Pubertal stress recalibration and later social and emotional adjustment among adolescents: The role of early life stress

The current study investigated whether recalibration of the hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenocortical (HPA) axis stress response in youth who had previously experienced early life stress (ELS) would predict socioemotional adjustment in a follow-up assessment approximately 2-4 years later when youth were 12- to 21-years old. The sample consisted of previously institutionalized (PI) (N = 96) youth and a comparison non-adopted (NA) group (N = 117). Youth were 16 years old on average at the time of the follow-up assessment. Parent and youthreported measures were used to assess youth's internalizing symptoms and emotion regulation. Parentreported measures were used to assess youth's externalizing symptoms. We tested whether showing cortisol increases (vs. not) across the peripubertal period was associated with later social and emotional adjustment differently for PI and NA youth. Significant interactions emerged showing that for PI youth only, increases in cortisol reactivity across the peripubertal period was associated with poorer subsequent socioemotional functioning.

Automated summary

This study examined the recalibration of the HPA axis stress response in youths who had experienced early life stress, and how it predicts socioemotional adjustment. Results showed that for youths with early life stress, increased cortisol reactivity during puberty was associated with poorer socioemotional functioning.