Childhood psychosocial adversity and adult cortisol patterns.
BACKGROUND
Cortisol levels may be altered in childhood in association with maltreatment (neglect, abuse and witnessing abuse) and other adversities, yet little is known about whether effects on cortisol persist into later life.


OBJECTIVE
To establish whether childhood psychosocial adversities predict cortisol levels in mid-adulthood.


METHODS
Childhood psychosocial adversities were ascertained in the 1958 British birth cohort and cortisol was measured in two saliva samples, one 45 min after awaking (T(1)) and the other 3 h later the same day (T(2)), from 6524 participants aged 45 years.


RESULTS
No association was seen for abuse or household dysfunction in childhood and adult cortisol levels. In women but not men, T(1) cortisol was lowered by 7.9% per unit increase in childhood neglect score (range 0-3); T(1) to T(2) cortisol decline was less steep. High levels of maltreatment (abuse, neglect, witnessed abuse) were associated with >25% lower T(1) cortisol in both men and women, and 24% higher T(2) cortisol for men after adjustment for concurrent depressive/anxiety symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
In a non-clinical population, cumulative maltreatments in childhood were associated with flattened morning cortisol secretion in mid-adult life.
Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health/Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University College London (UCL) Institute of Child Health, London, UK. christine.power@ucl.ac.uk
Chris
C
Power
Claudia
C
Thomas
Leah
L
Li
Clyde
C
Hertzman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D006854:Hydrocortisone