The Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, United States.
The Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, United States.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021 Oct;132:105365. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105365. Epub 2021 Jul 26.
Well-orchestrated cortisol and DHEA stress responsivity is thought to support efficacious stressor management (i.e., coping) and reduce risk for psychopathology during adolescence. Evidence of these relations, however, is lacking empirically. This longitudinal investigation had three aims: 1) to identify within-adolescent profiles of joint cortisol-DHEA responsivity, 2) examine profiles as prospective predictors of adolescents' later emotional and behavioral difficulties, and 3) examine whether distraction coping helped buffer such prospective risk in each profile.
At Time 1, boys (n = 110) and girls (n = 105) between 11 and 16 years of age with varied levels of risk for psychopathology completed a lab-based socio-evaluative stressor and questionnaires (e.g., coping, internalizing and externalizing problems). Emotional and behavioral adjustment was assessed again at Time 2 (2 years later).
Multi-trajectory modeling of adolescents' cortisol and DHEA within the context of the stressor revealed three groups: Normative (n = 107; 49.8%), Hyperresponsive (n = 64; 29.8%), Hyporesponsive (n = 44; 20.5%). Relative to Normative, Hyperresponsive and Hyporesponsive adolescents were more and less advanced in pubertal status, respectively. Hyperresponsive adolescents, but not Hyporesponsive, reported greater emotional and behavioral problems at Time 2, relative to Normative adolescents. Links between distraction coping and Time 2 adjustment varied across the groups. Specifically, distraction coping was associated with fewer Time 2 emotional and behavioral problems for Normative adolescents. However, the converse was true for Hyporesponsive adolescents, with distraction associated with greater Time 2 emotional and behavioral problems. Distraction was not associated with Time 2 emotional and behavioral problems for Hyperresponsive adolescents (i.e., elevated levels irrespective of distraction coping utilization).
Our results strengthen inference about the role neuroendocrine coordination plays in risk for psychopathology. Findings also help to clarify inconsistent distraction coping-psychopathology linkages, illustrating different patterns of cortisol-DHEA responsivity that support as well as thwart the use of this potentially efficacious strategy.
有协调的皮质醇和 DHEA 应激反应被认为有助于有效地应对压力源（即应对），并降低青少年时期出现精神病理学的风险。然而，这些关系的证据在经验上是缺乏的。这项纵向研究有三个目的：1）确定青少年皮质醇-DHEA 反应的个体内特征，2）检验这些特征作为青少年后期情绪和行为困难的前瞻性预测因素，3）检验分心应对是否有助于缓冲每个特征中的这种前瞻性风险。
在第 1 次（Time 1），年龄在 11 至 16 岁之间的具有不同精神病理学风险的男孩（n=110）和女孩（n=105）完成了一项基于实验室的社会评价压力源和问卷（例如，应对方式、内化和外化问题）。在 2 年后（第 2 次（Time 2））再次评估情绪和行为调整。
在压力源背景下对青少年皮质醇和 DHEA 的多轨迹建模显示了三个群体：正常（n=107；49.8%）、高反应性（n=64；29.8%）、低反应性（n=44；20.5%）。与正常组相比，高反应性和低反应性青少年的青春期状态分别更为先进和落后。与正常组相比，高反应性青少年报告了更多的情绪和行为问题，而低反应性青少年则没有。分心应对与第 2 次调整之间的联系因群体而异。具体来说，分心应对与正常组青少年的第 2 次情绪和行为问题较少有关。然而，对于低反应性青少年则相反，分心应对与更多的第 2 次情绪和行为问题有关。分心应对与高反应性青少年的第 2 次情绪和行为问题无关（即，无论是否利用分心应对，水平都较高）。
我们的研究结果加强了神经内分泌协调在精神病理学风险中的作用的推断。研究结果还有助于澄清分心应对与精神病理学之间不一致的联系，说明了不同的皮质醇-DHEA 反应模式，这些模式支持并阻碍了这种潜在有效的策略的利用。
