Raymond Catherine, Pichette Florence, Beaudin Myriam, Cernik Rebecca, Marin Marie-France
Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Research Centre of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
J Affect Disord. 2023 Jun 15;331:425-433. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.154. Epub 2023 Mar 26.
Children diagnosed with anxiety disorders show altered cortisol and state anxiety reactivity to stressful situations. To date, it remains unclear whether these dysregulations emerge after the pathology or whether they are also detectable in healthy children. If the latter is true, this may provide insight into children's vulnerability to develop clinical anxiety. Various personality factors (anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, perseverative cognitions) increase youth's vulnerability to develop anxiety disorders. This study aimed to examine whether vulnerability to anxiety was associated with cortisol reactivity and state anxiety in healthy youth.
114 children (8-12 y/o) were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C), where saliva samples were collected for cortisol quantification. State anxiety was assessed 20 min before and 10 min after the TSST-C using the state form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. Vulnerability to anxiety was assessed using a composite score of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children, and Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire.
Higher vulnerability to anxiety was associated with enhanced cortisol reactivity in boys. Irrespective of vulnerability level, girls reported greater changes in state anxiety in response to the TSST.
Given the correlational nature of this study, the directionality of the results remains to be elucidated.
These results indicate that endocrine patterns characterizing anxiety disorders are detectable in healthy boys who exhibit a high level of self-reported vulnerability to anxiety. These results could aid in the early identification of children at risk of developing anxiety disorders.
被诊断患有焦虑症的儿童在面对压力情境时，其皮质醇和状态焦虑反应会发生改变。迄今为止，尚不清楚这些调节异常是在患病后出现的，还是在健康儿童中也可检测到。如果后者属实，这可能有助于深入了解儿童患临床焦虑症的易感性。各种人格因素（焦虑敏感性、对不确定性的不耐受、执着性认知）会增加青少年患焦虑症的易感性。本研究旨在探讨健康青少年的焦虑易感性是否与皮质醇反应性和状态焦虑有关。
114名儿童（8至12岁）接受了儿童版特里尔社会应激测试（TSST-C），在此过程中收集唾液样本以进行皮质醇定量分析。使用儿童状态-特质焦虑量表的状态形式，在TSST-C前20分钟和后10分钟评估状态焦虑。使用儿童焦虑敏感性指数、儿童不确定性不耐受量表和执着性思维问卷的综合得分来评估焦虑易感性。
在男孩中，较高的焦虑易感性与增强的皮质醇反应性相关。无论易感性水平如何，女孩在面对TSST时报告的状态焦虑变化更大。
鉴于本研究的相关性本质，结果的方向性仍有待阐明。
这些结果表明，在自我报告的焦虑易感性较高的健康男孩中，可以检测到表征焦虑症的内分泌模式。这些结果有助于早期识别有患焦虑症风险的儿童。
