Poster #22 - Children’s Pattern of Stress Reactivity in Context of Unstable Housing and Parental Substance Abuse

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Biological Processes: Psychophysiology

Integrative Statement

Hyperactive and hypo-responsive stress responses are both disrupted patterns that arise from experiences of chronic stress that present risks for healthy development (Thompson, 2014). Parental substance abuse and socioeconomic risk (e.g., housing instability) present significant sources of stress for children and have deleterious effects on health and well-being (Osbourne & Berger, 2008). Furthermore, social stressors, such as homelessness and unstable housing, are associated with alcohol and drug use in adults (Calcaterra et al., 2014). Although the relationship between social stressors and stress reactivity is well document, little is known about the unique contribution of each stressor on children’s stress reactivity measured across time points. The aim of the present study is to test whether child cortisol patterning is predicted by maternal risk of drug/alcohol substance abuse and housing instability.
Data were derived from a larger research project focused on effects of toxic stress and include 196 mother and infant dyads. Infants were aged 5 to 44 months (Mage=24.26 months, SDage=9.53). Maternal age ranged from 18 - 49 years old (Mage=30.71 months, SDage=6.21). Diurnal saliva samples were collected at home in duplicate at five time points across the day for 2 days (Wake, Wake-15, Wake-60, Noon, Bedtime). Salivary cortisol was assayed and the values were averaged for each time point for both days. Housing instability was summed as presence or absence of 7 items (e.g., currently living in a shelter or motel) and computed in 4 categories (0 = no indicators, 3 = five or more indicators) (M = 1.78, SD = 1.08). Alcohol/drug substance abuse was assessed via self-report (0 = no report of addiction to or problem with drugs, 1 = some or definite evidence of drug use) (e.g., any use of marijuana, amphetamines, tranquilizers; any self-reported binge drinking in the past year) (M = .21, SD = .41).
Regression analyses were conducted to predict child cortisol values at the five time points, controlling for child age and sex. As expected, models revealed that higher risk of maternal substance abuse predicted lower child cortisol values at wake and 15 minutes after wake (β= -0.11, p<0.05; β= -0.09, p<0.05). Higher housing instability was associated with higher child noon and bedtime cortisol (β =0.02, p<0.05). Additionally, correlational analyses revealed that housing instability was associated with greater alcohol/drug abuse risk (r = .14, p < .05). The pattern of cortisol reactivity across 5 time-points by housing and drug abuse levels are depicted in Figures 1 and 2. Lower cortisol values are suggestive of a blunted cortisol profile. The current findings indicate that the presence of parental substance abuse and housing instability present risk factors for stress reactivity across the day for young children. These findings point to specific familial and contextual risks associated with stress reactivity and should be used to inform intervention programs targeting children living in context of cumulative risk.

Authors

• Zayra Ruiz Acosta, Albizu University
  Presenting Author

• Neda Senehi, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tiffany Phu, Department of Psychology, University of Denver
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lisa J. Schlueter, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Sabin Research Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah Enos Watamura, UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
  Non-Presenting Author