Increased cortisol awakening response and afternoon/evening cortisol output in healthy young adults with low early life parental care.
BACKGROUND
Growing evidence from animal and human studies suggests a profound and long-lasting influence of early life experiences--ranging from variations in parenting behavior to severe adversity--on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the current investigation was to examine the association between naturally occurring variations in early life parental care and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), afternoon/evening cortisol output and key psychological variables in a sample of healthy young adults.


METHODS
Fifty-eight (19 male and 39 female) participants between 18 and 30 years of age completed psychological questionnaires and collected saliva at awakening, 30 min thereafter and at 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9 p.m. on three non-consecutive weekdays.


RESULTS
Participants with low (compared to high) parental care experiences exhibited an increased CAR, increased afternoon/evening cortisol output, decreased self-esteem, and increased depressive symptomatology and anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that the elevated CAR and afternoon/evening cortisol levels might reflect a biological correlate of adversity-induced vulnerability for psychopathology. This study is first to show an association between the retrospective perception of early life parental care and cortisol circadian rhythms in healthy young adults.
Engert
Veronika
V
Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. veronika.engert@mail.mcgill.ca
Efanov
Simona I
SI
Dedovic
Katarina
K
Dagher
Alain
A
Pruessner
Jens C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness; D055815:Young Adult
D006854:Hydrocortisone