Cortisol Stress Response Research Articles

Psychobiological impact of speaking a second language in healthy young men

The use of second languages is ubiquitous in modern societies. Despite many benefits, there is also evidence for this to cause or exacerbate stress (e.g. in the form of foreign language anxiety). The aim of the present study was to examine to which extent speaking a second language increases acute psychobiological stress in a social context. A total of N = 63 healthy Swiss males were randomly allocated to one of two conditions: completing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in Swiss German (their first language) vs. standard German (perceived as a second language). Repeated measures of self-reported stress, anxiety, salivary cortisol, and heart rate were obtained. Participants speaking standard German showed significantly larger cortisol increases in response to the TSST when compared to those speaking Swiss German (F(1, 61) = 5.53, p = .022, eta2 = .083). The two groups did not differ in terms of self-reported stress and anxiety, nor in their heart rate response (all p > .216). This study provides initial evidence that speaking a second language in social contexts increases the cortisol stress response. Future research should explore the short- and long-term effects this may have in populations frequently using second languages (e.g. learners of a second language, migrants).

Ontogeny of the cortisol stress response and glucocorticoid receptor expression during early development in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone which is an endocrine signaling molecule in all vertebrates and acts through intracellular glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). Cortisol affects many biological functions including immunity, stress, growth, and reproduction. The objective of this study was to investigate the ontogeny of the cortisol and GR stress response in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) at several early life stages. To accomplish this, resting and stress-induced levels of tissue cortisol and the two catfish GRs (GR-1 and GR-2) expression were measured. Resting cortisol levels in newly fertilized eggs averaged 2.4 ± 0.2 ng/egg and decreased to 0.4 ± 0.01 ng/egg by day 5. Cortisol levels in newly fertilized eggs subjected to an acute stress (lowered dissolved oxygen from 6.5 mg/L to 1.8 mg/L) averaged 2.3 ± 0.1 ng/egg and decreased to 0.3 ± 0.03 ng/egg by day 5. At hatching, resting cortisol levels were 24 ± 1.0 ng/0.1 g tissue while levels increased to 83 ± 2.0 ng/0.1 g tissue in fry subjected to an acute stress (P < .05). Four days post-hatch, resting cortisol levels were 83 ± 1.0 ng/0.1 g tissue while levels increased to 149 ± 4.0 ng/0.1 g tissue in fry subjected to an acute stress (P < .01). There was no significant difference between GR-1 and GR-2 mRNA in stressed and unstressed newly hatched fry. Four days post-hatch, GR-1 mRNA increased 3-fold while GR-2 mRNA increased 2-fold in fry that were subjected to low dissolved oxygen conditions (P < .05). These results indicate that cortisol biosynthesis, integration and maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis can be observed in channel catfish at hatching. The upregulation of GR-1 and -2 mRNA in stressed fry supports roles for both transcripts in integrating the channel catfish stress response.

Smiling through the shyness: The adaptive function of positive affect in shy children.

Most research treats shyness as a homogenous phenomenon when examining its correlates and consequences, which limits the identification of specific groups of shy children who may be at differential risk for maladaptive social outcomes. Here, we examined whether different types of shyness were uniquely associated with social adjustment and physiological stress reactivity in school-age children (n = 92; Mage = 7.47 years; SD = 2.23 years). During the completion of a videotaped self-presentation task, behavioral measures of positivity and avoidance were coded in order to derive shyness groups (i.e., positive shy: high positivity and high avoidance; negative shy: low positivity and high avoidance; and non-shy: low avoidance). Further, during the self-presentation task, direct observation of activity level was coded, and salivary cortisol reactivity to the social stressor was measured. We also collected parent- and teacher report of children's social anxiety, and parent report of children's sociability. We found that negative shy children were more socially anxious according to both parent- and teacher report, less sociable, and they also displayed reduced activity levels during the speech than the positive shy and non-shy children. Positive shy and non-shy children were indistinguishable across all measures of social behavior. Shyness group had no influence on children's cortisol stress reactivity. Our findings provide support for heterogeneity in the expression of shyness, and highlight that not all shy children experience poor social adjustment. Expression of positivity during socially threatening situations may have an adaptive social function in shy school-age children, as it is associated with reduced social anxiety and increased sociability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of childhood trauma on the cortisol and testosterone stress response are mediated by life history strategy

Effects of childhood trauma on the cortisol and testosterone stress response are mediated by life history strategy

Acute stress alters the ‘default’ brain processing

Active adaptation to acute stress is essential for coping with daily life challenges. The stress hormone cortisol, as well as large scale re-allocations of brain resources have been implicated in this adaptation. Stress-induced shifts between large-scale brain networks, including salience (SN), central executive (CEN) and default mode networks (DMN), have however been demonstrated mainly under task-conditions. It remains unclear whether such network shifts also occur in the absence of ongoing task-demands, and most critically, whether these network shifts are predictive of individual variation in the magnitude of cortisol stress-responses.In a sample of 335 healthy participants, we investigated stress-induced functional connectivity changes (delta-FC) of the SN, CEN and DMN, using resting-state fMRI data acquired before and after a socially evaluated cold-pressor test and a mental arithmetic task. To investigate which network changes are associated with acute stress, we evaluated the association between cortisol increase and delta-FC of each network.Stress-induced cortisol increase was associated with increased connectivity within the SN, but with decreased coupling of DMN at both local (within network) and global (synchronization with brain regions also outside the network) levels.These findings indicate that acute stress prompts immediate connectivity changes in large-scale resting-state networks, including the SN and DMN in the absence of explicit ongoing task-demands. Most interestingly, this brain reorganization is coupled with individuals’ cortisol stress-responsiveness. These results suggest that the observed stress-induced network reorganization might function as a neural mechanism determining individual stress reactivity and, therefore, it could serve as a promising marker for future studies on stress resilience and vulnerability.

Impact of maltreatment on depressive symptoms in young male adults: The mediating and moderating role of cortisol stress response and coping strategies

BackgroundConverging evidence suggests that maltreated children suffer from depression at an early age and experience recurrent episodes of depression that persist over longer periods of time. However, the stress-related mechanisms hypothesized to be implicated in these associations remain to be specified. The present study tested the mediating and moderating roles of acute cortisol response to stress and coping strategies in the association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms in early adulthood. MethodsData from 156 men aged 18 to 35 years (n = 56 maltreated) were collected using self-reported questionnaires assessing child maltreatment, depressive symptomatology and coping strategies. Cortisol was measured in response to the “Trier Social Stress Test” (TSST). ResultsAlthough acute cortisol response to stress did not mediate the maltreatment-depressive symptoms association, a moderation effect was found. Child maltreatment was associated with higher risk of depressive symptoms among participants with a higher cortisol response to stress, but not for those with moderate-to-lower cortisol responses. Additionally, maltreated participants reported more depressive symptoms, an association that was partly explained by their higher use of emotion-oriented coping (mediation). Finally, maltreated individuals who reported using less task-oriented coping had greater depressive symptomatology than those who adopted this coping strategy more frequently (moderation). ConclusionThese findings extend prior work examining the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the etiology of depression. The results draw attention to coping strategies, in addition to acute cortisol response to stress, as potential targets for mitigating the onset of depressive symptoms in adults maltreated as children.

Cortisol stress reactivity moderates the effects of parental corporal punishment on Chinese preschoolers' executive function.

To date whether the effects of parental corporal punishment (CP) on executive function (EF) distinct components are different is less clear. Moreover, theory and empirical work suggest that physiological regulation system may help to explain the individual differences in the developmental outcomes associated with parental CP. This study examined the effects of parental CP on Chinese preschoolers' EF and whether the cortisol stress reactivity would moderate such effects. One hundred and fifty-two preschool-aged children and their parents from Beijing China participated in the present study. Parental CP was reported by fathers and mothers respectively in the first year of the study (2015, spring), and children's EF was assessed and salivary cortisol was collected in the second year (2016, spring). Both paternal and maternal CP were negatively correlated with children's EF one year later, and the relation between maternal, but not paternal CP and children's EF was moderated by cortisol stress reactivity. Specifically, compared to children with high cortisol stress reactivity levels, children with low cortisol stress reactivity levels who experienced maternal CP in the past year showed poorer global EF and working memory. Findings highlight the critical importance of examining the interactive effects of individual physiological level and environmental-level risks on young children's self-regulation outcomes.

Telomere length and salivary cortisol stress reactivity in very preterm infants

During the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay, very preterm (VPT) infants are exposed to life-saving yet pain-inducing skin-breaking procedures (i.e., NICU pain-related stress) which contribute to the programming of hypo-responsive HPA axis development during the first months of life. Unfortunately, to date the mechanisms linking NICU pain-related stress and altered HPA axis regulation are only limitedly known. Telomere length (TL) regulation is an epigenetic mechanism previously shown to be affected by early stress exposures and capable of associating with HPA axis reactivity in children. In VPT infants, NICU pain-related stress was found to associate with decreased TL from birth to discharge, but there is no evidence for the association between TL and HPA axis in these infants. In this study, we prospectively examined the relationship between NICU pain-related stress and HPA axis reactivity to an age-appropriate socio-emotional condition (i.e., the Still-Face Procedure, SFP) in healthy VPT infants at 3-month corrected age. NICU pain-related stress was computed as the ratio between the number of skin-breaking procedures and length of NICU stay. A differential score (i.e., ∆TL) was obtained subtracting TL at birth from TL at discharge. A normalized (log10) cortisol reactivity index (CRI) was obtained by averaging post-stress (20 min after SFP) salivary cortisol sample on baseline value. A regression model controlling for neonatal and socio-demographic confounders showed that ∆TL was the only significant predictor of CRI. Although preliminary, these findings contribute to our knowledge of the mechanisms linking early exposures to adversity and later in life regulation of the HPA axis in VPT infants.

The mineralocorticoid receptor is essential for stress axis regulation in zebrafish larvae

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in mammals mediates the effects of aldosterone in regulating fluid balance and potassium homeostasis. While MR signalling is essential for survival in mammals, there is no evidence that MR has any physiological role in ray-finned fish. Teleosts lack aldosterone and emerging evidence suggest that cortisol mediates ion and fluid regulation by activating glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signalling. Consequently, a physiological role for MR signalling, despite its conserved and ancient origin, is still lacking. We tested the hypothesis that a key physiological role for MR signalling in fish is the regulation of stress axis activation and function. Using either MR or GR knockout zebrafish, our results reveal distinct and complementary role for these receptors in stress axis function. GR−/− mutants were hypercortisolemic and failed to elicit a cortisol stress response, while MR−/− mutants showed a delayed, but sustained cortisol response post-stressor. Both these receptors are involved in stress-related behaviour, as the loss of either receptors abolished the glucocorticoid-mediated larval hyperactivity to a light stimulus. Overall, the results underscore a key physiological role for MR signalling in ray-finned fishes, and we propose that the regulation of the highly conserved stress axis as the original function of this receptor.

Physiological responses to acute stress and the drive to eat: The impact of perceived life stress

The stress-eating relationship is mediated by the release of cortisol from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Variability in stress-induced eating, and consequently, obesity, may be explained in part by individual differences in chronic stress, which disrupts the regulatory effects of the HPA axis on stress-induced eating. A greater understanding of the physiological mechanisms by which chronic stress affects acute stress-induced eating is critical in order to inform efforts to prevent and treat obesity. The current study examined the relationship between physiological responses to acute stress (cortisol and cardiovascular factors) and the drive to eat (ratings of hunger and desire to eat) in female undergraduates with high and low perceived life stress. Participants (n = 64) rated their perceived life stress in an online screening and, on a separate visit, rated their drive to eat before and after a mental stress task. The present report focused on only participants in the lowest (n = 16) and highest (n = 14) quartiles of perceived life stress. Women with high perceived life stress showed greater stress-induced cortisol responses, but no significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate. The heightened cortisol responses were not associated with hunger and desire to eat, but the cardiovascular responses were positively associated with the drive to eat. Women with low perceived life stress showed no relationships between physiological stress markers and the drive to eat. These results suggest that the cortisol stress response is dissociated from the drive to eat in chronically stressed women, although due to the small sample size the data should be regarded as preliminary. Further studies are needed to explore how cortisol and cardiovascular reactivity affect stress-induced eating.

Stress responding and stress-related changes in cue reactivity in heavy smokers, problem gamblers, and healthy controls.

Addictions, both substance and behavioral, have been conceptualized as involving similar biopsychosocial processes with different opportunistic expressions. A maladaptive stress response in combination with craving or urges to engage in the addictive behavior may be among the underlying factors common to behavioral and substance addictions. The current study compared the neuroendocrine (cortisol) and subjective responses to stress of gamblers and smokers to healthy controls. We assessed if participants responded differently to smoking or gambling cues before and after a psychosocial stressor. To this end, the subjective urges/cravings of all participants were measured in response to smoking or gambling cues versus neutral cues, once under normal conditions and again after exposure to a stressor. Salivary cortisol was measured prior to, immediately following, and 10minutes after conclusion of the stressor. Smokers and gamblers showed a similar blunted cortisol response to the acute stressor that differed from the control group's response. Following a stressor, subjective craving in smokers increased whereas gamblers' urges decreased. In smokers, a blunted cortisol and subjective stress response were related to increased urges. In contrast, for gamblers, changes in cortisol levels were unrelated to urges, and higher subjective stress was associated with decreased urges. In conclusion, individuals with a substance and a behavioral addiction share common patterns of reactivity to stress. However, while the stressor enhanced cue-related craving in smokers, it generally had the opposite effect on gamblers. Further research is necessary to elucidate the complicated patterns of similarities and differences that underlie substance and behavioral addictions.

Child sex moderates the relationship between cortisol stress reactivity and symptoms over time

BackgroundPast work suggests that individual differences in stress reactivity have implications for the development of psychopathology; in particular, females' stress reactivity appears more closely tied to internalizing symptoms than males' reactivity. Conversely, males who are under-reactive to threat may be at risk for externalizing problems. However, little is known about when such differences may emerge, although this knowledge could have implications for early prevention. MethodsCortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor was assessed in 409 three-year-old children (201 boys), along with parent-reported children's internalizing (anxiety and depression) and externalizing (oppositional-defiant and attention problems and hyperactivity) symptoms. Parent-reported symptoms were re-collected at child ages 5 (N = 379) and 8 (N = 364). Multilevel modelling was used to investigate whether the relationship between cortisol reactivity and symptoms differed between boys and girls over time. ResultsGirls with lower cortisol reactivity showed a negative association between depressive symptoms and time, while girls with higher reactivity showed no such association. No interaction between sex and cortisol reactivity was found for anxious symptoms. Boys with higher cortisol reactivity showed a negative association between symptoms and time, while boys with lower cortisol reactivity showed no such association. Time and ADHD symptoms were unrelated for boys, regardless of their cortisol reactivity. ConclusionsFindings suggest that the implications of stress reactivity indexed via cortisol vary for boys and girls, as well as for different symptom manifestations.

Interdependent self-construal, social evaluative threat and subjective, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress response in Chinese

Interdependent self-construal (ISC) is a concept positing that people define their self through social roles and relationships with others. We investigated in two independent studies whether ISC had an effect on psychological and endocrine stress responses. Study 1 collected data of 295 healthy young Chinese participants' subjective report of ISC using the self-construal scale, and daily levels of stress using the daily stress inventory. Correlational analyses showed that individuals with higher ISC perceived higher levels of stress in daily life. Study 2 added biological measures of stress by analyzing both basal cortisol levels and reactive cortisol level of high/low ISC individuals (23 high and 23 low ISC healthy young Chinese participants recruited from a total of 440 participants), in response to the Trier Social Stress test. Participants with high ISC showed higher cortisol stress responses, higher heart rate measurements, and higher subjective stress reports when compared to low ISC participants. Further analyses suggested that participants' perception of social evaluative threat mediated the association between ISC and the cortisol stress response. Taken together, these findings suggest a significant role of ISC in regulating the biological and psychological stress response. These findings are discussed in the context of other personality factors known to affect the stress response, and the cultural-related self-construal literature. We also discuss the possible application of the ISC personality factor for future stress studies.

Association between DNA methylation of the KITLG gene and cortisol levels under stress: a replication study

A recent study reported for the first time, that DNA methylation of the KITLG gene mediates the association between childhood trauma and cortisol stress reactivity. Our study aimed to provide the first independent replication of these findings. ESPRIT is a prospective study of community-dwelling participants (age ≥ 65), randomly selected from the electoral rolls of the Montpellier district, in France. Clinical depression was assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI, French version 5.00), and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Experiences of childhood adversity were ascertained via a 25-item questionnaire. Morning, evening, and diurnal salivary cortisol was measured under basal and stress conditions and determined using direct radioimmunoassay analysis. DNA methylation of the KITLG gene was quantified in whole blood using the SEQUENOM MassARRAY EpiTYPER platform. A significant negative association was observed between KITLG DNA methylation and both morning cortisol (β = −1.846 ± 0.666, p = .007) and diurnal cortisol (area under curve [AUC]) (β = −19.429 ± 8.868, p = .031) under a stress condition. However, only the former association was significant after correcting for multiple testing. Further, this association remained after adjusting for age, sex, and depression status. No significant association was observed between childhood trauma and KITLG DNA methylation in this older population. This study provides support for an association between KITLG methylation and stress cortisol levels, suggesting that DNA methylation of this gene may play a role in the longer term regulation of the stress system.Lay summary The significant negative association between KITLG DNA methylation and morning cortisol, measured under a stressful condition, suggests that individuals with higher KITLG methylation will secrete lower levels of cortisol whilst under stress.

The role of bicultural adaptation, familism, and family conflict in Mexican American adolescents' cortisol reactivity.

Scarce research has examined stress responsivity among Latino youths, and no studies have focused on the role of acculturation in shaping cortisol stress response in this population. This study assessed Mexican American adolescents' Mexican and Anglo cultural orientations and examined prospective associations between their patterns of bicultural orientation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortisol reactivity to an adapted Trier Social Stress Test. The sample included 264 youths from a longitudinal birth cohort study who completed the Trier Social Stress Test and provided saliva samples at age 14. The youths completed assessments of cultural orientation at age 12, and family conflict and familism at age 14. Analyses testing the interactive effects of Anglo and Mexican orientation showed significant associations with cortisol responsivity, including the reactivity slope, peak levels, and recovery, but these associations were not mediated by family conflict nor familism values. Findings revealed that bicultural youth (high on both Anglo and Mexican orientations) showed an expected pattern of high cortisol responsivity, which may be adaptive in the context of a strong acute stressor, whereas individuals endorsing only high levels of Anglo orientation had a blunted cortisol response. Findings are discussed in relation to research on biculturalism and the trade-offs and potential recalibration of a contextually responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis for acculturating adolescents.

Binge drinking in adolescence predicts an atypical cortisol stress response in young adulthood

Adolescence is a sensitive developmental period in which substance use can exert long-term effects on important biological systems. Emerging cross-sectional research indicates that problematic alcohol consumption may be associated with dysregulated neuroendocrine system functioning. The current study evaluated the prospective effects of binge drinking in adolescence on cortisol stress reactivity in young adulthood among individuals who had experienced parental divorce in childhood (N = 160; Mean age = 25.55, SD = 1.22; 46.9% Female; 88.8% White Non-Hispanic). Youth completed validated measures of problematic drinking during adolescence (aged 15–19) and participated in a standardized social stress task nine years later in young adulthood. Latent growth modeling was conducted within a structural equation modeling framework. Greater binge drinking during adolescence was associated with a significantly lower cortisol stress response in young adulthood, controlling for young adult drinking, sex, childhood externalizing problems, and socioeconomic status. Findings suggest problematic alcohol consumption during mid-to-late adolescence may have important effects on the neuroendocrine stress response system at subsequent developmental stages.

Persistent Effects of Antenatal Synthetic Glucocorticoids on Endocrine Stress Reactivity From Childhood to Adolescence

Antenatal synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) therapy has been identified as a potent programming factor of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We previously observed significantly increased cortisol stress responses in 6- to 11-year-old, term-born children exposed to antenatal sGCs compared with controls. These findings call for longitudinal follow-up studies to evaluate long-term effects of antenatal sGCs, given that adolescence is marked by a substantial shift of HPA axis functioning. This study aimed to longitudinally investigate the stability of antenatal sGC-related effects on cortisol stress reactivity from childhood to adolescence. To evaluate long-term trajectories of antenatal sGCs, we longitudinally followed a subsample (n = 44) of our children's cohort into adolescence (14 to 18 years old) for a second assessment. To this end, 22 adolescents with antenatal sGC exposure and 22 untreated controls underwent a standardized laboratory stressor [Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)]. Besides a general increase in HPA axis reactivity from childhood to adolescence (P < 0.05), participants treated with antenatal sGCs showed significantly higher cortisol levels in response to the TSST compared with controls during both developmental stages (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we observed a moderating effect of sGCs on rank-order stability of cortisol stress reactivity from childhood to adolescence (P < 0.05) with a trend (P = 0.07) for higher rank-order stability in sGC-exposed individuals (r = 0.37) compared with controls (r = -0.20). These findings suggest that antenatal sGCs yield long-term changes of HPA axis reactivity that persist into adolescence and may confer increased vulnerability for developing stress-related disorders.

Epigenetic Programming by Maternal Behavior in the Human Infant.

A cohort study of term, healthy infants and their mothers who did (n = 21) or did not (n = 21) breastfeed for the first 5 months was used in this analysis. Cortisol stress reactivity was measured in infant saliva by using a mother-infant interaction procedure and DNA methylation of an important regulatory region of the glucocorticoid receptor gene. Changes in DNA methylation of this gene in humans were compared to homologous regions of the rat gene. DNA samples were prepared from cheek swabs and subjected to quantitative analysis of the extent of methylation by using sensitive sequencing techniques. Breastfeeding was associated with decreased DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor promoter and decreased cortisol reactivity in 5-month-old infants. Decreased DNA methylation occurred in the promoter region involved in regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and immune system responses. Maternal care in humans may impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress response through behavioral programming and manifest as offspring epigenetic change. These results explain, in part, some of the positive effects observed in children who are breastfed.

Water temperature modifies the acute stress response of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L. (1758)

The effects of water temperature (15, 20 and 25 °C) on the stress response of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, were studied. Blood and water samples were collected prior and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 h post-stress for hormonal and biochemical analysis. Water temperature affected the resting concentrations of all stress indicators examined, as well as their response after stress, apart from lactate which response was unaffected by temperature. Cortisol showed the response with the highest outcome at 15 °C, and the fastest at 25 °C. Cortisol release rate in the water was also faster and of higher magnitude at higher temperatures. Glucose had both the fastest and higher in magnitude response at 25 °C, while lactate responded similarly in all temperatures tested. Finally, osmolality changed only at the highest temperature. These results suggest that temperature should be taken into consideration when evaluating the resting levels of stress indicators of European sea bass in laboratory, rearing and field conditions. Additionally, the present results show that temperature affects the stress response, suggesting that fish can differ in their susceptibility to stress depending on the acclimatization temperature. Moreover, it was shown that cortisol release rate in the water, a non-invasive stress indicator, can depict the effects of temperature on cortisol stress response.

Childhood Poly-victimization Is Associated With Elevated Body Mass Index and Blunted Cortisol Stress Response in College Women.

Childhood interpersonal violence is linked to obesity and central adiposity in adulthood. Victimization experiences are likely to co-occur within individuals, but few studies have examined poly-victimization in the context of obesity and central adiposity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between poly-victimization and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) and to explore whether dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as measured by the cortisol stress response, mediates the relationship. Healthy undergraduate women were recruited for a laboratory study from an online survey that assessed six different childhood victimization experiences: physical abuse, sexual abuse, peer violence, intimate partner violence, community violence, and witnessing violence. Forty-four women were categorized as poly-victims (2-5 types of violence exposures) and 48 were controls (0 types of violence exposures). Salivary cortisol was measured before and after the Trier Social Stress Test. Cortisol stress response was analyzed by the area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCG). Compared with controls, poly-victims had higher BMI (B = 2.03, p = .04) and lower cortisol AUCG (B = -6.70, p < .01), independent of covariates. Poly-victims showed blunted AUCG in response to the stress task compared with controls, independent of covariates (B = -6.70, p < .01). Bootstrapping tests of mediation showed that cortisol response was not a significant mediator of the relationship between poly-victimization and BMI. Secondary analyses among poly-victims showed that the more frequent the violence exposure the higher the BMI. Childhood poly-victimization is linked to higher BMI and blunted cortisol responses in young adult women. Assessment of multiple forms of childhood victimization is recommended.