title: Effects of interpersonal violence-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on mother and child diurnal cortisol rhythm and cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor involving separation.
abstract: Women who have experienced interpersonal violence (IPV) are at a higher risk to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and impaired social behavior. Previously, we had reported impaired maternal sensitivity and increased difficulty in identifying emotions (i.e. alexithymia) among IPV-PTSD mothers. One of the aims of the present study was to examine maternal IPV-PTSD salivary cortisol levels diurnally and reactive to their child's distress in relation to maternal alexithymia. Given that mother-child interaction during infancy and early childhood has important long-term consequences on the stress response system, toddlers' cortisol levels were assessed during the day and in response to a laboratory stressor. Mothers collected their own and their 12-48month-old toddlers' salivary samples at home three times: 30min after waking up, between 2-3pm and at bedtime. Moreover, mother-child dyads participated in a 120-min laboratory session, consisting of 3 phases: baseline, stress situation (involving mother-child separation and exposure to novelty) and a 60-min regulation phase. Compared to non-PTSD controls, IPV-PTSD mothers - but not their toddlers, had lower morning cortisol and higher bedtime cortisol levels. As expected, IPV-PTSD mothers and their children showed blunted cortisol reactivity to the laboratory stressor. Maternal cortisol levels were negatively correlated to difficulty in identifying emotions. Our data highlights PTSD-IPV-related alterations in the HPA system and its relevance to maternal behavior. Toddlers of IPV-PTSD mothers also showed an altered pattern of cortisol reactivity to stress that potentially may predispose them to later psychological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK; Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: m.cordero@mmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dominik A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aurelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manini
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suardi
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sancho-Rossignol
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torrisi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology Service, Hôpital du Valais, Sion, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rossier
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ansermet
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexandre G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Dayer
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rusconi-Serpa
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Schechter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism; D007223:Infant; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Alexithymia; Cortisol; Early childhood; Glucocorticoids; HPA-axis; Intergenerational; Interpersonal violence; PTSD; Risk; Toddlers