Abstract
Although numerous studies have described the relationship between HPA axis dysregulation and internalizing symptoms among adolescents, research using hair cortisol concentrations in pre- and young adolescent samples has not been reported. We investigated the association of self-reported internalizing symptoms with cortisol concertration in hair among pre- and young adolescents aged 10–12 years. Forty-six boys and 39 girls supplied a hair sample of at least 3 cm in length for an analysis of this period (3 months) cortisol excretion. Saliva cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) also was assessed. The study found a positive association between ratings of depressive symptoms and cumulative levels of hair cortisol only in boys. Furthermore, higher ratings of anxiety symptoms were associated with lower hair cortisol concertration and lower saliva cortisol reactivity among girls. This study provides the first evidence for the notion that depressive symptoms in boys are associated with long-term cortisol concertration in hair, whereas anxiety symptoms in girls are associated with HPA-axis hypoactivity, when hair cortisol concentrations and saliva cortisol reactivity to acute stress are assessed concurrently.
Highlights
Internalizing symptoms in children and adolescents, such as non-clinical depression and anxiety traits, are key health issues inchildhood and adolescence
The significant relative genderÃCDI score interaction terms (β = -1.168, p = 0.012) indicated that the positive association between hair cortisol and depressive symptoms was stronger among boys, for whom being depression symptoms was less common
This study is a first step in research on the association between self-reported internalizing symptoms and hair cortisol concentrations and cortisol reactivity in saliva in pre- and young adolescent samples aged 10–12 year-old
Summary
Internalizing symptoms in children and adolescents, such as non-clinical depression and anxiety traits, are key health issues inchildhood and adolescence. Brady and Kendall [1], who performed a literature review of internalizing disorders in children and adolescents, estimated that 15.9–61.9% of children and adolescents have anxiety and depression disorders. Emerging internalizing symptoms predict later internalizing disorders [2]. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which is acentral component of the body’s neuroendocrine response to stress, is thought to play a central role in the pathophysiology of depressive and anxiety disorders.
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