Anxious attachment style and salivary cortisol dysregulation in healthy female children and adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Attachment style has been linked with basal cortisol secretion in healthy adult women. We investigated whether dysregulation in basal cortisol secretion may be evident in younger healthy females.


METHODS
Sixty healthy females aged 9-18 years (mean 14.16, SD ± 2.63 years) participated in the Attachment Style Interview (ASI). Eight saliva samples, synchronised to awakening, were collected per day on two consecutive weekdays to examine the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and the subsequent diurnal decline.


RESULTS
Participants exhibiting an anxious attachment style had higher cortisol levels on awakening, in contrast to those who were securely attached. The anxious insecure group also showed an attenuated CAR compared to all other participants. Attachment style groups did not differ in cortisol secretion over the remainder of the day.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that the same pattern of cortisol dysregulation associated with disorder in adulthood manifests as a function of anxious (but not avoidant) insecure attachment style in females during healthy childhood and adolescence.
Oskis
Andrea
A
Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK.
Loveday
Catherine
C
Hucklebridge
Frank
F
Thorn
Lisa
L
Clow
Angela
A
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D009769:Object Attachment; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D006854:Hydrocortisone