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  • Title: Cortisol reactivity and anxiety and depression in pregnant adolescents: a longitudinal perspective.
    Author: Dorn LD, Susman EJ, Petersen AC.
    Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology; 1993; 18(3):219-39. PubMed ID: 8516425.
    Abstract:
    The purpose of this investigation was to examine: (1) the relations among cortisol reactivity (short term changes in cortisol concentration) and anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents during pregnancy and early postpartum, and (2) cortisol reactivity and psychosocial variables as predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms in pregnancy and early postpartum. Cortisol reactivity, an index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity, was hypothesized to be a vulnerability factor for poor physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents. Forty adolescents aged 14 to 19 years (M = 17.3, SD = 1.3) were enrolled in the study and were seen at < 20 weeks gestation (T1), 34-36 weeks gestation (T2), and 2-3 weeks postpartum (T3). Blood was drawn for cortisol at T1 and T3. Psychological assessments of anxiety and depression symptoms, life optimism, and self-worth were administered at T1, T2, and T3. There were significant correlations among cortisol reactivity and anxiety and depression symptoms at T1 and T3, but the correlations were the reverse of the hypothesized direction. Pregnant adolescents with increased cortisol reactivity (cortisol concentrations that increased across a 40-min period) had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than other adolescents. Longitudinal analyses showed that anxiety and depression symptoms at T1 were a stronger predictor of postpartum anxiety and depression than was cortisol reactivity, life optimism, self-worth, or age at pregnancy. The authors hypothesized cortisol reactivity to be a vulnerability factor for poor physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents. This paper reports findings from a study of the relations among cortisol reactivity and anxiety and depression symptoms in pregnancy and early postabortion. 40 adolescents aged 14-19 years were enrolled in the study and seen at less than 20 weeks gestation, 34-36 weeks gestation, and 2-3 weeks postpartum. Blood was drawn for cortisol at the 1st and 3rd time indexes. At all times, psychological assessments of anxiety and depression symptoms, life optimism, and self-worth were administered. Significant correlations were found among cortisol reactivity and anxiety and depression symptoms at T1 and T3, but in a direction opposite of that which was hypothesized. Pregnant adolescents with increased cortisol reactivity had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than other adolescents. Longitudinal analyses further demonstrated that anxiety and depression symptoms at T1 were stronger predictors of postpartum anxiety and depression than were cortisol reactivity, life optimism, self worth, or age at pregnancy.
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