Archival ReportCortisol Response to Social Stress in Parentally Bereaved Youth
Section snippets
Participants
The participants were 181 youth, aged 10 to 29, from 62 parentally bereaved families and 53 nonbereaved families; 66.3% of participants had at least 1 sibling in the study. The deceased parents (probands) died within 24 hours of definite verdicts of suicide (n = 21), accidental death (n = 13), or sudden natural death (n = 28). The accidental deaths consisted of five drug overdoses, three motor vehicle accidents, one accidental fall, and four others (e.g., drowning, exposure to cold). The sudden
Cortisol Response, Output, and Reactivity in Bereaved and Nonbereaved Offspring
After controlling for demographic covariates, mixed-effects regression models revealed a significant interaction between bereavement status and time, indicating differences in the trajectories of cortisol response in bereaved and nonbereaved offspring (see Table 4). Post hoc repeated contrasts showed that the group differences in slope of cortisol levels occurred during the first 15 minutes of the TSST [F(1,176) = 7.04, p = .01], during which there was no significant change in cortisol in the
Discussion
In this study, bereaved and nonbereaved offspring showed different patterns of cortisol response to social stress. Bereaved youth showed overall higher total cortisol output but showed no significant increase in cortisol levels over time in response to social stress. The nonbereaved group, on the other hand, evidenced a significant increase in cortisol levels in the 10 minutes after the TSST. Within the bereaved group, offspring bereaved due to sudden natural death showed a significant increase
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Sex differences in cortisol levels in depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2024, Frontiers in NeuroendocrinologyThe differential calibration of the HPA axis as a function of trauma versus adversity: A systematic review and p-curve meta-analyses
2021, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral ReviewsHyper- and hypo-cortisol functioning in post-institutionalized adolescents: The role of severity of neglect and context
2021, PsychoneuroendocrinologyCitation Excerpt :Research on parental loss and bereavement may be illuminating for understanding profiles for post-institutionalized youth as both experiences involve profound loss and familial disruption. Individuals experiencing parental loss display HPA hyper-arousal, but HPA hypo-arousal is found within the most severely stressed or at-risk individuals (Tyrka et al., 2008; Dietz et al., 2013). Recent theoretical models describe how both hyper- and hypo-arousal may occur as a consequence of early adversity.
Cortisol response to stress as a predictor for suicidal ideation in youth
2019, Journal of Affective DisordersCitation Excerpt :Children who lost a caregiver in the 9/11 terrorist attack exhibited persistently higher basal cortisol levels compared to non-bereaved children (Pfeffer et al., 2007). We previously showed that sudden parental death is associated with higher total cortisol output in response to social stress in bereaved youth (Dietz et al., 2013). The role of the HPA-axis in suicidal behavior was robustly demonstrated in a meta-analysis where non-suppression in response to the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) was related to a 4.5-fold increased risk for suicide in adult inpatients (Mann et al., 2006).
Blood pressure recovery to social stress in parentally bereaved and non-bereaved youths
2018, Journal of Psychosomatic ResearchBlunted HPA axis activity prior to suicide attempt and increased inflammation in attempters
2017, PsychoneuroendocrinologyCitation Excerpt :Indeed, dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates reactions to stress, is associated with 4.5-fold increased risk for suicide (Mann and Currier, 2007). Both HPA axis hypo- and hyper- activity are described in attempters and relatives of people who died by suicide (Dietz et al., 2013; Jokinen et al., 2010; Mann and Currier, 2007; McGirr et al., 2010, 2011). We previously reported lower cortisol levels in response to an experimental stressor in attempters compared to high-risk suicidal non-attempters and non-suicidal subjects and compared to healthy controls; and low baseline cortisol prior to the stressor in attempters (Keilp et al., 2016; Melhem et al., 2016).