Description
Dysregulated cortisol is a risk factor for poor health outcomes. Children of distressed mothers exhibit dysregulated cortisol, yet it is unclear whether maternal distress predicts cortisol activity in later developmental stages. This longitudinal study examined the prospective relation between maternal

Dysregulated cortisol is a risk factor for poor health outcomes. Children of distressed mothers exhibit dysregulated cortisol, yet it is unclear whether maternal distress predicts cortisol activity in later developmental stages. This longitudinal study examined the prospective relation between maternal distress during late childhood (9–12 years) and adolescence (15–19 years) and cortisol response in offspring in young adulthood (24–28 years). Data were collected from 51 recently divorced mothers and their children across 15 years. Higher maternal distress during late childhood was associated with lower total cortisol independent of levels of maternal distress in adolescence or young adulthood. Maternal distress during adolescence marginally predicted blunted cortisol when distress in childhood was low. Findings suggest that blunted cortisol activity in young adulthood may be a long-term consequence of exposure to maternal distress earlier in development.
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Title
  • Exposure to maternal distress in childhood and cortisol activity in young adulthood
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Date Created
2014-11-01
Resource Type
  • Text
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    Identifier
    • Digital object identifier: 10.1177/0165025414537924
    • Identifier Type
      International standard serial number
      Identifier Value
      0165-0254
    • Identifier Type
      International standard serial number
      Identifier Value
      1464-0651
    Note
    • This is the authors' final accepted manuscript. The final version as published is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0165025414537924

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    Mahrer, Nicole E., Luecken, Linda J., Wolchik, Sharlene A., Tein, Jenn-Yun, & Sandler, Irwin N. (2014). Exposure to maternal distress in childhood and cortisol activity in young adulthood. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT, 38(6), 570-576. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0165025414537924

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