitive outcomes. We addressed this gap in the current study by assessing participants' (N = 154, Mage = 18.7, 104 female) early and recent life stress using the same inventory, and subsequently assessing their inhibitory control in a hybrid stop-signal/flanker task. Surprisingly, we found that a greater degree of stressor mismatch was associated with better response inhibition (i.e. smaller stop-signal reaction time) across a number of analytic approaches. Cognitive inhibition (i.e. the flanker interference effect) was not associated with stressor mismatch. These results thus show that a greater degree of mismatch between early and recent life stress is related to response inhibition in the same way as acute stress affects response inhibition, suggesting that response inhibition may be an important cognitive process for navigating both acute stress and general environmental conditions that do not match the conditions in which expected stress occurrence was established.

B. W, Carlo G, Gonzales NA, Knight GP. U.S. Mexican-origin young adults' mental health relative to interpersonal stressor transitions from childhood to adolescence

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to describe latent transitions in developmentally and culturally salient interpersonal stressors from late childhood to late adolescence and examine whether different transition patterns predicted early adult mental health problems.

METHOD

Data from four waves (Grades 5, 7, 10, 12) of a study of 749 U.S. Mexican-origin youth were used for a latent transition analysis (LTA) of family, peer, and community stressors; distal outcomes of externalizing and internalizing problems were measured 5 years after Grade 12. Latent class analysis (LCA) and LTA were conducted for investigating underlying subgroups of interpersonal stress at each wave and transitions between subtypes over waves.

RESULTS

For the LCA, two latent classes emerged at all four waves, representing low and high interpersonal stress. The LTA model with two classes at all waves was conducted with good fit. Six prominent transition classes emerged and related to young adult internalizing and externalizing problems. Transition class related to young adult internalizing and externalizing problems, such that youth who consistently had exposure to interpersonal stress or who had transitions from low to high exposure had more internalizing and externalizing problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are discussed relative to the developmental salience of these transitions and opportunities to intervene during adolescence to mitigate later mental health problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Recalibration of the stress response system over adult development: Is there a perinatal recalibration period?

During early life-sensitive periods (i.e., fetal, infancy), the developing stress response system adaptively calibrates to match environmental conditions, whether harsh or supportive. Recent evidence suggests that puberty is another window when the stress system is open to recalibration if environmental conditions have shifted significantly. Whether additional periods of recalibration exist in adulthood remains to be established. The present paper draws parallels between childhood (re)calibration periods and the perinatal period to hypothesize that this phase may be an additional window of stress recalibration in adult life. Specifically, the perinatal period (defined here to include pregnancy, lactation, and early parenthood) is also a developmental switch point characterized by heightened neural plasticity and marked changes in stress system function. After discussing these similarities, lines of empirical evidence needed to substantiate the perinatal stress recalibration hypothesis are proposed, and existing research support is reviewed. Complexities and challenges related to delineating the boundaries of perinatal stress recalibration and empirically testing this hypothesis are discussed, as well as possibilities for future multidisciplinary research. In the theme of this special issue, perinatal stress recalibration may be a mechanism of multilevel, multisystem risk, and resilience, both intra-individually and intergenerationally, with implications for optimizing interventions.