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- Title
Brief Report: Role of Cortisol in Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Mothers of Children Diagnosed with Cancer.
- Authors
Stoppelbein, Laura; Greening, Leilani; Fite, Paula J.
- Abstract
Objective To examine the role of cortisol in posttraumatic stress symptomatology among mothers of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Methods Mothers (N = 27) completed standardized measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms and provided salivary cortisol samples at the time of their child’s cancer diagnosis and then monthly for 1 year. Results Random effects regression analyses of 351 person-by-time observations revealed that high levels of cortisol were associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (B = .12, p < .02). The mothers who exhibited higher cortisol levels at the time of their child’s diagnosis showed statistically significant declines in symptomatology from diagnosis to 12 months postdiagnosis (B = .97, p < .0001) compared to mothers who exhibited lower cortisol levels at diagnosis (B = .003, p < .05). Conclusions These findings offer some suggestions into possible neurobiological processes underlying posttraumatic stress symptoms and directions for future research and clinical intervention.
- Subjects
HYDROCORTISONE; TREATMENT of post-traumatic stress disorder; CHILDHOOD cancer; MOTHERS; CANCER diagnosis; REGRESSION analysis; PSYCHOLOGY; DISEASES; CANCER risk factors
- Publication
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 2010, Vol 35, Issue 9, p960
- ISSN
0146-8693
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/jpepsy/jsp139