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Associations between HPA axis reactivity and PTSD and depressive symptoms: Importance of maltreatment type and puberty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2021

Sonya Negriff Open the ORCID record for Sonya Negriff [Opens in a new window] ,
Elana B. Gordis  and
Elizabeth J. Susman
Sonya Negriff*
Affiliation:
Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA
Elana B. Gordis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
Elizabeth J. Susman
Affiliation:
Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
*
Author for Correspondence: Sonya Negriff; E-mail: sonya.x.negriff@kp.org
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Abstract

The functioning of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is implicated in the etiology and maintenance of depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, different maltreatment experiences as well as the increased sensitivity of the HPA axis during puberty may alter associations between the HPA axis and mental health. To address these gaps, the current study examined the potential bidirectional associations between cortisol reactivity to a stressor, PTSD symptoms, and depressive symptoms among early adolescents across two time points, 1 year apart (n = 454; Mage = 10.98 at Time 1 and Mage = 12.11 at Time 2). Multiple-group path models tested the pathways between cortiol reactivity and mental health prior to and during puberty, for different types of maltreatment . Overall, the results showed that associations between cortisol output and symptoms of PTSD and depression were driven by those in the midst of puberty. Specifically, higher cortisol output at Time 1 was linked with higher levels of subsequent PTSD and depressive symptoms for neglected youth who had reached puberty. However, depressive symptoms predicted subsequent lower cortisol output for the physical abuse and emotional abuse groups. These findings demonstrate longitudinal links between cortisol, depressive symptoms, and PTSD symptoms among youth with different types of maltreatment histories and highlight the need to consider the reorganization of the stress system during puberty in order to advance our understanding of the HPA axis and mental health.

Keywords

cortisoldepressionmaltreatmentPTSDpuberty
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , February 2023 , pp. 130 - 141
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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