Early (before age 6) potentially traumatic events (PTEs) may interact with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning to shape outcomes involving externalizing problems and anxiety. However, directions of effects remain unclear. This study examined associations between aspects of HPA axis reactivity, anxiety, and externalizing problems over two years by early PTE exposure history, while statistically capturing the co-occurrence of symptom domains. Youth (N = 189; Mage = 10.96 years, SD = 2.51, Range = 8-15; 52.4% female, 47.1% male; 50.3% White, 35.4% Black/African American, 6.4% Other; 7.4% Hispanic/Latine) were included if they had early PTE exposure (n = 107) or had never experienced a PTE (n = 82). HPA axis reactivity to social stress was calculated using area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) and increase (AUCi). For youth with early PTE exposure, higher AUCg was concurrently associated with more externalizing symptoms and greater predominance of externalizing over anxiety. Blunted AUCi predicted increasing predominance of externalizing for the early PTE group, but elevated AUCi predicted increases in anxiety for the no PTE group. Findings highlight distinct roles of overall and reactive HPA axis functioning in shaping outcomes following early trauma.
Gretchen R. Perhamus, Rachel E. Siciliano, Tiffany Phu et al.· Development and Psychopathol...· 0 citations
The present short-term longitudinal study examined the associations between preschoolers' coping responses to their personal experience of peer victimization and later internalizing symptoms. This study prospectively tested autonomic nervous system reactivity (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity, RSA-R; and skin conductance level reactivity, SCL-R) as moderators of these associations. This secondary data analysis assessed a relatively well-resourced sample of 83 preschoolers (M = 45.59 months old, SD = 3.80, 47.0% female) over the course of approximately 1 year: first during the spring of participants' preschool (Time 1) and again during the spring of the subsequent pre-kindergarten year (Time 2). Hypotheses were guided by polyvagal theory, which highlights the importance of interactive effects of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the stress response. Results demonstrated that approach coping was associated with decreases in later internalizing symptoms. In addition, avoidance coping was associated with decreases in internalizing symptoms for participants exhibiting SCL-R inhibition. RSA-R did not moderate associations between coping and later internalizing symptoms. These findings provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that the adaptive alignment between coping behaviors and physiological reactivity may serve as a protective factor in buffering against psychological distress.
Katy M Gardner, Jamie M. Ostrov, Gretchen R. Perhamus et al.· International Journal of Psy...· 0 citations