Coping strategies moderate the relation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to self-injurious behavior.
An alarming proportion of adolescents engage in purposefully self-injurious behavior (SIB). SIB is a maladaptive strategy for coping with extreme tension generated in response to stress, particularly interpersonal stress. This study investigated the relation of older adolescents' SIB to the reactivity of the body's major physiological system for responding to stress, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, after interpersonal stress. Adolescents' behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies were shown to alter the relation between SIB and HPA reactivity after conflict with a romantic partner.
Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Tobin Hall, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. powers@psych.umass.edu
Sally I
SI
Powers
Eliza T
ET
McArdle
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology
D006854:Hydrocortisone