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. 2015 Mar;18(2):281-97.
doi: 10.1111/desc.12195. Epub 2014 Jun 18.

Parent support is less effective in buffering cortisol stress reactivity for adolescents compared to children

Camelia E Hostinar  1 , Anna E Johnson, Megan R Gunnar
Affiliations

Parent support is less effective in buffering cortisol stress reactivity for adolescents compared to children

Camelia E Hostinar et al. Dev Sci. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to investigate developmental differences in the effectiveness of parent support to alleviate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses of children (ages 9-10, N = 40) and adolescents (ages 15-16, N = 41). We experimentally manipulated the provision of parent support during the speech preparation period before a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and examined its effect on levels of salivary cortisol secreted in response to this laboratory stressor. Analyses revealed a significant interaction of condition and age group such that social support from the parent (versus a stranger) significantly eliminated the cortisol stress response in children, but had no effect on the response among adolescents.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Estimated cortisol samples based on HLM results by age group and condition (Stranger Support or Parent Support). The TSST lasted 10 minutes and ended at the 0 minute mark on this graph. Analyses were conducted with log-transformed cortisol and estimated values were exponentiated to present nmol/L concentrations. Day 2 samples were estimated in a separate linear model controlling for the same covariates.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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