Stressful life events and daily stressors affect awakening cortisol level in midlife mothers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The current study examines the awakening cortisol level in midlife mothers (M = 51.4 years old, SD = 8.4) of individuals (M = 22.1 years old, SD = 7.1) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) under stressful conditions that are not specific to their son or daughter's ASD symptoms.


METHODS
In addition to completing a set of questionnaires and in-home interviews, 82 mothers from the Adolescents and Adults with Autism Study (AAA) participated in a Daily Diary Study.


RESULTS
Findings from the multilevel models indicated that mothers who previously were exposed to no negative life events in the previous period had an increased awakening cortisol level on days following a greater number and more severe stressors, a normative stress response. In contrast, we observed a flatter cortisol level of daily stressors in mothers who experienced a greater number of negative life events in the previous period.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the sustained toll that global and everyday stressors have on awakening cortisol level of midlife and aging mothers of individuals with ASD.
Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. jwong@waisman.wisc.edu
Jen D
JD
Wong
Marsha M
MM
Seltzer
Jan S
JS
Greenberg
Jinkuk
J
Hong
David M
DM
Almeida
Christopher L
CL
Coe
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014851:Wakefulness
D006854:Hydrocortisone