Longitudinal Associations of Adolescent Stress and Cortisol, Testosterone, and DHEA during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a prolonged, chronic stressor. We examined longitudinal associations of adolescent-reported pandemic-related stressors and cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and testosterone, in 11/20-02/21 [Winter20] and 08/21-10/21 [Fall21], during the second and third waves of US case counts. Participants included adolescents (10.5-18 years; 52% male) from the US-based Early Growth and Development Study. We analyzed six stress-related survey measures (nWinter20=124; nFall21=109): pandemic disruptions (e.g., to sleep, activity, leaving house), family activity restrictions, negative impacts of the pandemic, worry about covid/pandemic, stress attributed to covid/pandemic, and pandemic-related stress (e.g., attention to/stressfulness of pandemic-related changes). Hormones were assayed from hair (nWinter20=118; nFall21=40). We assessed correlations among and between survey and hormone measures at both timepoints for the full sample, and split at age 13 (older/younger). Stress measures were modestly stable, rs=.29(restrictions)-.49(pandemic-related stress; negative impacts), ns=75-77. Testosterone levels were stable, r=.59, but not cortisol or DHEA; Winter20 testosterone predicted Fall’21 DHEA, r=.62, ns=26. In Winter20, disruptions, COVID-attributed stress, and pandemic-related stress were related to lower testosterone, rs=-.25 to -.26, ns=69-70. For older youth, Winter’20 disruptions, negative impacts, and pandemic-related stress was related to Fall21 cortisol, rs=.50-.69, n=18. In Fall21, all stress measures except disruptions correlated with cortisol, rs=.49-.70, n=26. Pandemic-related stress was related to lower testosterone and higher cortisol. Associations of cortisol in Fall21 but not Winter20 may suggest that the longevity of the pandemic has worsening effects on adolescent cortisol.