title: Brief report: Role of cortisol in posttraumatic stress symptoms among mothers of children diagnosed with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the role of cortisol in posttraumatic stress symptomatology among mothers of children newly diagnosed with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers (N = 27) completed standardized measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms and provided salivary cortisol samples at the time of their child's cancer diagnosis and then monthly for 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Random effects regression analyses of 351 person-by-time observations revealed that high levels of cortisol were associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (B = .12, p < .02). The mothers who exhibited higher cortisol levels at the time of their child's diagnosis showed statistically significant declines in symptomatology from diagnosis to 12 months postdiagnosis (B = .97, p < .0001) compared to mothers who exhibited lower cortisol levels at diagnosis (B = .003, p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings offer some suggestions into possible neurobiological processes underlying posttraumatic stress symptoms and directions for future research and clinical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. lstoppelbein@psychiatry.umsmed.edu
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stoppelbein
authors.forename: Leilani
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greening
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fite
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008016:Life Change Events; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone