title: Regulatory skill as a resilience factor for adults with a history of foster care: a pilot study.
abstract: Individuals with a history of foster care (FC) are at elevated risk for emotion regulation-related mental illness. The purpose of the current study was to characterize regulatory function in a group of adults with a history of FC (N = 26) relative to those without a history of FC (N = 27) and how regulatory function moderates adverse caregiving-related outcomes (daily cortisol production and trait anxiety). Self-report items (anxiety, emotion regulation strategies, inhibitory control, caregiving history) were collected along with more objective measures (computerized task and salivary cortisol). Inhibitory control was assessed via self-report and a computerized task (emotional face go/nogo). Results showed that for adults with a history of FC, higher levels of inhibitory control were associated with higher accuracy on the emotional face go/nogo task and greater reported use of the emotion regulation strategy cognitive reappraisal. Greater use of cognitive reappraisal in turn was associated with healthier stress-related outcomes (decreased trait anxiety and steeper sloped cortisol production throughout the day). Dose-response associations were observed between self-reported regulatory skills and FC experiences (i.e., number of placements and age when exited foster care). These findings suggest that adverse caregiving can have long-term influences on mental health that extend into adulthood; however, individual differences in regulatory skills moderate these outcomes and may be an important target for intervention following caregiving adversity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA.
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Nim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tottenham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000469:parasitology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011930:Reaction Time; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: HPA axis; emotion; foster care; human; regulation; stress