Experiences of adversity in childhood and adolescence and cortisol in late adolescence

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Courtenay L. Kessler ◽  
Suzanne Vrshek-Schallhorn ◽  
Susan Mineka ◽  
Richard E. Zinbarg ◽  
Michelle Craske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
Developmental Timing ◽  
Cortisol Awakening Response ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Childhood Adversities ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol

Abstract Early life adversity influences the diurnal cortisol rhythm, yet the relative influence of different characteristics of adversity remains unknown. In this study, we examine how developmental timing (childhood vs. adolescence), severity (major vs. minor), and domain of early life adversity relate to diurnal cortisol rhythms in late adolescence. We assessed adversity retrospectively in early adulthood in a subsample of 236 participants from a longitudinal study of a diverse community sample of suburban adolescents oversampled for high neuroticism. We used multilevel modeling to assess associations between our adversity measures and the diurnal cortisol rhythm (waking and bedtime cortisol, awakening response, slope, and average cortisol). Major childhood adversities were associated with flatter daily slope, and minor adolescent adversities were associated with greater average daily cortisol. Examining domains of childhood adversities, major neglect and sexual abuse were associated with flatter slope and lower waking cortisol, with sexual abuse also associated with higher cortisol awakening response. Major physical abuse was associated with higher waking cortisol. Among adolescent adversities domains, minor neglect, emotional abuse, and witnessing violence were associated with greater average cortisol. These results suggest severity, developmental timing, and domain of adversity influence the association of early life adversity with stress response system functioning.

scholarly journals Early-Life Adversity and Dysregulation of Adult Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 160-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun S Karlamangla ◽  
Sharon Stein Merkin ◽  
David M Almeida ◽  
Esther M Friedman ◽  
Jacqueline A Mogle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Family Welfare ◽  
Cortisol Secretion ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol ◽  
Welfare Dependence ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diurnal Dynamic

Abstract Objectives Exposure to life stresses can lead to diminution in the capacity of stress response systems to mount a robust response to new challenges, with blunting of dynamic range—the spread between maximal attainable and minimal resting levels. We investigate the association between early-life adversity and the dynamic range of adult diurnal cortisol secretion. Method In 35- to 86-year-old adults, cortisol assayed from 16 saliva samples over 4 consecutive days was used to compute diurnal dynamic range and area under the curve (AUC). Economic adversity in childhood was indexed by recalled parental education, family welfare dependence, and perceived financial status; and childhood social adversity by parental separation, death, and abuse. Results Adjusted for age, gender, and race/ethnicity, both childhood adversities were strongly associated with smaller adult cortisol diurnal dynamic range, but not with AUC. The association with cortisol dynamic range was explained by adult social and economic variables. Discussion Early-life adversity appears to leave a long-term imprint on cortisol secretion dynamics, reducing diurnal dynamic range without increasing total secretion. This points to the importance of examining the adaptation capacity of physiological systems when studying the impact of early-life and chronic stresses on adult health.

scholarly journals Early maternal loss affects diurnal cortisol slopes in immature but not mature wild chimpanzees

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cédric Girard-Buttoz ◽  
Patrick J. Tkaczynski ◽  
Liran Samuni ◽  
Pawel Fedurek ◽  
Cristina Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Urinary Cortisol ◽  
Maternal Loss ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Cortisol Levels

AbstractIn mammals, early life adversity negatively affects survival and reproductive success. A key causal mechanism is proposed by the biological embedding model which posits that adversity experienced early in life has deleterious consequences on individual physiology across the lifespan. In particular, early life adversity is expected to be a severe stressor leading to long-term alteration of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Here we tested this idea by assessing whether, as in humans, maternal loss had short and long-term impacts on orphan chimpanzee urinary cortisol levels and diurnal urinary cortisol slopes, as an indicator of the HPA axis functioning. We used 18 years of data on 50 immature and 28 mature male wild chimpanzees belonging to four communities in Taï National Park, Ivory Coast. Immature orphans who experienced early maternal loss had diurnal cortisol slopes characterised by higher early morning and late afternoon cortisol levels indicative of high activation of the HPA axis. Recently orphaned immatures had higher cortisol levels than other immatures, possibly reflecting social and nutritional stress. However, unlike in humans, we did not find significantly different cortisol profiles in orphan and non-orphan adult male chimpanzees. Our study highlights that long-term alteration of stress physiology related to early life adversity may not be viable in some wild animal populations and/or that chimpanzees, as humans, may have access to mechanisms that buffer this physiological stress, such as adoption. Our results suggest that biological embedding of altered HPA axis function is unlikely to be a mechanism contributing to the demonstrated long-term fitness consequences of maternal loss, such as reduced reproductive success, in wild long-lived mammals.

Early-life adversity and dysregulation of adult diurnal cortisol rhythm

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
pp. S21
Author(s):  
Arun S. Karlamangla ◽  
Sharon Stein Merkin ◽  
David M. Almeida ◽  
Esther M. Friedman ◽  
Jacqueline A. Mogle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol

scholarly journals 1370Introducing network analysis to measure early life adversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tjeerd Rudmer De Vries ◽  
Iris Arends ◽  
Naja Hulvej Rod ◽  
Albertine J. Oldehinkel ◽  
Ute Bültmann
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Network Model ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Undirected Network ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Focus of Presentation Many studies have investigated associations between early life adversity (ELA) and outcomes across the life course. A defining characteristic of ELA is its complex nature, as many individual adverse experiences (e.g., parental mental health problems, financial difficulties) co-occur and interact over time. Commonly used methods for measuring ELA have not been able to elucidate pathways through which individual AEs are associated with each other during early life. We propose using network analysis to overcome this research gap. Findings Figure 1 shows the conditional associations between AEs in childhood and adolescence in an undirected network model, based on empirical data from the longitudinal TRAILS cohort. First, we found that the network model allows us to explain co-occurrences between AEs. For example: the co-occurrence of parental illness and financial difficulties in childhood is likely due to parental unemployment. Second, we identified which AEs are associated over time, e.g., familial conflicts in childhood and adolescence are strongly associated, the latter being associated with parental divorce in adolescence. Conclusions/Implications These findings add to the literature by providing insight into how individual AEs are conditionally associated, in distinct developmental periods and over time. The findings can be used in future research on pathways between AEs and guide the development of interventions. Key messages Undirected network models are a promising alternative approach to measuring ELA that can provide insight into pathways through which AEs co-occur and interact over time.

Early Developmental Experiences of Female Sex Workers: A Comparative Study

1999 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 935-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Potter ◽  
Judy Martin ◽  
Sarah Romans
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Sex Worker ◽  
Female Sex

Objective: The aim of this paper is to explore the early family environment of a sample of female sex workers and compare the findings with a large community data set of similarly aged women. Method: Sex workers recruited by a snowball method were given a semi-structured interview, which included the Parental Bonding Instrument. These results were compared to those from the Otago Women's Child Sexual Abuse (OWCSA) study. Results: The sex workers' families were of lower socioeconomic status and had experienced more parental separation than had the OWCSA families. The mothers of sex workers were more frequently the family's main wage earner. Sex workers described both parents as less caring than did the OWCSA women. They were significantly more likely than the OWCSA women to report childhood sexual abuse. The sex workers were more likely to have left home early, to have become pregnant before the age of 19 years and to not have completed tertiary study. Conclusions: The sex workers studied came from families with more interpersonal difficulties during childhood and adolescence than did a control community sample of similarly aged women. The relevance and generalisability of this conclusion to the wider sex worker population is difficult to determine, given the non-random selection of this sex worker sample.

scholarly journals Effects of Early-Life Adversity on Hippocampal Structures and Associated HPA Axis Functions

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Dahmen ◽  
Vanessa B. Puetz ◽  
Wolfgang Scharke ◽  
Georg G. von Polier ◽  
Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Granule Cell Layer ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Stress System ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol ◽  
Hippocampal Subfields

Early-life adversity (ELA) is one of the major risk factors for serious mental and physical health risks later in life. ELA has been associated with dysfunctional neurodevelopment, especially in brain structures such as the hippocampus, and with dysfunction of the stress system, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Children who have experienced ELA are also more likely to suffer from mental health disorders such as depression later in life. The exact interplay of aberrant neurodevelopment and HPA axis dysfunction as risks for psychopathology is not yet clear. We investigated volume differences in the bilateral hippocampus and in stress-sensitive hippocampal subfields, behavior problems, and diurnal cortisol activity in 24 children who had experienced documented ELA (including out-of-home placement) in a circumscribed duration of adversity only in their first 3 years of life in comparison to data on 25 control children raised by their biological parents. Hippocampal volumes and stress-sensitive hippocampal subfields (Cornu ammonis [CA]1, CA3, and the granule-cell layer of the dentate gyrus [GCL-DG]) were significantly smaller in children who had experienced ELA, taking psychiatric diagnoses and dimensional psychopathological symptoms into account. ELA moderated the relationship between left hippocampal volume and cortisol: in the control group, hippocampal volumes were not related to diurnal cortisol, while in ELA children, a positive linear relationship between left hippocampal volume and diurnal cortisol was present. Our findings show that ELA is associated with altered development of the hippocampus, and an altered relationship between hippocampal volume and HPA axis activity in youth in care, even after they have lived in stable and caring foster family environments for years. Altered hippocampal development after ELA could thus be associated with a risk phenotype for the development of psychiatric disorders later in life.

scholarly journals Loneliness Mediates the Relationship Between Early Life Stress and Perceived Stress but not Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Functioning

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Crespo-Sanmiguel ◽  
Mariola Zapater-Fajarí ◽  
Matias M. Pulopulos ◽  
Vanesa Hidalgo ◽  
Alicia Salvador
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Hpa Axis Functioning ◽  
The Relationship

Many authors have proposed that early life stress (ELS) provokes a dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and contributes negatively to the management of stress in adulthood. However, these associations have not always been observed, making it necessary to include new factors that could explain the different results found. In this regard, people with ELS experiences report less social support during adulthood, suggesting that loneliness could be a mediating factor. Thus, our aims were to investigate whether ELS was related to both perceived stress and diurnal HPA axis activity, and whether loneliness mediates these relationships, in a community sample (N=187, 18–55years old). Fourteen cortisol samples were collected on two non-consecutive days to obtain the overall diurnal cortisol, diurnal cortisol slope, and bedtime levels. Additionally, ELS was assessed with the Risky Families Questionnaire (RFQ) and the Recalled Childhood and Adolescence Perceived Stress (ReCAPS) measure. Results revealed that ELS was associated with perceived stress, but not HPA axis functioning, and loneliness mediated the relationship between ELS and perceived stress, but not between ELS and HPA axis functioning. Similar results were found for both ELS questionnaires, suggesting that the ReCAPS is an adequate tool. These results highlight the importance of loneliness in understanding the long-term effects of ELS, and they indicate different effects of ELS on subjective and physiological stress indicators.

scholarly journals Early childhood adversity and adolescent depression: the mediating role of continued stress

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Hazel ◽  
C. Hammen ◽  
P. A. Brennan ◽  
J. Najman
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Depression ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
Early Adversity ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Early Experiences ◽  
Stress Burden

BackgroundWhile various conceptualizations of the link between childhood adversity and later depression have been offered, most have not accounted for the possibility that early adversity predicts continuing stress proximal to depression onset. Thus, the present study tested the possible mediating role of recent stress in the association between early adversity and depression in late adolescence.MethodStudy questions were examined in a longitudinal community sample of 705 youth who were contemporaneously assessed for early adversity exposure prior to age 5 years, chronic and episodic stress at age 15 years, and major depression prior to age 15 years and between 15 and 20 years.ResultsTotal youth stress burden at age 15 years mediated the effect of early adversity on depression between ages 15 and 20 years, and none of the observed relationships were moderated by onset of depression prior to age 15 years.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that continued stress exposure proximal to depression onset largely accounts for the association between early adversity and depression in late adolescence. Intervention should thus focus on disrupting the continuity of stressful conditions across childhood and adolescence. Future studies of the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms of the link between early experiences and depression should explore whether the effects of early experiences are independent of continuing adversity proximal to depressive onset.

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