scholarly journals Examining associations between internalizing behaviour, cortisol reactivity, and physiological coordination, in two differentially potent challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Khoury
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
The Impact

Background: Research examining associations between child internalizing behaviours and cortisol reactivity is equivocal, with studies suggesting positive, negative and non-significant associations. The present study assessed three primary confounds that contribute to these inconsistencies: 1) the differential effectiveness of laboratory challenges in eliciting cortisol reactivity; 2) the impact of coordination between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis and the Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary system (assessed via salivary alpha-amylase (sAA)); and 3) variation in the measurement of internalizing behaviour, specifically, parent versus child ratings. The primary aims of this study were to assess internalizing behaviours in relation to both cortisol reactivity and coordination between cortisol and sAA, measured in two distinct challenges. Method: A community sample of 8-10 year olds (N= 52) participated in two laboratory challenges, across two study sessions: 1) the Trier Social Stress Test-Child Version (TSST-C), a potent social-evaluative challenge, and 2) a less-potent competition challenge, composed of a puzzle and mirror-tracing task. Saliva was collected at several time points before and after each challenge. Saliva was later assayed to extract cortisol and sAA. Child-reported depressive symptoms were assessed using the Child Depression Inventory, and maternal-reported internalizing problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist. Multilevel modelling was conducted using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Results: In the TSST-C, child-reported depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a declining cortisol trajectory. Maternal-reported internalizing problems were not associated with cortisol and internalizing behaviour did not moderate the impact of sAA levels on cortisol levels (i.e., coordination) in the TSST-C. With regards to the competition challenge, maternal-reported internalizing behaviours predicted cortisol-sAA coordination, such that children with more internalizing behaviours who experienced higher sAA levels also had higher cortisol reactivity. However, there were no significant associations between child-reported depressive symptoms, cortisol reactivity, or coordination between sAA and cortisol reactivity in the competition challenge. Conclusions: Results are discussed in the context of allostatic load and in relation to theories of physiological coordination. These findings underscore the importance of differential stressor contexts, physiological coordination, and the informant of internalizing behaviours moderating associations between internalizing behaviour and cortisol reactivity. Future research should integrate these factors in models of physiological stress and developmental psychopathology.

scholarly journals Examining associations between internalizing behaviour, cortisol reactivity, and physiological coordination, in two differentially potent challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Khoury
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
The Impact

Background: Research examining associations between child internalizing behaviours and cortisol reactivity is equivocal, with studies suggesting positive, negative and non-significant associations. The present study assessed three primary confounds that contribute to these inconsistencies: 1) the differential effectiveness of laboratory challenges in eliciting cortisol reactivity; 2) the impact of coordination between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis and the Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary system (assessed via salivary alpha-amylase (sAA)); and 3) variation in the measurement of internalizing behaviour, specifically, parent versus child ratings. The primary aims of this study were to assess internalizing behaviours in relation to both cortisol reactivity and coordination between cortisol and sAA, measured in two distinct challenges. Method: A community sample of 8-10 year olds (N= 52) participated in two laboratory challenges, across two study sessions: 1) the Trier Social Stress Test-Child Version (TSST-C), a potent social-evaluative challenge, and 2) a less-potent competition challenge, composed of a puzzle and mirror-tracing task. Saliva was collected at several time points before and after each challenge. Saliva was later assayed to extract cortisol and sAA. Child-reported depressive symptoms were assessed using the Child Depression Inventory, and maternal-reported internalizing problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist. Multilevel modelling was conducted using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Results: In the TSST-C, child-reported depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a declining cortisol trajectory. Maternal-reported internalizing problems were not associated with cortisol and internalizing behaviour did not moderate the impact of sAA levels on cortisol levels (i.e., coordination) in the TSST-C. With regards to the competition challenge, maternal-reported internalizing behaviours predicted cortisol-sAA coordination, such that children with more internalizing behaviours who experienced higher sAA levels also had higher cortisol reactivity. However, there were no significant associations between child-reported depressive symptoms, cortisol reactivity, or coordination between sAA and cortisol reactivity in the competition challenge. Conclusions: Results are discussed in the context of allostatic load and in relation to theories of physiological coordination. These findings underscore the importance of differential stressor contexts, physiological coordination, and the informant of internalizing behaviours moderating associations between internalizing behaviour and cortisol reactivity. Future research should integrate these factors in models of physiological stress and developmental psychopathology.

Sex Differences in the Cortisol Response to the Trier Social Stress Test in Depressed and Nondepressed Adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raegan Mazurka ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
Kate L. Harkness
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Adolescent Period

Two of the most robust findings in depression research are (a) that women are twice as likely to become depressed than men and (b) that stress is an important risk factor for depression. Although sex differences in stress reactivity may be an important determinant of differential risk for depression, few studies have examined sex differences in neurobiological reactivity to stress. The purpose of the current study was to assess sex differences in the HPA axis response to stress in depressed versus healthy controls by comparing the cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test in a community sample of adolescents (ages 12–18). Depressed boys showed significantly heightened cortisol reactivity compared with depressed girls, whose response was blunted compared with nondepressed girls. This diverging pattern of cortisol reactivity to stress among depressed girls and boys may help to explain the sex difference in depression prevalence that emerges during the adolescent period.

scholarly journals The role of environmental sensitivity in the development of rumination and depressive symptoms in childhood: a longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Lionetti ◽  
Daniel N. Klein ◽  
Massimiliano Pastore ◽  
Elaine N. Aron ◽  
Arthur Aron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Parenting Style ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Environmental Sensitivity ◽  
Permissive Parenting

AbstractSome children are more affected than others by their upbringing due to their increased sensitivity to the environment. More sensitive children are at heightened risk for the development of internalizing problems, particularly when experiencing unsupportive parenting. However, little is known about how the interplay between children’s sensitivity and parenting leads to higher levels of depressive symptoms. In the current study, we investigated the interaction between early parenting and children’s sensitivity on levels of depressive symptomatology in middle childhood, exploring the role of rumination as a possible mediator in a community sample. Participants included 196 USA resident families, from a middle class and mostly European–American background, and their healthy children, followed up from age 3 until 9 and 12 years. Environmental sensitivity was assessed observationally when children were 3 years old. Parenting style was based on parent-report at the age of 3 years. When children were nine, they completed questionnaires on rumination and depressive symptoms (repeated at 12 years). Analyses were run applying a Bayesian approach. Children’s sensitivity interacted with permissive parenting in predicting rumination at age 9. Rumination, in turn, was associated with depressive symptoms at age 9 and, to a lesser extent, at age 12. No relevant interactions emerged for authoritative and authoritarian parenting. Sensitive children may be at heightened risk for internalizing problems when exposed to a permissive parenting style. Permissive parenting was associated with increased ruminative coping strategies in sensitive children which, in turn, predicted higher levels of depression. Hence, rumination emerged as an important cognitive risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in sensitive children.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF POSITIVE SCHOOL EXPERIENCES AND SCHOOL SES ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CHINESE CHILDREN: A MULTILEVEL INVESTIGATION

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Yang Yue
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Teacher Support ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Connectedness ◽  
School Experiences ◽  
School Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Youth Depressive Symptoms ◽  
School Ses

The current study investigates the effects of teacher support, school connectedness, and school socioeconomic status (SES) on youth depressive symptoms. Data were collected from a sample of 881 students in Grade 6 from 10 primary schools in Northwest China. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that higher levels of teacher support, school connectedness, and school SES were significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Further, the relationships between school-level SES and youth depressive symptoms varied by the participant’s perceived level of teacher support and perceived level of school connectedness. These findings underscore the importance of positive school experiences on child psychological outcomes. Implications for future research on Chinese youth are discussed.

scholarly journals The impact of chronic stress and eating types on active ghrelin levels in response to acute stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Fahrngruber ◽  
Kalina Duszka ◽  
Jürgen König
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Eating Behavior ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Relaxation Techniques ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
The Impact

AbstractChronic stress is associated with impacting eating behavior, namely food choice and energy intake, with a shift towards more palatable and energy dense foods. Additionally, eating behavior is influenced by other psychological factors like mood and emotions. The categorization of people into eating types such as restrained, emotional, and external eaters has gained attraction. Reported changes in eating behavior due to psychological stress are only occasionally accompanied by measures of physiological hunger through ghrelin. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how chronic stress and acute cortisol reactivity affect active ghrelin secretion and how these outcomes account for different eating types. 16 healthy, young males (age: 23 ± 3 years, BMI: 22.5 ± 1.3kg/m2) with low (n = 8) and average-to-high (n = 8) chronic stress level were subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and a control version on two separate days. Active ghrelin, cortisol, glucose, and heart rate were measured throughout the test. Subjects rated their hunger by means of visual analog scale and current mood was assessed with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). In addition, participants filled out the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) to account for their subjective eating behavior. Overall ghrelin values where higher on the test day compared to the control day. Ghrelin values were also higher during the time leading up to the stress or control test (TSST) than during the conclusion of said tests. On both days, mean values for active ghrelin where higher in individuals with low chronic stress exposure compare to those with average-to-high chronic stress exposure. While values from test to control day decreased for lower stressed participants, they slightly increased for higher stressed participants. Cortisol responders displayed higher ghrelin values on test day than cortisol non-responders, but this association inverted for the control day. Results indicate that chronic stress influences acute stress response and further alters active ghrelin production, which in turn can influence eating behavior. Replication in a greater group of participants of differing weight and sex could yield a greater understanding of stress induced eating. Factors such as relaxation techniques and coping mechanisms could further improve our knowledge and evaluate treatment possibilities.

Dimensions of irritability in adolescents: longitudinal associations with psychopathology in adulthood

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariah T. Hawes ◽  
Gabrielle A. Carlson ◽  
Megan C. Finsaas ◽  
Thomas M. Olino ◽  
John R. Seely ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Current Standard ◽  
Externalizing Psychopathology ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Diagnostic Interviews ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundThere is an emerging consensus in developmental psychopathology that irritable youth are at risk for developing internalizing problems later in life. The current study explored if irritability in youth is multifactorial and the impact of irritability dimensions on psychopathology outcomes in adulthood.MethodsWe conducted exploratory factor analysis on irritability symptom items from a semi-structured diagnostic interview administered to a community sample of adolescents (ages 14–19; 42.7% male; 89.1% white). The analysis identified two factors corresponding to items from the mood disorders v. the oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (Leibenluft and Stoddard) sections of the interview. These factors were then entered together into regression models predicting psychopathology assessed at age 24 (N = 941) and again at age 30 (N = 816). All models controlled for concurrent psychopathology in youth.ResultsThe two irritability dimensions demonstrated different patterns of prospective relationships, with items from the ODD section primarily predicting externalizing psychopathology, items from the mood disorder sections predicting depression at age 24 but not 30, and both dimensions predicting borderline personality disorder symptoms.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the current standard of extracting and compositing irritability symptom items from diagnostic interviews masks distinct dimensions of irritability with different psychopathological outcomes. Additionally, these findings add nuance to the prevailing notion that irritability in youth is specifically linked to later internalizing problems. Further investigation using more sensitive and multifaceted measures of irritability are needed to parse the meaning and clinical implications of these dimensions.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Endocrine and Psychological Responses to Psychosocial Stress in Healthy Elderly Subjects and the Impact of a 2-Week Dehydroepiandrosterone Treatment1

1998 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 1756-1761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte M. Kudielka ◽  
Juliane Hellhammer ◽  
Dirk H. Hellhammer ◽  
Oliver T. Wolf ◽  
Karl-Martin Pirke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Free Cortisol ◽  
The Impact

Evidence from animal as well as human studies has suggested that significant sex differences exist in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity. As gonadal steroids could be important modulators of HPA sex differences, stress responses were investigated in subjects of advanced age after dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or placebo treatment. After a 2-week treatment with 50 mg DHEA daily or placebo, 75 men and women (mean age, 67.6 yr) were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The TSST is a brief psychosocial stress that consists of a free speech and mental arithmetic task in front of an audience. The results show that the TSST induced significant increases in ACTH, salivary free cortisol, total plasma cortisol, norepinephrine, and heart rates (all P < 0.0001) as well as decreased positive affect in the elderly (P = 0.0009). Men showed larger stress responses in ACTH (P = 0.004), salivary free cortisol (P = 0.044), and plasma total cortisol (P = 0.076) compared to women. No sex differences were observed in norepinephrine, epinephrine, or heart rate responses. In contrast to ACTH and cortisol response differences, women reported that they were significantly more stressed by the TSST than men (P = 0.0051). Women treated with DHEA showed ACTH stress responses similar to those of men, but significantly enhanced compared to those of women taking placebos (P < 0.009). No other stress response differences emerged between DHEA and placebo groups. Finally, DHEA treatment did not result in an improvement of subjective well-being. We conclude that elderly men show larger HPA responses than women to psychosocial stress, as studied in the TSST. Estrogen effects on hypothalamic CRF-producing neurons might be responsible for these sex differences.

Education modulates cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test in middle-aged adults

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (8-10) ◽  
pp. 1158-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra J. Fiocco ◽  
Ridha Joober ◽  
Sonia J. Lupien
Keyword(s):  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
Middle Aged Adults
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