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Stroud CB, Chen FR, Navarro E, Gim H, Benjamin I, Doane LD. Unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol among emerging adults. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22494. [PMID: 38698641 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine B Stroud
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Esmeralda Navarro
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Haelynn Gim
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Isabel Benjamin
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Leah D Doane
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Orvieto R, Shamir C, Aizer A. Does extreme psychological burden (Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th, 2023) affect in vitro fertilization outcome? J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:1585-1588. [PMID: 38520617 PMCID: PMC11224205 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03099-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aim to investigate the effect of extreme emotional and psychological trauma following Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th, 2023, on IVF cycle outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study population consisted of all couples undergoing 2 consecutive IVF attempts with ovum pick-up in our institute, before and during the week of October 8th to 12th, 2023. Embryological/ laboratory variables of the IVF cycles were assessed and compared between the patients' IVF cycle before and those that underwent OPU during the spoken week. RESULTS Twenty-three couples were eligible for analysis. There were no differences between the cycles in the length of ovarian stimulation, total dose of gonadotropin used, and the peak estradiol and progesterone levels. Furthermore, while no differences were observed in the number of oocytes and mature oocytes retrieved or fertilization rate, the mean number of top-quality embryos per OPU (1.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 2.9; p < 0.02) and ratio of top-quality embryos per number of fertilized oocytes (0.5 ± 0.3 vs. 0.7 ± 0.2; p < 0.01) were significantly lower during the spoken week. Semen total motile count was significantly reduced during the spoken week. CONCLUSIONS In the present study, we are witness to the effect of acute emotional and psychological trauma on IVF outcome, as reflected by its detrimental effect on sperm and embryo quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Orvieto
- Infertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Coral Shamir
- Infertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adva Aizer
- Infertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Vacaru SV, Parenteau AM, Yi S, Silvers JA, Hostinar CE, de Weerth C. Adolescents' hair cortisol concentrations during COVID-19: Evidence from two longitudinal studies in the Netherlands and the United States. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22438. [PMID: 38010307 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged stress exposure is associated with alterations in cortisol output. The COVID-19 pandemic represented a stressor for many, including children. However, a high-quality caregiving environment may protect against psychological problems and possibly against elevations in cortisol. We examined adolescents' physiological stress responses to the pandemic and the role of attachment in two longitudinal samples from the Netherlands and the United States (https://aspredicted.org/HHY_8MK). METHODS Cortisol was assessed from hair samples before and during the pandemic, while attachment was self-reported prepandemic. Study 1 included a Dutch sample (N = 158; examined at ages 10 and later at 14 years old), whereas Study 2 included a US sample (N = 153; examined at ages 9-11 and again 2 years later) and an age-matched prepandemic sample (N = 29, 10-13 years old). Repeated-measures analyses of variance examined changes in cortisol from prepandemic to during the pandemic and the effect of attachment in each sample separately. RESULTS After accounting for age, both studies revealed nonsignificant changes in hair cortisol and a nonsignificant effect of attachment. A significant effect of sex emerged in Study 1, with Dutch girls showing a significant cortisol increase during the pandemic, which was not explained by puberty. CONCLUSION These findings suggest differential associations of the pandemic with hair cortisol increases by sex and country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania V Vacaru
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies & Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna M Parenteau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Sydney Yi
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Camelia E Hostinar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Carolina de Weerth
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Halabicky OM, Téllez-Rojo MM, Miller AL, Goodrich JM, Dolinoy DC, Hu H, Peterson KE. Associations of prenatal and childhood Pb exposure with allostatic load in adolescence: Findings from the ELEMENT cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 235:116647. [PMID: 37442254 PMCID: PMC10839745 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The biological pathways which link lead (Pb) and long-term outcomes are unclear, though rodent models and a few human studies suggest Pb may alter the body's stress response systems, which over time, can elicit dysregulated stress responses with cumulative impacts. This study examined associations between prenatal and early childhood Pb exposure and adolescent allostatic load, an index of an individual's body burden of stress in multiple biological systems, and further examined sex-based associations. Among 391 (51% male) participants in the ELEMENT birth cohort, we related trimester-specific maternal blood Pb, 1-month postpartum maternal tibia and patella Pb, and child blood Pb at 12-24 months to an allostatic load index in adolescence comprised of biomarkers of cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroendocrine, and immune function. The results were overall mixed, with prenatal exposure, particularly maternal bone Pb, being positively associated with allostatic load, and early childhood Pb showing mixed results for males and females. In adjusted Poisson regression models, 1 mcg/g increase in tibia Pb was associated with a 1% change in expected allostatic load (IRR = 1.01; 95%CI 0.99, 1.02). We found a significant Pb × sex interaction (IRR = 1.05; 95%CI 1.01, 1.10); where males saw an increasing percent change in allostatic load as 12 month Pb levels increased compared to females who saw a decreasing allostatic load. Further examination of allostatic load will facilitate the determination of potential mechanistic pathways between developmental toxicant exposures and later-in-life cardiometabolic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- O M Halabicky
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - M M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - A L Miller
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J M Goodrich
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - D C Dolinoy
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - H Hu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - K E Peterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Hu S, Li X, Yang L. Effects of physical activity in child and adolescent depression and anxiety: role of inflammatory cytokines and stress-related peptide hormones. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1234409. [PMID: 37700748 PMCID: PMC10493323 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1234409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are the most common mental illnesses affecting children and adolescents, significantly harming their well-being. Research has shown that regular physical activity can promote cognitive, emotional, fundamental movement skills, and motor coordination, as a preventative measure for depression while reducing the suicide rate. However, little is known about the potential role of physical activity in adolescent depression and anxiety. The studies reviewed in this paper suggest that exercise can be an effective adjunctive treatment to improve depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents, although research on its neurobiological effects remains limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojuan Hu
- College of Physical Education and Sports Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China
| | - Xinyuan Li
- College of Physical Education and Sports Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China
| | - Luodan Yang
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Streit F, Völker MP, Klinger-König J, Zillich L, Frank J, Reinhard I, Foo JC, Witt SH, Sirignano L, Becher H, Obi N, Riedel O, Do S, Castell S, Hassenstein MJ, Karch A, Stang A, Schmidt B, Schikowski T, Stahl-Pehe A, Brenner H, Perna L, Greiser KH, Kaaks R, Michels KB, Franzke CW, Peters A, Fischer B, Konzok J, Mikolajczyk R, Führer A, Keil T, Fricke J, Willich SN, Pischon T, Völzke H, Meinke-Franze C, Loeffler M, Wirkner K, Berger K, Grabe HJ, Rietschel M. The interplay of family history of depression and early trauma: associations with lifetime and current depression in the German national cohort (NAKO). FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 3:1099235. [PMID: 38523800 PMCID: PMC10959537 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1099235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Family history of depression and childhood maltreatment are established risk factors for depression. However, how these factors are interrelated and jointly influence depression risk is not well understood. The present study investigated (i) if childhood maltreatment is associated with a family history of depression (ii) if family history and childhood maltreatment are associated with increased lifetime and current depression, and whether both factors interact beyond their main effects, and (iii) if family history affects lifetime and current depression via childhood maltreatment. Methods Analyses were based on a subgroup of the first 100,000 participants of the German National Cohort (NAKO), with complete information (58,703 participants, mean age = 51.2 years, 53% female). Parental family history of depression was assessed via self-report, childhood maltreatment with the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS), lifetime depression with self-reported physician's diagnosis and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), and current depressive symptoms with the depression scale of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Generalized linear models were used to test main and interaction effects. Mediation was tested using causal mediation analyses. Results Higher frequencies of the childhood maltreatment measures were found in subjects reporting a positive family history of depression. Family history and childhood maltreatment were independently associated with increased depression. No statistical interactions of family history and childhood maltreatment were found for the lifetime depression measures. For current depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 sum score), an interaction was found, with stronger associations of childhood maltreatment and depression in subjects with a positive family history. Childhood maltreatment was estimated to mediate 7%-12% of the effect of family history on depression, with higher mediated proportions in subjects whose parents had a depression onset below 40 years. Abuse showed stronger associations with family history and depression, and higher mediated proportions of family history effects on depression than neglect. Discussion The present study confirms the association of childhood maltreatment and family history with depression in a large population-based cohort. While analyses provide little evidence for the joint effects of both risk factors on depression beyond their individual effects, results are consistent with family history affecting depression via childhood maltreatment to a small extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Maja P. Völker
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Johanna Klinger-König
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jerome C. Foo
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lea Sirignano
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heiko Becher
- Institute of Global Health, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nadia Obi
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Riedel
- Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie – BIPS, Bremen, Deutschland
| | - Stefanie Do
- Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie – BIPS, Bremen, Deutschland
| | - Stefanie Castell
- Department for Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Max J. Hassenstein
- Department for Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
- PhD Programme “Epidemiology”, Braunschweig-Hannover, Germany
| | - André Karch
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Andreas Stang
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Börge Schmidt
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Tamara Schikowski
- IUF—Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anna Stahl-Pehe
- Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hermann Brenner
- Network Ageing Research (NAR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology & Ageing Research, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Perna
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Halina Greiser
- German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Div. of Cancer Epidemiology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rudolf Kaaks
- German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Div. of Cancer Epidemiology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karin B. Michels
- Institute for Prevention and Cancer Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Claus-Werner Franzke
- Institute for Prevention and Cancer Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Annette Peters
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Epidemiology, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Beate Fischer
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Julian Konzok
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rafael Mikolajczyk
- Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health, Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
| | - Amand Führer
- Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Thomas Keil
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- State Institute of Health, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Bad Kissingen, Germany
| | - Julia Fricke
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan N. Willich
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Pischon
- Max-Delbrueck-Centre for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Molecular Epidemiology Research Group, Berlin, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrueck-Centre for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Biobank Technology Platform, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Claudia Meinke-Franze
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Markus Loeffler
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wirkner
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Berger
- Institute of Epidemiology & Social Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Hans J. Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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Ferrara NC, Opendak M. Amygdala circuit transitions supporting developmentally-appropriate social behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 201:107762. [PMID: 37116857 PMCID: PMC10204580 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviors dynamically change throughout the lifespan alongside the maturation of neural circuits. The basolateral region of the amygdala (BLA), in particular, undergoes substantial maturational changes from birth throughout adolescence that are characterized by changes in excitation, inhibition, and dopaminergic modulation. In this review, we detail the trajectory through which BLA circuits mature and are influenced by dopaminergic systems to guide transitions in social behavior in infancy and adolescence using data from rodents. In early life, social behavior is oriented towards approaching the attachment figure, with minimal BLA involvement. Around weaning age, dopaminergic innervation of the BLA introduces avoidance of novel peers into rat pups' behavioral repertoire. In adolescence, social behavior transitions towards peer-peer interactions with a high incidence of social play-related behaviors. This transition coincides with an increasing role of the BLA in the regulation of social behavior. Adolescent BLA maturation can be characterized by an increasing integration and function of local inhibitory GABAergic circuits and their engagement by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Manipulation of these transitions using viral circuit dissection techniques and early adversity paradigms reveals the sensitivity of this system and its role in producing age-appropriate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Perpétuo C, El-Sheikh M, Diniz E, Veríssimo M. Attachment to Mother and Father, Sleep, and Well-Being in Late Middle Childhood. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3399. [PMID: 36834099 PMCID: PMC9965866 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The security of attachment has been related to several advantageous developmental outcomes, such as good sleep quality and higher well-being indicators. However, few studies concern the associations between attachment dimensions to both parents, sleep, and well-being in late middle childhood. Our study aims to expand knowledge in this area, clarifying the above-mentioned associations by considering the secure base and safe haven dimensions of attachment. We also investigate the role of sleep as a mediator of the relationship between attachment and well-being. The 258 participants (49.2% girls, mean age = 11.19, SD = 0.85) completed self-report questionnaires regarding attachment (KSS), sleep (SSR), and well-being (CHIP-CE). The results show significant associations between attachment to both parents (0.40 ** ≤ r ≤ 0.61 **) and between attachment security, sleep (-0.21 ** ≤ r ≤ -0.35 **) and child well-being (0.42 ** ≤ r ≤ 0.47 **). Besides, sleep quality partially mediated the relations between all attachment dimensions to both parents and well-being. The results are discussed in light of attachment theory, focusing on the comparison between attachment to mother and father as a valid framework to unravel differences in child well-being, with sleep as a process that can help to explain the mechanisms through which attachment security enables subjective perceptions of well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mona El-Sheikh
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Eva Diniz
- William James Center for Research, ISPA, 1100-287 Lisbon, Portugal
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Wakefield EO, Kissi A, Mulchan SS, Nelson S, Martin SR. Pain-related stigma as a social determinant of health in diverse pediatric pain populations. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2022; 3:1020287. [DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2022.1020287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric patients with invisible symptomology, such as chronic pain syndromes, are more likely to experience pain-related stigma and associated discrimination by others, including medical providers, peers, school personnel, and family members. The degree of this pain-related stigma may depend on several social dimensions, including observer (e.g., attentional and implicit biases) and patient characteristics (e.g., racial identity, socioeconomic stressors). In this mini-review, we introduce the concept of pain-related stigma, and the intersectionality of stigma, within the context of social determinants of health in pediatric pain populations. Stigma theory, observer attentional biases, healthcare provider implicit/explicit biases, adverse childhood experience, and psychophysiology of socio-environmental stressors are integrated. Several ethical, clinical, and research implications are also discussed. Because the study of pain-related stigma in pediatric pain is in its infancy, the purpose of this conceptual review is to raise awareness of the nuances surrounding this social construct, propose avenues through which stigma may contribute to health inequities, present frameworks to advance the study of this topic, and identify areas for further investigation.
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Costs of caring: Synchrony in salivary alpha amylase, heart rate, and negative affect in adolescents’ close friendships. Biol Psychol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Cui Y, Zhang H, Wang S, Lu J, He J, Liu L, Liu W. Stimulated Parotid Saliva Is a Better Method for Depression Prediction. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092220. [PMID: 36140321 PMCID: PMC9496557 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Saliva cortisol is considered to be a biomarker of depression prediction. However, saliva collection methods can affect the saliva cortisol level. Objective: This study aims to determine the ideal saliva collection method and explore the application value of saliva cortisol in depression prediction. Methods: 30 depressed patients and 30 healthy controls were instructed to collect saliva samples in the morning with six collection methods. Simultaneous venous blood was collected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the cortisol level. The 24-observerrated Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-24) was used to assess the severity of depression. Results: The significant differences in saliva cortisol levels depend on the saliva collection methods. The level of unstimulated whole saliva cortisol was most correlated with blood (r = 0.91). The stimulated parotid saliva cortisol can better predict depression. The area under the curve was 0.89. In addition, the saliva cortisol level of the depression patients was significantly higher than the healthy controls. The correlation between the cortisol level and the HAMD-24 score was highly significant. The higher the saliva cortisol level, the higher the HAMD-24 score. Conclusions: All the above findings point to an exciting opportunity for non-invasive monitoring of cortisol through saliva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Cui
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Hankun Zhang
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Song Wang
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Correspondence: (S.W.); (W.L.); Tel.: +86-0755-26558633 (S.W.); +86-0755-26551376 (W.L.)
| | - Junzhe Lu
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jinmei He
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Lanlan Liu
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Weiqiang Liu
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Biomechanics and Biotechnology Lab, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Correspondence: (S.W.); (W.L.); Tel.: +86-0755-26558633 (S.W.); +86-0755-26551376 (W.L.)
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12
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Gadermann A, Thomson K, Gill R, Schonert-Reichl KA, Gagné Petteni M, Guhn M, Warren MT, Oberle E. Early Adolescents' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Changes in Their Well-Being. Front Public Health 2022; 10:823303. [PMID: 35592082 PMCID: PMC9110968 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.823303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early adolescence is a time of psychological and social change that can coincide with declines in mental health and well-being. This study investigated the psychological and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of students who responded to a survey in Grades 7 and 8 (ages 12–14) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The objectives of this study were (i) to provide an overview on early adolescents' experiences and social-emotional well-being during the pandemic; and (ii) to examine whether changes in social experiences as well as feeling safe from getting COVID-19 at school were associated with changes in well-being outcomes over the course of a year. Methods A sample of n = 1,755 students from a large public school district self-reported on their life satisfaction, optimism, and symptoms of sadness across two time points: First, in their Grade 7 year (pre-pandemic; January to March, 2020) and then 1 year later in their Grade 8 year (during the pandemic; January to March, 2021). In Grade 8, students also reported on pandemic-specific experiences, including changes in mental health, social relationships, and activities, as well as coping strategies and positive changes since the pandemic. Data were collected online using the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), a population-based self-report tool that assesses children's social-emotional development and well-being in the context of their home, school, and neighborhood. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between pandemic-related changes in relationships and perceived safety from getting COVID-19 at school with changes in well-being outcomes. Results Students reported a range of experiences, with a large proportion reporting moderate concerns and impacts of the pandemic, including worries about their mental health and missing school activities. Students reported significantly lower optimism, lower life satisfaction, and higher sadness compared to the previous year. Within the sample, improvements in relationships with parents and other adults at home was associated with higher well-being during the pandemic. Implications Results from this study can inform decision making of policy-makers, educators, and practitioners working with youth, by providing information on students' experiences during the pandemic and identifying factors that may be protective for students' mental health during and beyond the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Gadermann
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kimberly Thomson
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Randip Gill
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Monique Gagné Petteni
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Martin Guhn
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael T Warren
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eva Oberle
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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13
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Paré-Ruel MP, Brendgen M, Ouellet-Morin I, Lupien S, Vitaro F, Dionne G, Boivin M. Unique and interactive associations of proactive and reactive aggression with cortisol secretion. Horm Behav 2022; 137:105100. [PMID: 34883328 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The association between aggressive behaviors and diurnal cortisol levels has been debated over the past two decades, as some studies found a negative link between the two, whereas others reported no or a positive association. One possible explanation for these contradictory results is that past studies failed to distinguish between proactive (PROA) and reactive (REA) aggression. The present study examined the unique and joint associations of PROA and REA with three diurnal cortisol indicators: awakening levels, awakening response, and diurnal change. Participants were 542 youths (55.4% girls) followed longitudinally. Teachers evaluated aggressive behaviors when participants were in Grades 4 and 6. In Grade 8, participants provided four saliva samples (i.e., awakening, 30 min thereafter, late afternoon, and bedtime) on four collection days. Controlling for several confounders, multilevel regression analyses revealed an inverse relation between PROA and the CAR in boys who displayed lower or moderate levels of REA, but not in those who exhibited higher levels of REA. No associations emerged with other cortisol indicators. These results are consistent with reports of lower physiological activity in individuals with PROA and underscore the confounding influence of REA in the association between the CAR and proactive aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mara Brendgen
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montréal, Canada; Ste-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Isabelle Ouellet-Morin
- School of Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Canada
| | - Sonia Lupien
- Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Frank Vitaro
- Ste-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; School of Psycho-Education, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ginette Dionne
- Department of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Michel Boivin
- Department of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
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14
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Tuladhar CT, Schwartz S, St John AM, Meyer JS, Tarullo AR. Infant diurnal cortisol predicts sleep. J Sleep Res 2021; 30:e13357. [PMID: 33870573 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The sleep-wake system is immature at birth and develops in parallel with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a biological stress system of which the end product is cortisol. Perturbations in one system during infancy can maladaptively influence the maturation of the other system, leading to lasting sleep and cortisol system dysregulation and heightening the risk of enduring health problems. To better understand the early interplay between these systems, we examined whether actigraphy-derived measures of night-time sleep duration and onset were associated with cumulative exposure to cortisol, indexed by hair cortisol concentration, in 12-month-old children. Overall, early sleep onset predicted lower hair cortisol above and beyond sleep duration, family income and chaos experienced at home. Furthermore, both sleep and cortisol levels vary day to day, and temporal dependencies between daily sleep and cortisol regulation are not well understood. Thus, we assessed how the sleep characteristics on a particular evening related to salivary cortisol levels the following day and how daytime and evening cortisol related to the sleep characteristics on the same night. Lower total exposure to cortisol on a particular day was related to longer night-time sleep duration the same night, but not sleep onset. Lower salivary cortisol levels on a given evening related to earlier sleep onset the same night, but not to night-time sleep duration. Sleep duration and onset on a given night were unrelated to total cortisol exposure the following day. Findings suggest that in early development, the day-to-day relation between sleep and cortisol is not bidirectional, but more driven by diurnal cortisol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu T Tuladhar
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sophie Schwartz
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ashley M St John
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Amanda R Tarullo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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Faraji J, Metz GAS. Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why? Aging Dis 2021; 12:1624-1643. [PMID: 34631211 PMCID: PMC8460299 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceived social support represents an important predictor of healthy aging. The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the face of social relationships and revealed elderly to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of social isolation. Social distancing may represent a double-edged sword for older adults, protecting them against COVID-19 infection while also sacrificing personal interaction and attention at a critical time. Here, we consider the moderating role of social relationships as a potential influence on stress resilience, allostatic load, and vulnerability to infection and adverse health outcomes in the elderly population. Understanding the mechanisms how social support enhances resilience to stress and promotes mental and physical health into old age will enable new preventive strategies. Targeted social interventions may provide effective relief from the impact of COVID-19-related isolation and loneliness. In this regard, a pandemic may also offer a window of opportunity for raising awareness and mobilizing resources for new strategies that help build resilience in our aging population and future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.,2Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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16
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Linking post-stressor interpersonal processes in adolescent girls' close friendships with acute HPA stress responses. J Adolesc 2021; 92:10-19. [PMID: 34388607 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION For adolescent girls, close friendships may facilitate stress management and mitigate risk for internalizing psychopathology. However, little is known about how friendship processes may buffer (or potentially exacerbate) acute psychobiological responses to interpersonal stressors in ways that affect risk. METHODS In a sample of 220 girls (ages 12-17 years) with a history of internalizing symptoms, this study investigated friendship dynamics following the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to evaluate associations between post-stressor friendship behaviors (expressions of vulnerability by the stressed teen; support offered by their close friend) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses. RESULTS Multilevel regression modeling revealed that girls who displayed more pronounced cortisol reactivity expressed greater vulnerability to, and received greater support from, their close friend. Expressed vulnerability was associated with more efficient cortisol recovery. Close friend support was not significantly associated with cortisol recovery, nor did it influence the connection between expressed vulnerability and cortisol recovery. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that HPA reactivity may prompt expressions of vulnerability to girls' close friends, and in this context, promote more efficient HPA recovery. Findings highlight the role friendship dynamics may play in HPA-related risk for internalizing symptoms and point to expressed vulnerability in adolescent girls' close friendships as a potential consideration for interpersonally-centered therapeutic approaches.
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17
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Edes AN, Al-Kandari Y, Znidarsic KA, Crews DE. Individual measures of social support may have limited impact on physiological parameters among elderly Kuwaitis. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23655. [PMID: 34339552 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social support can buffer physiological stress responses, reducing morbidity and mortality risk, but research has occurred primarily in western populations. We examined whether social support was associated with physiological biomarkers in a non-western sample. METHODS We predicted evidence of increased physiological dysregulation in those with less social support among elderly Kuwaitis (≥60 years, n = 253). Measures of social support included marital status (married/unmarried), religiosity (low/high), whether adult children lived at home (yes/no), and perceived social support (low/medium/high). Using linear regression, we tested relationships between each social support measure and 17 biomarkers: cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), epinephrine, norepinephrine, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waist-hip ratio (WHR), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), TC/HDL, LDL/HDL, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and resting heart rate (RHR). We analyzed two models for each, one with the independent variable only and a second including age, smoking, and education as covariates. RESULTS Married participants had lower norepinephrine, but higher TC/HDL and LDL/HDL. Higher religiosity was negatively associated with TC (men only) but higher LDL, TC/HDL, and LDL/HDL. Participants with low self-reported social support had higher DBP and HbA1c than those reporting medium or high levels. CONCLUSIONS Relatively few biomarkers associated significantly with individual social support measures in a way that suggests improved health for those with more support. As such, some measures of social support may not be universally beneficial across cultures. Additionally, the high degree of respect for and integration of elders in Kuwait society may collectively buffer against negative effects. Cross-cultural comparisons are critical to better understand how social support influences morbidity and mortality across populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Edes
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Yagoub Al-Kandari
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology, Kuwait University, Kifan, Kuwait
| | | | - Douglas E Crews
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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18
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Weitekamp CA, Hofmann HA. Effects of air pollution exposure on social behavior: a synthesis and call for research. Environ Health 2021; 20:72. [PMID: 34187479 PMCID: PMC8243425 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00761-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing literature from both epidemiologic and experimental animal studies suggesting that exposure to air pollution can lead to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we suggest that effects of air pollutant exposure on the brain may be even broader, with the potential to affect social decision-making in general. METHODS We discuss how the neurobiological substrates of social behavior are vulnerable to air pollution, then briefly present studies that examine the effects of air pollutant exposure on social behavior-related outcomes. RESULTS Few experimental studies have investigated the effects of air pollution on social behavior and those that have focus on standard laboratory tests in rodent model systems. Nonetheless, there is sufficient evidence to support a critical need for more research. CONCLUSION For future research, we suggest a comparative approach that utilizes diverse model systems to probe the effects of air pollution on a wider range of social behaviors, brain regions, and neurochemical pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A. Weitekamp
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC USA
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas At Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas At Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas At Austin, Austin, TX USA
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19
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Social dialogue triggers biobehavioral synchrony of partners' endocrine response via sex-specific, hormone-specific, attachment-specific mechanisms. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12421. [PMID: 34127717 PMCID: PMC8203689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91626-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social contact is known to impact the partners' physiology and behavior but the mechanisms underpinning such inter-partner influences are far from clear. Guided by the biobehavioral synchrony conceptual frame, we examined how social dialogue shapes the partners' multi-system endocrine response as mediated by behavioral synchrony. To address sex-specific, hormone-specific, attachment-specific mechanisms, we recruited 82 man–woman pairs (N = 164 participants) in three attachment groups; long-term couples (n = 29), best friends (n = 26), and ingroup strangers (n = 27). We used salivary measures of oxytocin (OT), cortisol (CT), testosterone (T), and secretory immuglobolinA (s-IgA), biomarker of the immune system, before and after a 30-min social dialogue. Dialogue increased oxytocin and reduced cortisol and testosterone. Cross-person cross-hormone influences indicated that dialogue carries distinct effects on women and men as mediated by social behavior and attachment status. Men's baseline stress-related biomarkers showed both direct hormone-to-hormone associations and, via attachment status and behavioral synchrony, impacted women's post-dialogue biomarkers of stress, affiliation, and immunity. In contrast, women's baseline stress biomarkers linked with men's stress response only through the mediating role of behavioral synchrony. As to affiliation biomarkers, men's initial OT impacted women's OT response only through behavioral synchrony, whereas women's baseline OT was directly related to men's post-dialogue OT levels. Findings pinpoint the neuroendocrine advantage of social dialogue, suggest that women are more sensitive to signs of men's initial stress and social status, and describe behavior-based mechanisms by which human attachments create a coupled biology toward greater well-being and resilience.
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20
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Early life stress and neural development: Implications for understanding the developmental effects of COVID-19. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 22:643-654. [PMID: 33891280 PMCID: PMC8063781 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Chronic and/or extreme stress in childhood, often referred to as early life stress, is associated with a wide range of long-term effects on development. Given this, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to concern about how stress due to the pandemic will affect children's development and mental health. Although early life stress has been linked to altered functioning of a number of neural and biological systems, there is a wide range of variability in children's outcomes. The mechanisms that influence these individual differences are still not well understood. In the past, studies of stress in childhood focused on the type of events that children encountered in their lives. We conducted a review of the literature to formulate a new perspective on the effects of early life stress on development. This new, topological model, may increase understanding of the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. This model is oriented on children's perceptions of their environment and their social relationships, rather than specific events. These factors influence central and peripheral nervous system development, changing how children interpret, adapt, and respond to potentially stressful events, with implications for children's mental and physical health outcomes.
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21
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Khoury JE, Beeney J, Shiff I, Bosquet Enlow M, Lyons-Ruth K. Maternal experiences of childhood maltreatment moderate patterns of mother-infant cortisol regulation under stress. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1309-1321. [PMID: 33615457 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The relation between maternal and infant cortisol responses has been a subject of intense research over the past decade. Relatedly, it has been hypothesized that maternal history of childhood maltreatment (MCM) impacts stress regulation across generations. The current study employed four statistical approaches to determine how MCM influences the cortisol responses of 150 mothers and their 4-month-old infants during the Still-Face Paradigm. Results indicated that MCM moderated cortisol patterns in several ways. First, lower MCM mothers and infants had strong positive associations between cortisol levels measured at the same time point, whereas higher MCM mothers and infants did not show an association. Second, infants of higher MCM mothers had cortisol levels that were moderately high and remained elevated over the procedure, whereas infants of lower MCM mothers had decreasing cortisol levels over time. Third, higher MCM mothers and infants showed increasingly divergent cortisol levels over time, compared to lower MCM dyads. Finally, patterns of cross-lagged influence of infant cortisol on subsequent maternal cortisol were moderated by MCM, such that lower MCM mothers were influenced by their infants' cortisol levels at earlier time points than higher MCM mothers. These findings highlight MCM as one contributor to processes of stress regulation in the mother-infant dyad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Khoury
- Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Beeney
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Karlen Lyons-Ruth
- Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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22
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Shirtcliff E, Hanson J, Phan J, Ruttle P, Pollak S. Hyper- and hypo-cortisol functioning in post-institutionalized adolescents: The role of severity of neglect and context. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:105067. [PMID: 33302238 PMCID: PMC8757590 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the developmental timing of stress exposure may help inform mechanisms underlying how stress "gets under the skin" and influences the stress response system, including the HPA axis and its end-product cortisol. Early adversity may be particularly detrimental; however, it is difficult to disentangle the timing of adversity from its cumulative burden because there is typically high continuity between early and later adversity. Moreover, context and the different stressors inherent in various contexts may interact with stress exposure to influence psychophysiological functioning. To address this issue, we examined adolescents who had been reared in institutions and suffered neglect or social deprivation ranging from approximately six months to several years of life prior to adoption into U.S. homes. We focused on the stress hormone cortisol because it can reflect continued regulatory problems in youth, even years after youth transition to typical homes. We examined cortisol morning levels and diurnal rhythms across multiple contexts (home, school, lab) on 5 separate days in 41 post-institutionalized youth and 78 comparison youth. Employing hierarchical linear modeling, we found that when assessed in the lab, post-institutionalized (PI) youth displayed lower morning cortisol levels and flatter diurnal slopes than the control youth. Yet at home, PI youth displayed higher morning cortisol levels than the control youth. In addition to group effects, we also examined severity of early adversity and found that PI kids who had endured the most severe early adversity displayed lower home cortisol levels than controls. No significant predictors of diurnal cortisol on school days were identified. These data fit with the notion that the HPA axis is impacted by early adversity, even years after adoption, and with emerging theories that postulate that stress physiology calibrates within youth to help them adapt to their context. In the case of severe early adversity, the cost of such adaptation may not be desirable. It also highlights the important role of context when assessing HPA axis activity, particularly in post-institutionalized youth.
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23
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Wright L, Bukowski WM. Gender is Key: Girls' and Boys' Cortisol Differs as a Factor of Socioeconomic Status and Social Experiences During Early Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 50:1281-1291. [PMID: 33515375 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-020-01382-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The risks associated with negative peer relationships and low socioeconomic status (SES), and how they impact diurnal cortisol and the cortisol response to negative experiences, have never been studied together in early adolescents; this study aims to fill this gap in the literature. Saliva was collected from 95 early adolescents (Mage = 10.80, SD = 0.72) and daily diaries were completed 30 min after awakening, beginning of school, 15 min after first recess, 15 min after lunch, and at the end of the school day across four consecutive days. Hierarchical Linear Modelling was used to estimate the within- and between-person variances of diurnal cortisol and the cortisol response to stress in the context of SES and peer experiences. Cortisol secretion differed by gender and was predicted by SES and social status within the peer group. Low-SES early adolescents had higher morning cortisol. Girls who were from higher SES families had the steepest diurnal cortisol slope. Non-accepted early adolescents had low cortisol in response to both positive and negative social experiences. The findings from this study clarify the impact of both SES and peer relations on early adolescent psychophysiological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Wright
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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24
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Perceived Social Support and Children's Physiological Responses to Stress: An Examination of the Stress-Buffering Hypothesis. Psychosom Med 2021; 83:51-61. [PMID: 33060454 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to examine the stress-buffering effect of children's perceived social support on their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and autonomic nervous system reactivity to an acute laboratory stressor. METHODS A sample of 150 children (aged 9-13 years, mean [standard deviation] age = 10.69 [0.93] years, 74 girls) reported perceived social support, stressful life events, and underwent the Modified Trier Social Stress Test, during which six saliva samples were collected. A two-piece multilevel growth curve model with landmark registration was used to detect trajectory differences in the reactivity and recovery phases of the stress response and account for individual variation in the timing of poststressor peak hormone concentrations. RESULTS The interaction between stressful life events and perceived social support significantly predicted poststressor peak cortisol levels (β = 0.0805, SE = 0.0328, p = .015) and cortisol recovery slope (β = -0.0011, SE = 0.0005, p = .040). Children with more life events and low social support exhibited the lowest poststressor peak cortisol levels and the flattest cortisol recovery slope. In contrast, children high in stressful life events and high in social support displayed cortisol response profiles more similar to those of children with low stressful life events. Conversely, there were no statistically significant two-way interactions of stressful life events and perceived social support on salivary α-amylase parameters (i.e., poststressor peak [p = .38], reactivity slope [p = .81], and recovery slope [p = .32]). CONCLUSIONS These results provide preliminary evidence for the buffering effect of children's perceived social support on the association between life stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis response profiles.
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Rovnaghi CR, Rigdon J, Roué JM, Ruiz MO, Carrion VG, Anand KJS. Longitudinal Trajectories of Hair Cortisol: Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysfunction in Early Childhood. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:740343. [PMID: 34708011 PMCID: PMC8544285 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.740343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine if longitudinal trajectories of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) measured at two or three yearly time points can identify 1-3 year old children at risk for altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function due to early life stress (ELS). HCC was measured (N = 575) in 265 children using a validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hair was sampled in Clinic Visits (CV) centered at years 1, 2, and 3 (n = 45); 1 and 2 (n = 98); 1 and 3 (n = 27); 2 and 3 (n = 95). Log-transformed HCC values were partitioned using latent class mixed models (LCMM) to minimize the Bayesian Information Criterion. Multivariable linear mixed effects models for ln-HCC as a function of fixed effects for age in months and random effects for participants (to account for repeated measures) were generated to identify the factors associated with class membership. Children in Class 1 (n = 69; 9% Black) evidenced declining ln-HCC across early childhood, whereas Class 2 members (n = 196; 43% Black) showed mixed trajectories. LCMM with only Class 2 members revealed Class 2A (n = 17, 82% Black) with sustained high ln-HCC and Class 2B (n = 179, 40% Blacks) with mixed ln-HCC profiles. Another LCMM limited to only Class 2B members revealed Class 2B1 (n = 65, 57% Black) with declining ln-HCC values (at higher ranges than Class 1), and Class 2B2 (n = 113, 30% Black) with sustained high ln-HCC values. Class 1 may represent hair cortisol trajectories associated with adaptive HPA-axis profiles, whereas 2A, 2B1, and 2B2 may represent allostatic load with dysregulated profiles of HPA-axis function in response to varying exposures to ELS. Sequential longitudinal hair cortisol measurements revealed the allostatic load associated with ELS and the potential for developing maladaptive or dysregulated HPA-axis function in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia R Rovnaghi
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Joseph Rigdon
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jean-Michel Roué
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France.,Laboratory LIEN, University of Brest, Brest, France.,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Monica O Ruiz
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Victor G Carrion
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Kanwaljeet J S Anand
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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Lopez M, Ruiz MO, Rovnaghi CR, Tam GKY, Hiscox J, Gotlib IH, Barr DA, Carrion VG, Anand KJS. The social ecology of childhood and early life adversity. Pediatr Res 2021; 89:353-367. [PMID: 33462396 PMCID: PMC7897233 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-01264-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
An increasing prevalence of early childhood adversity has reached epidemic proportions, creating a public health crisis. Rather than focusing only on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as the main lens for understanding early childhood experiences, detailed assessments of a child's social ecology are required to assess "early life adversity." These should also include the role of positive experiences, social relationships, and resilience-promoting factors. Comprehensive assessments of a child's physical and social ecology not only require parent/caregiver surveys and clinical observations, but also include measurements of the child's physiology using biomarkers. We identify cortisol as a stress biomarker and posit that hair cortisol concentrations represent a summative and chronological record of children's exposure to adverse experiences and other contextual stressors. Future research should use a social-ecological approach to investigate the robust interactions among adverse conditions, protective factors, genetic and epigenetic influences, environmental exposures, and social policy, within the context of a child's developmental stages. These contribute to their physical health, psychiatric conditions, cognitive/executive, social, and psychological functions, lifestyle choices, and socioeconomic outcomes. Such studies must inform preventive measures, therapeutic interventions, advocacy efforts, social policy changes, and public awareness campaigns to address early life adversities and their enduring effects on human potential. IMPACT: Current research does not support the practice of using ACEs as the main lens for understanding early childhood experiences. The social ecology of early childhood provides a contextual framework for evaluating the long-term health consequences of early life adversity. Comprehensive assessments reinforced with physiological measures and/or selected biomarkers, such as hair cortisol concentrations to assess early life stress, may provide critical insights into the relationships between early adversity, stress axis regulation, and subsequent health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Lopez
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Monica O. Ruiz
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Cynthia R. Rovnaghi
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Grace K-Y. Tam
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Jitka Hiscox
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine,Department of Civil Engineering, Stanford School of Engineering, Stanford, CA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University School of Humanities & Sciences, Stanford, CA
| | - Donald A. Barr
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Stanford, CA
| | - Victor G. Carrion
- Department of Psychiatry (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), Clinical & Translational Neurosciences Incubator, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Kanwaljeet J. S. Anand
- Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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DuBois LZ, Gibb JK, Juster RP, Powers SI. Biocultural approaches to transgender and gender diverse experience and health: Integrating biomarkers and advancing gender/sex research. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23555. [PMID: 33340194 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people are increasingly visible in U.S. communities and in national media. With this increased visibility, access to gender affirming healthcare is also on the rise, particularly for urban youth. Political backlash and entrenchment in a gender binary, however, continue to marginalize TGD people, increasing risk for health disparities. The 2016 National Institute of Health recognition of sexual and gender minority people as a health disparities population increases available funding for much-needed research. In this article, we speak to the need for a biocultural human biology of gender/sex diversity by delineating factors that influence physiological functioning, mental health, and physical health of TGD people. We propose that many of these factors can best be investigated with minimally invasively collected biomarker samples (MICBS) and discuss how to integrate MICBS into research inclusive of TGD people. Research use of MICBS among TGD people remains limited, and wider use could enable essential biological and health data to be collected from a population often excluded from research. We provide a broad overview of terminology and current literature, point to key research questions, and address potential challenges researchers might face when aiming to integrate MCIBS in research inclusive of transgender and gender diverse people. We argue that, when used effectively, MICBS can enhance human biologists' ability to empirically measure physiology and health-related outcomes and enable more accurate identification of pathways linking human experience, embodiment, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Zachary DuBois
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - James K Gibb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Sally I Powers
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Hagan MJ, Roubinov DS, Boyce WT, Bush NR. Associations between multisystem stress reactivity and peer nominated aggression in early childhood vary by sex. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:1888-1898. [PMID: 33427184 PMCID: PMC10436776 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
There is emerging evidence that the development of problematic aggression in childhood may be associated with specific physiological stress response patterns, with both biological overactivation and underactivation implicated. This study tested associations between sex-specific patterns of stress responses across the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and peer nominations of aggression among 271 kindergarten children (Mean age = 5.32 years; 52% Female; 44% White). Upon entry to kindergarten, children participated in a multidomain standardized stress paradigm. Changes in pre-ejection period (PEP) and salivary cortisol were assessed. On a separate day, children provided peer ratings of physical and relational aggression in a standardized interview. As expected, there was a significant three-way interaction between PEP, cortisol reactivity, and sex, but only for physical aggression. Among boys, cortisol reactivity was positively associated with physical aggression only for those with higher SNS reactivity. Findings suggest that for boys, asymmetrical and symmetrical HPA/SNS reactivity may be associated with lower and higher risk for peer-directed physical aggression, respectively. Understanding the complex associations between multisystem physiology, child sex and peer-directed aggression in early childhood may offer insight into individual differences underlying the emergence of behavioral dysregulation in early peer contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J. Hagan
- San Francisco State University & University of California, San Francisco
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Buhler-Wassmann AC, Hibel LC, Fondren K, Valentino K. Child diurnal cortisol differs based on profiles of maternal emotion socialization in high risk, low income, and racially diverse families. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:538-555. [PMID: 33073357 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Young children's physiological and emotional regulation depend on supportive caregiving, especially in the context of stress and adversity. Experiences of child maltreatment become biologically embedded by shaping stress physiology. Maternal emotion socialization may have an important influence on children's limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) functioning. Grounded in theories of caregiver emotion socialization, a person-centered latent profile analysis was utilized to identify profiles of maternal emotion socialization among a high risk, low income, and racially diverse group of 248 mothers and their young children (Mage = 4.39 years, SD = 1.10). The majority of the mothers (n = 165) had a history of involvement with the Department of Child Services for substantiated cases of child maltreatment. A latent profile analysis was conducted revealing three emotion socialization profiles: disengaged, engaged, and engaged + supportive. Emotion socialization profile differences in children's diurnal cortisol levels and slope (using area under the curve with respect to ground and increase, respectively) were examined. Children's diurnal cortisol levels were higher, and slopes were flatter, when mothers used more disengaged emotion socialization strategies. Mothers who neglected their children were more likely to fit the disengaged profile than the engaged profile. Implications for the socialization of regulation in children exposed to adversity are discussed.
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30
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Wu Q, Feng X. Infant emotion regulation and cortisol response during the first 2 years of life: Association with maternal parenting profiles. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 62:1076-1091. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wu
- Department of Family & Child Sciences Florida State University Tallahassee FL USA
| | - Xin Feng
- Department of Human Sciences The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA
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31
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Evans BE, van der Ende J, Greaves-Lord K, Huizink AC, Beijers R, de Weerth C. Urbanicity, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, and behavioral and emotional problems in children: a path analysis. BMC Psychol 2020; 8:12. [PMID: 32019592 PMCID: PMC7001285 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-019-0364-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urbanization is steadily increasing worldwide. Previous research indicated a higher incidence of mental health problems in more urban areas, however, very little is known regarding potential mechanisms underlying this association. We examined whether urbanicity was associated with mental health problems in children directly, and indirectly via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis functioning. METHODS Utilizing data from two independent samples of children we examined the effects of current urbanicity (n = 306, ages seven to 12 years) and early childhood urbanicity (n = 141, followed from birth through age 7 years). Children's mothers reported on their mental health problems and their family's socioeconomic status. Salivary cortisol samples were collected during a psychosocial stress procedure to assess HPA axis reactivity to stress, and at home to assess basal HPA axis functioning. Neighborhood-level urbanicity and socioeconomic conditions were extracted from Statistics Netherlands. Path models were estimated using a bootstrapping procedure to detect indirect effects. RESULTS We found no evidence for a direct effect of urbanicity on mental health problems, nor were there indirect effects of urbanicity through HPA axis functioning. Furthermore, we did not find evidence for an effect of urbanicity on HPA axis functioning or effects of HPA axis functioning on mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS Possibly, the effects of urbanicity on HPA axis functioning and mental health do not manifest until adolescence. An alternative explanation is a buffering effect of high family socioeconomic status as the majority of children were from families with an average or high socioeconomic status. Further studies remain necessary to conclude that urbanicity does not affect children's mental health via HPA axis functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Evans
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, 6525, HR, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
- Centre for Research on Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Karlstad University, Room 1D 349A, Universitetsgatan 2, 651 88, Karlstad, Sweden.
| | - J van der Ende
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 8, 3015, CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - K Greaves-Lord
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 8, 3015, CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A C Huizink
- Section of Clinical Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- School of Health and Education, University of Skövde, Högskolevägen 1, 541 28, Skövde, Sweden
| | - R Beijers
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, 6525, HR, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - C de Weerth
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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32
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Modelling resilience in adolescence and adversity: a novel framework to inform research and practice. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:316. [PMID: 31772187 PMCID: PMC6879584 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0651-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent conceptualisations of resilience have advanced the notion that it is a dynamic and multifaceted construct. However, its adaptive components, especially those forged by adversity, have not been fully realised, and its neurobiological and psychosocial underpinnings are yet to be meaningfully integrated. In part, this is because a developmental perspective is often neglected in the formulation of resilience. In this review, we consider the findings of resilience research, with a specific emphasis on the developmental period of adolescence. To bridge the gaps in our current understanding, we propose a model of resilience that is predicated on experiencing adversity. Specifically, our model provides a sophisticated insight into the components of resilience, which, together with intrinsic features, involves facilitation of, and skill acquisition via strengthening processes we term tempering and fortification. The model also points to the potential trajectories of adversity-driven resilience and forms the basis of a framework that allows for individual variance in resilience, and the identification of both neurobiological and psychosocial targets for prevention and therapeutic interventions.
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Gao MM, de Silva AD, Cummings EM, Davies PT. Interrelatedness of Children's Psychological and Physiological Responses to Interparental Conflict: A Moderating Role of Harsh Parenting. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 28:1016-1036. [PMID: 31741575 DOI: 10.1111/sode.12376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Children's psychological and physiological responses to interparental conflict have received considerable attention due to their implications for later adjustment, yet limited research has investigated the interplay between these two response systems. This study investigates patterns of association between children's psychological responses (e.g., emotional distress) and cortisol reactivity to interparental conflict, including possible moderations by negative caregiving environment. Participants included 193 families (mother, father, and child). Parents completed questionnaires relating to their caregiving behaviors toward the child (107 girls and 86 boys, M age = 7.99 years, SD = 0.53 years) and children's psychological responses to interparental conflict. Children provided three saliva samples over the course of watching videos depicting conflicts between two adults, whom children were asked to pretend were their parents. Based on a series of Latent Growth Curve Models, only children's emotional responses to interparental conflict (indicated by increased distress) were associated with greater cortisol reactivity. Additionally, fathers' harsh parenting behavior moderated the relation between children's emotional reactivity and cortisol reactivity, yet the moderation effect was not found for mothers' parenting. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of exploring both psychological and physiological reactivity to conflict and the possible moderating role of harsh parenting.
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Stroud CB, Chen FR, Curzi BE, Granger DA, Doane LD. Overestimating Self-Blame for Stressful Life Events and Adolescents' Latent Trait Cortisol: The Moderating Role of Parental Warmth. J Youth Adolesc 2019; 49:283-298. [PMID: 31446583 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-019-01112-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive interpretations of stressful events impact their implications for physiological stress processes. However, whether such interpretations are related to trait cortisol-an indicator of individual differences in stress physiology-is unknown. In 112 early adolescent girls (M age = 12.39 years), this study examined the association between self-blame estimates for past year events and latent trait cortisol, and whether maternal warmth moderated effects. Overestimating self-blame (versus objective indices) for independent (uncontrollable) events was associated with lower latent trait cortisol, and maternal warmth moderated the effect of self-blame estimates on latent trait cortisol for each dependent (at least partially controllable) and interpersonal events. Implications for understanding the impact of cognitive and interpersonal factors on trait cortisol during early adolescence are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine B Stroud
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, 01267, USA.
| | - Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA
| | - Blair E Curzi
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, 01267, USA
| | - Douglas A Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA.,The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.,Salivary Bioscience Laboratory and Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Leah D Doane
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104, USA
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Imami L, Stanton SCE, Zilioli S, Tobin ET, Farrell AK, Luca F, Slatcher RB. Self-Disclosure and Perceived Responsiveness Among Youth With Asthma: Links to Affect and Anti-Inflammatory Gene Expression. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2019; 45:1155-1169. [PMID: 30486748 PMCID: PMC9889136 DOI: 10.1177/0146167218808497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Self-disclosure and perceived responsiveness are important building blocks of social relationships that have long-lasting consequences for health and well-being. However, the conditions under which self-disclosure and responsiveness are likely to benefit health, and how early in life these benefits arise, remain unclear. Among 141 youth (aged 10-17) with asthma, we investigated how average daily levels of self-disclosure and responsiveness are linked to positive and negative affect and the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1, a marker of improved regulation of stress physiology and immune functioning. Higher levels of self-disclosure were associated with higher NR3C1 expression and positive affect only when perceptions of responsiveness were high. Furthermore, perceived responsiveness was linked to NR3C1 expression for females but not males. These results suggest that the potential benefits of self-disclosure depend on the extent to which interaction partners are perceived as responsive and that these benefits emerge prior to adulthood.
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Naylor MW, Wakefield SM, Morgan W, Aneja A. Depression in Children and Adolescents Involved in the Child Welfare System. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2019; 28:303-314. [PMID: 31076109 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Child maltreatment presents a significant public health challenge and is strongly associated with development of depression during childhood and adolescence. Not all abused or neglected children are in the child welfare system, but most children in the foster care system have a history of maltreatment. Involvement with the child welfare system presents an additional risk for psychopathology. The role of child maltreatment and child welfare involvement in development of depression in children and adolescents is reviewed and effective treatments are discussed. Clinicians working with foster children must collaborate with care providers and other stakeholders to enhance the child's placement permanence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Naylor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Institute for Juvenile Research, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, M/C 747, Room 155, Chicago, IL 60608, USA.
| | - Sarah M Wakefield
- School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas Tech University, 3601 4th Street, STOP 8103, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Wynne Morgan
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Alka Aneja
- Department of Psychiatry, Fremont Hospital, 39001 Sundale Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA
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Sirgy MJ. Positive balance: a hierarchical perspective of positive mental health. Qual Life Res 2019; 28:1921-1930. [PMID: 30945133 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-019-02145-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
An attempt is made in this paper to provide the community of health-related quality-of-life scholars with a hierarchical perspective of positive mental health guided by the concept of positive balance. Specifically, individuals with positive mental health are characterized to experience: (1) a preponderance of neurochemicals related to positive emotions (dopamine, serotonin, etc.) relative to neurochemicals related to negative emotions (cortisol), at a physiological level; (2) a preponderance of positive affect (happiness, joy, etc.) relative to negative affect (anger, sadness, etc.), at an emotional level; (3) a preponderance of domain satisfaction (satisfaction in salient and multiple life domains such as family life and work life) relative to dissatisfaction in other life domains, at a cognitive level; (4) a preponderance of positive evaluations about one's life using certain standards of comparison (satisfaction with one's life compared to one's past life, the life of family members, etc.) relative to negative evaluations about one's life using similar or other standards of comparison, at a meta-cognitive level; (5) a preponderance of positive psychological traits (self-acceptance, personal growth, etc.) relative to negative psychological traits (pessimism, hopelessness, etc.), at a development level; and (6) a preponderance of perceived social resources (social acceptance, social actualization, etc.) relative to perceived social constraints (social exclusion, ostracism, etc.), at a social-ecological level.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Joseph Sirgy
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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38
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Agorastos A, Pervanidou P, Chrousos GP, Baker DG. Developmental Trajectories of Early Life Stress and Trauma: A Narrative Review on Neurobiological Aspects Beyond Stress System Dysregulation. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:118. [PMID: 30914979 PMCID: PMC6421311 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stressors display a high universal prevalence and constitute a major public health problem. Prolonged psychoneurobiological alterations as sequelae of early life stress (ELS) could represent a developmental risk factor and mediate risk for disease, leading to higher physical and mental morbidity rates in later life. ELS could exert a programming effect on sensitive neuronal brain networks related to the stress response during critical periods of development and thus lead to enduring hyper- or hypo-activation of the stress system and altered glucocorticoid signaling. In addition, alterations in emotional and autonomic reactivity, circadian rhythm disruption, functional and structural changes in the brain, as well as immune and metabolic dysregulation have been lately identified as important risk factors for a chronically impaired homeostatic balance after ELS. Furthermore, human genetic background and epigenetic modifications through stress-related gene expression could interact with these alterations and explain inter-individual variation in vulnerability or resilience to stress. This narrative review presents relevant evidence from mainly human research on the ten most acknowledged neurobiological allostatic pathways exerting enduring adverse effects of ELS even decades later (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic nervous system, immune system and inflammation, oxidative stress, cardiovascular system, gut microbiome, sleep and circadian system, genetics, epigenetics, structural, and functional brain correlates). Although most findings back a causal relation between ELS and psychobiological maladjustment in later life, the precise developmental trajectories and their temporal coincidence has not been elucidated as yet. Future studies should prospectively investigate putative mediators and their temporal sequence, while considering the potentially delayed time-frame for their phenotypical expression. Better screening strategies for ELS are needed for a better individual prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agorastos Agorastos
- II. Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George P Chrousos
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dewleen G Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Agorastos A, Pervanidou P, Chrousos GP, Kolaitis G. Early life stress and trauma: developmental neuroendocrine aspects of prolonged stress system dysregulation. Hormones (Athens) 2018; 17:507-520. [PMID: 30280316 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-018-0065-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Experience of early life stress (ELS) and trauma is highly prevalent in the general population and has a high public health impact, as it can trigger a health-related risk cascade and lead to impaired homeostatic balance and elevated cacostatic load even decades later. The prolonged neuropsychobiological impact of ELS can, thus, be conceptualized as a common developmental risk factor for disease associated with increased physical and mental morbidity in later life. ELS during critical periods of brain development with elevated neuroplasticity could exert a programming effect on particular neuronal networks related to the stress response and lead to enduring neuroendocrine alterations, i.e., hyper- or hypoactivation of the stress system, associated with adult hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and glucocorticoid signaling dysregulation. This paper reviews the pathophysiology of the human stress response and provides evidence from human research on the most acknowledged stress axis-related neuroendocrine pathways exerting the enduring adverse effects of ELS and mediating the cumulative long-term risk of disease vulnerability in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agorastos Agorastos
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Thessaloniki General Hospital "G. Papanicolaou", Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, Lagkada Str. 196, Stavroupoli, 56430, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George P Chrousos
- Unit of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Kolaitis
- Department of Child Psychiatry, School of Medicine, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Philbrook LE, Erath SA, Hinnant JB, El-Sheikh M. Marital conflict and trajectories of adolescent adjustment: The role of autonomic nervous system coordination. Dev Psychol 2018; 54:1687-1696. [PMID: 30148396 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigates how coordination between stress responsivity of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) moderates the prospective effects of marital conflict on internalizing and externalizing symptoms across adolescence. Although an important avenue for psychophysiological research concerns how PNS and SNS responses jointly influence adjustment in the context of stress, these processes have rarely been studied in adolescence or longitudinally. Participants were 252 youth (53% female, 66% European American, 34% African American) who participated in laboratory assessments when they were 16, 17, and 18 years old. PNS activity (measured via respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and SNS activity (measured via skin conductance level [SCL]) were assessed during a resting baseline and in response to a laboratory-based challenge (star tracing). Parents and adolescents both reported on marital conflict and adolescents reported on their internalizing and externalizing symptoms. At higher levels of marital conflict, coactivation of PNS and SNS activity, characterized by increased RSA and increased SCL from baseline to challenge, predicted elevated internalizing symptoms and an increase in externalizing behavior across adolescence. Coinhibition, or decreased activity across both systems, also predicted an increase in internalizing symptoms over time. At lower levels of marital conflict, internalizing and externalizing symptoms were relatively low. Findings extend primarily cross-sectional work with younger children by demonstrating that coordination between the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) moderates the longitudinal effects of marital conflict on psychological and behavioral maladjustment among adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen A Erath
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University
| | | | - Mona El-Sheikh
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University
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The role of bicultural adaptation, familism, and family conflict in Mexican American adolescents' cortisol reactivity. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1571-1587. [PMID: 30295207 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418001116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Scarce research has examined stress responsivity among Latino youths, and no studies have focused on the role of acculturation in shaping cortisol stress response in this population. This study assessed Mexican American adolescents' Mexican and Anglo cultural orientations and examined prospective associations between their patterns of bicultural orientation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortisol reactivity to an adapted Trier Social Stress Test. The sample included 264 youths from a longitudinal birth cohort study who completed the Trier Social Stress Test and provided saliva samples at age 14. The youths completed assessments of cultural orientation at age 12, and family conflict and familism at age 14. Analyses testing the interactive effects of Anglo and Mexican orientation showed significant associations with cortisol responsivity, including the reactivity slope, peak levels, and recovery, but these associations were not mediated by family conflict nor familism values. Findings revealed that bicultural youth (high on both Anglo and Mexican orientations) showed an expected pattern of high cortisol responsivity, which may be adaptive in the context of a strong acute stressor, whereas individuals endorsing only high levels of Anglo orientation had a blunted cortisol response. Findings are discussed in relation to research on biculturalism and the trade-offs and potential recalibration of a contextually responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis for acculturating adolescents.
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Iob E, Kirschbaum C, Steptoe A. Positive and negative social support and HPA-axis hyperactivity: Evidence from glucocorticoids in human hair. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 96:100-108. [PMID: 29929086 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While positive social support is associated with lower prevalence of disease and better treatment outcomes, negative social relationships can instead have unfavourable consequences for several physical and mental health conditions. However, the specific mechanisms by which this nexus might operate remain poorly understood. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity owing to psychosocial stress has been proposed as a potential pathway underlying the link between social support and health. Hair glucocorticoids such as cortisol and cortisone are emerging as promising biomarkers of long-term retrospective HPA activation. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the effects of positive and negative experiences of social support within key relationships (i.e. spouse/partner, children, other family members, and friends) on cortisol and cortisone. METHODS These associations were tested in a sample of 2520 older adults (mean age 68.1) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Hair samples were collected in wave 6 (2012/13). To understand the impact of cumulative exposure to poor social support, the analysis used self-reported data from waves 4 (2008/09) and 6. Covariates included demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and hair characteristics. RESULTS In cross sectional analyses, lower positive support from all sources and specifically from children were associated with higher cortisol. Additionally, lower positive support from children was positively associated with cortisone. Similarly, higher overall negative support was related to higher cortisol, and greater negative support from children was also positively associated with cortisone. In longitudinal analyses, there was evidence for positive associations between hair glucocorticoids and cumulative exposure to poorer social support. CONCLUSIONS Experiences of low positive and high negative social support, particularly from children, were both related to higher hair glucocorticoids. Hence, social relationships of poorer quality in later life may have adverse effects on the HPA axis thereby increasing the individual's susceptibility to poor health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Iob
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Andrew Steptoe
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Madigan S, Oatley H, Racine N, Fearon RMP, Schumacher L, Akbari E, Cooke JE, Tarabulsy GM. A Meta-Analysis of Maternal Prenatal Depression and Anxiety on Child Socioemotional Development. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 57:645-657.e8. [PMID: 30196868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Observed associations between maternal prenatal stress and children's socioemotional development have varied widely in the literature. The objective of the current study was to provide a synthesis of studies examining maternal prenatal anxiety and depression and the socioemotional development of their children. METHOD Eligible studies through to February 2018 were identified using a comprehensive search strategy. Included studies examined the association between maternal prenatal depression or anxiety and the future development of their children's socioemotional development (eg, difficult temperament, behavioral dysregulation) up to 18 years later. Two independent coders extracted all relevant data. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to derive mean effect sizes and test for potential moderators. RESULTS A total of 71 studies met full inclusion criteria for data analysis. The weighted average effect size for the association between prenatal stress and child socioemotional problems was as follows: odds ratio (OR) = 1.66 (95% CI = 1.54-1.79). Effect sizes were stronger for depression (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.61-1.99) compared to anxiety (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.36-1.64). Moderator analyses indicated that effect sizes were stronger when depression was more severe and when socio-demographic risk was heightened. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that maternal prenatal stress is associated with offspring socioemotional development, with the effect size for prenatal depression being more robust than for anxiety. Mitigating stress and mental health difficulties in mothers during pregnancy may be an effective strategy for reducing offspring behavioral difficulties, especially in groups with social disadvantage and greater severity of mental health difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Oatley
- Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Emis Akbari
- George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Winer JP, Powers SI, Pietromonaco PR, Schreck MC. Childhood family adversity and adult cortisol response: The role of observed marital conflict behavior. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2018; 32:793-803. [PMID: 30188170 PMCID: PMC8252991 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Childhood family adversity predicts adult interpersonal behavior and physiological responses to interpersonal stress. Additionally, negative marital behaviors (e.g., hostility and distress maintaining attributions) predict maladaptive stress responses and mental health problems, whereas positive marital behaviors (e.g., acceptance and relationship enhancing attributions) predict adaptive physiological and psychological outcomes. The present study examined potential marital behavior mediators and moderators of the link between childhood adversity and cortisol responses to conflict. In a sample of 218 different-sex newlywed couples, we examined (a) actors' marital conflict behaviors as candidate mediators of the link between childhood adversity and cortisol responses to marital conflict discussions, and (b) partners' marital conflict behaviors as candidate moderators of the relation between childhood adversity and cortisol responses to marital discussions. Path analysis using actor-partner interdependence modeling did not confirm mediation. Instead, wives' childhood family adversity directly predicted husbands' attenuated cortisol responses, and wives' negative behavior predicted wives' attenuated cortisol responses. As hypothesized, wives' negative behaviors moderated the association between husbands' childhood family adversity and husbands' cortisol in response to conflict; husbands showed higher cortisol if they had experienced greater family adversity and if their wives displayed more negative behavior. Results suggest that childhood family adversity may carry forward to shape adult cortisol responses to conflict and highlights the importance of wives' negative behavior for both husbands and wives. These findings add to the family psychology literature by further clarifying how the interaction of stressful childhood experiences and conflict behaviors in marriage are associated with adult physiological responses to conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sally I Powers
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
| | - Paula R Pietromonaco
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
| | - Meghan C Schreck
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Institute, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School
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Kuhlman KR, Repetti RL, Reynolds BM, Robles TF. Interparental conflict and child HPA-axis responses to acute stress: Insights using intensive repeated measures. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2018; 32:773-782. [PMID: 29927288 PMCID: PMC6126984 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Interparental conflict is a common source of psychosocial stress in the lives of children. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between recent interparental conflict and one component of the physiological stress response system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis. Parents of 42 children (ages 8-13 years) completed daily diaries of interparental conflict for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks, youth participated in the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) while providing 2 pre- and 4 poststress salivary cortisol samples. Youth whose fathers reported a pattern of increasing interparental conflict over the past 8 weeks demonstrated an exaggerated HPA-axis response to acute stress. Mother-reported interparental conflict was not associated with children's HPA-axis responses without accounting for fathers' reports. When accounting for fathers' reports, the offspring of mothers reporting higher average daily interparental conflict demonstrated an attenuated HPA-axis response to the stressor. By estimating both average exposure and recent patterns of change in exposure to conflict, we address the circumstances that may prompt attenuation versus sensitization of the HPA-axis in the context of interparental conflict. We conclude that the HPA-axis is sensitive to proximal increases in interparental conflict which may be one pathway through which stress affects health across development, and that incorporating father's reports is important to understanding the role of the family environment in stress responses. This study further demonstrates the value of using intensive repeated measures and multiple reporters to characterize children's psychosocial environment. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Neurobiology of Infant Sensitive Period for Attachment and Its Reinstatement Through Maternal Social Buffering. MINNESOTA SYMPOSIA ON CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119461746.ch2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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The metamorphosis of adolescent hormonal stress reactivity: A focus on animal models. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 49:43-51. [PMID: 29275000 PMCID: PMC5963973 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As adolescents transition from childhood to adulthood, many physiological and neurobehavioral changes occur. Shifts in neuroendocrine function are one such change, including the hormonal systems that respond to stressors. This review will focus on these hormonal changes, with a particular emphasis on the pubertal and adolescent maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Furthermore, this review will concentrate on studies using animal models, as these model systems have contributed a great deal to our mechanistic understanding of how factors such as sex and experience with stressors shape hormonal reactivity during development. Continued study of the maturation of stress reactivity will undoubtedly shed much needed light on the stress-related vulnerabilities often associated with adolescence as well as providing us with possible strategies to mitigate these vulnerabilities. This area of research may lead to discoveries that enhance the well-being of adolescents, ultimately providing them with greater opportunities to mature into healthy adults.
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Katz DA, Peckins MK. Cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase trajectories following a group social-evaluative stressor with adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 86:8-16. [PMID: 28898715 PMCID: PMC5813809 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Intraindividual variability in stress responsivity and the interrelationship of multiple neuroendocrine systems make a multisystem analytic approach to examining the human stress response challenging. The present study makes use of an efficient social-evaluative stress paradigm - the Group Public Speaking Task for Adolescents (GPST-A) - to examine the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA)-axis and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) reactivity profiles of 54 adolescents with salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA). First, we account for individuals' time latency of hormone concentrations between individuals. Second, we use a two-piece multilevel growth curve model with landmark registration to examine the reactivity and recovery periods of the stress response separately. This analytic approach increases the models' sensitivity to detecting trajectory differences in the reactivity and recovery phases of the stress response and allows for interindividual variation in the timing of participants' peak response following a social-evaluative stressor. The GPST-A evoked typical cortisol and sAA responses in both males and females. Males' cortisol concentrations were significantly higher than females' during each phase of the response. We found no gender difference in the sAA response. However, the rate of increase in sAA as well as overall sAA secretion across the study were associated with steeper rates of cortisol reactivity and recovery. This study demonstrates a way to model the response trajectories of salivary biomarkers of the HPA-axis and ANS when taking a multisystem approach to neuroendocrine research that enables researchers to make conclusions about the reactivity and recovery phases of the HPA-axis and ANS responses. As the study of the human stress response progresses toward a multisystem analytic approach, it is critical that individual variability in peak latency be taken into consideration and that accurate modeling techniques capture individual variability in the stress response so that accurate conclusions can be made about separate phases of the response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre A Katz
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, United States.
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Assessment of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor in hair to study stress responses: A pilot investigation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 86:134-143. [PMID: 28957772 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
To study pathogenic stress-effects in health and disease, it is paramount to define easy access parameters for non-invasive analysis of biological change in response to stress. Hair samples successfully provide this access for the study of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) changes. In this study, we assess the hair expression and corresponding epigenetic changes of a neurotrophin essential for autonomic nervous system function and mental health: brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In three independent studies in healthy academic volunteers (study I: German students, N=36; study II, German academic population sample, N=28; study III: Mexican students, N=115), BDNF protein expression or BDNF gene (BDNF) histone acetylation was determined. Simultaneously, mental distress and distress-associated somatic complaints were assessed by self-report. In study I, we found a negative correlation between hair-BDNF protein level and hair-cortisol as well as between hair-BDNF and somatic complaints, while hair-cortisol correlated positively with mental distress. In study II, we found a negative correlation between H4 histone acetylation at the BDNF gene P4-promoter and somatic complaints. Regression analysis confirmed confounder stability of associations in both studies. In study III, we confirmed study I and found lower hair-BDNF protein level in volunteers with high somatic complaints, who also reported higher mental distress during the end of term exams. The results indicate that BDNF protein levels can be detected in clipped hair and are associated with somatic complaints and stress in life. In addition, we concluded that plucked hair can provide material for the study of epigenetic changes in stress-affected tissues. These tools can prove valuable for future studies on distress, both under experimental and field conditions.
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Shirtcliff EA, Skinner ML, Obasi EM, Haggerty KP. Positive parenting predicts cortisol functioning six years later in young adults. Dev Sci 2017; 20:10.1111/desc.12461. [PMID: 28139051 PMCID: PMC5689081 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Research which indicates that adverse experiences influence hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning illustrates the social environment 'getting under the skin'. The present study extended this literature by examining whether positive social forces within the caregiving environment can also impact cortisol functioning. We conducted a prospective investigation of over 300 youth, half of whom were White and half were Black. Attachment, bonding and parental rewards for positive behaviors were observed or reported by the youth as an 8th grader. Twelve repeated measures of salivary cortisol were examined six years later when youth were young adults (mean age 20). Race differences were explored. Stronger attachment, bonding and teen-reported positive parenting were predictive of high waking cortisol and steeper diurnal slopes six years later. This effect was nonlinear and additive, such that youth whose social contexts were characterized by the strongest attachment, bonding and rewarding parental relationships had the highest waking cortisol. When effects were moderated by race, findings were such that links of positive parenting with HPA functioning were more consistent for White than Black youth. Findings suggest that positive aspects of the caregiving environment can also 'get under the skin' and these effects are additive across a range of caregiving indices. These findings dovetail with an emerging literature on the powerful role of social support for shaping the body's stress response system and are interpreted as consistent with the Adaptive Calibration Model which suggests that cortisol regulation can have adaptive significance. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/8evHXpt_TXM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martie L Skinner
- Social Development Research Group, University of Washington-Seattle, USA
| | | | - Kevin P Haggerty
- Social Development Research Group, University of Washington-Seattle, USA
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