Counts Cory J, Ginty Annie T, Larsen Jade M, Kampf Taylor D, John-Henderson Neha A
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States.
Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 11;13:803339. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.803339. eCollection 2022.
Childhood adversity is linked to adverse health in adulthood. One posited mechanistic pathway is through physiological responses to acute stress. Childhood adversity has been previously related to both exaggerated and blunted physiological responses to acute stress, however, less is known about the psychological mechanisms which may contribute to patterns of physiological reactivity linked to childhood adversity.
In the current work, we investigated the role of challenge and threat stress appraisals in explaining relationships between childhood adversity and cortisol reactivity in response to an acute stressor.
Undergraduate students ( = 81; 61% female) completed an online survey that included general demographic information and the Risky Families Questionnaire 24 h before a scheduled lab visit. In the lab, a research assistant collected a baseline salivary cortisol sample. Following the baseline period, participants were read instructions for the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated psychological lab stressor. Next, they completed a challenge vs. threat task appraisal questionnaire and completed the speech and math portion of the TSST. Twenty minutes following the start of the TSST, a second salivary sample was collected to measure changes in salivary cortisol following the TSST.
Linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, childhood socioeconomic status (SES), and baseline cortisol levels, showed childhood adversity associated with changes in cortisol levels [ = -0.29 (73) = -2.35, = 0.02, ]. Linear regression analyses controlling for age, sex, and childhood SES showed childhood adversity associated with both challenge [ = -0.52 (74) = -5.04, < ] and threat [ = 0.55 (74) = 5.40, < 0.001, ] appraisals. Significant indirect effects of childhood trauma on cortisol reactivity were observed through challenge appraisals [ = -0.01 (95% confidence interval = -0.02, -0.003)], and threat appraisals [ = -0.01 (95% confidence interval = -0.01, -0.003)].
Childhood adversity may contribute to blunted cortisol reactivity, a pattern of response which is linked to obesity, addiction, and other behavior-related diseases. Our findings suggest that this relationship is in part a product of stress appraisals.
童年逆境与成年期的不良健康状况相关。一种假定的机制途径是通过对急性应激的生理反应。童年逆境此前已被证明与对急性应激的生理反应过度和迟钝都有关，但对于可能导致与童年逆境相关的生理反应模式的心理机制，我们知之甚少。
在当前的研究中，我们调查了挑战和威胁应激评估在解释童年逆境与对急性应激源的皮质醇反应性之间关系中的作用。
本科生（n = 81；61%为女性）在预定的实验室访问前24小时完成了一项在线调查，该调查包括一般人口统计学信息和风险家庭问卷。在实验室中，一名研究助理采集了基线唾液皮质醇样本。在基线期之后，向参与者宣读了特里尔社会应激测试（TSST）的指导说明，TSST是一种经过验证的心理实验室应激源。接下来，他们完成了挑战与威胁任务评估问卷，并完成了TSST的演讲和数学部分。在TSST开始20分钟后，采集了第二个唾液样本，以测量TSST后唾液皮质醇的变化。
在对年龄、性别、童年社会经济地位（SES）和基线皮质醇水平进行调整的线性回归分析中，显示童年逆境与皮质醇水平的变化相关[β = -0.29，t（73）= -2.35，p = 0.02]。在控制年龄、性别和童年SES的线性回归分析中，显示童年逆境与挑战评估[β = -0.52，t（74）= -5.04，p < 0.001]和威胁评估[β = 0.55，t（74）= 5.40，p < 0.001]均相关。通过挑战评估[β = -0.01，95%置信区间 = -0.02，-0.003]和威胁评估[β = -0.01，95%置信区间 = -0.01，-0.003]观察到童年创伤对皮质醇反应性有显著的间接影响。
童年逆境可能导致皮质醇反应迟钝，这种反应模式与肥胖、成瘾和其他行为相关疾病有关。我们的研究结果表明，这种关系部分是应激评估的产物。
