title: Parent support is less effective in buffering cortisol stress reactivity for adolescents compared to children.
abstract: The goal of the present study was to investigate developmental differences in the effectiveness of parent support to alleviate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses of children (ages 9-10, N = 40) and adolescents (ages 15-16, N = 41). We experimentally manipulated the provision of parent support during the speech preparation period before a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and examined its effect on levels of salivary cortisol secreted in response to this laboratory stressor. Analyses revealed a significant interaction of condition and age group such that social support from the parent (versus a stranger) significantly eliminated the cortisol stress response in children, but had no effect on the response among adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Cells to Society - The Center on Social Disparities and Health, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, USA; Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Camelia E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hostinar
authors.forename: Anna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Megan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gunnar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone