The Effects Of Early Parenting On Cortisol Reactivity In Adolescence
Date
2022-05
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Experiencing early life stress, such as child maltreatment, has been associated
with adverse outcomes across the lifespan, including the dysregulation of the body’s
stress response pathway, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Chronic
production of cortisol, the primary output of the HPA axis, can lead to alterations in
cortisol reactivity to stress, often taking the form of blunted cortisol levels. The
supportive presence of a parent, in the form of a secure attachment and sensitive
parenting, may serve as a buffer against environmental adversity. I hypothesized that
within a sample of adolescents (n = 62) with a history of maltreatment that
(1) adolescents would have regulated cortisol reactivity if they had secure attachments
to their parents in infancy and (2) adolescents whose parents with higher parental
sensitivity scores in early childhood would have regulated cortisol reactivity compared
to adolescents with parents rated as less sensitive. Attachment classification was
determined through the Strange Situation during infancy. Parental sensitivity was
assessed multiple times across early childhood using a semi-structured play
interaction. Cortisol reactivity was assessed from salivary samples taken during the
Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) at age 13. Attachment classification did not
significantly predict cortisol reactivity in adolescence. The present study determined
that higher ratings of parental sensitivity in infancy predicted normalized cortisol
levels, when compared to parents of adolescents with lower sensitivity scores, ! =
.064, p = .012. These results suggest cortisol reactivity in adolescence is influenced by
early caregiving in the form of sensitive caregiving. Quality of care may play an
important role in shaping long term responsivity of the HPA axis and buffering against
the effects of early adversity.
Description
Keywords
Cortisol, Adolescent, Early parenting