Poster #160 - Longitudinal Associations Between Emotional Maltreatment and Adolescent Psychopathology: Mediation via Cortisol Reactivity

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Introduction:
Child maltreatment includes multiple types of abuse that are differentially linked to the development of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology during adolescence (Heleniak et al., 2016; Moylan et al., 2010). Emotional abuse (EA), one of the most prevalent types of maltreatment, is a specific type of early life stress that leads to prolonged activation of the stress response system, which is particularly toxic to youth due to the absence of a secure rearing environment (Shonkoff et al., 2012). Current perspectives on early life stress suggest that dysregulation of physiological stress response systems (e.g., the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal [HPA] axis) serve as a possible mechanism in the relation between child maltreatment and future psychopathology (Juster et al., 2011). Although blunted cortisol reactivity (a measure of HPA axis dysregulation) has been shown to consistently predict depressive symptoms (Zorn et al., 2017), it shows inconsistent associations with externalizing symptomology (Alink et al., 2008). Thus, further research is needed to elucidate the relation between cortisol reactivity and behavioral problems. Informed by transdisciplinary perspectives on early chronic stress, the present study tests HPA-axis dysregulation (i.e., cortisol peak reactivity) in the longitudinal association between EA and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology during preadolescence. It was hypothesized that EA would predict internalizing and externalizing symptomology one year later, and that cortisol peak reactivity would partially mediate these associations.

Methods:
Sample: Data was utilized from a longitudinal, multi-method, and multiple-reporter community sample that was comprised of youth aged 9-12 (N = 101; 52.5% female) and their primary caregiver. Families who participated were 200% or more below the poverty level, and youth were racially diverse (75.2% African-American or Black, 10.9% Caucasian, 8.9% Latino). Two waves of data were collected with one year between assessments.
Measures: At T1, youth were exposed to a modified Trier social stress task. Salivary cortisol was obtained during a resting period immediately before the stress-task and 20-minutes post-stress-task. Cortisol peak reactivity was calculated using a difference score (20 minute – baseline). Also at T1, parents were administered the Conflict Tactics Scale-Parent Child (CTS-PC; Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, & Runyan, 1998). The psychological aggression subscale of the CTS-PC was utilized to measure EA. Internalizing and externalizing psychopathology was measured at T1 and T2 using the parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991). Children reported on their depressive symptoms at T1 and T2 using the CES-D (Radloff, 1977).
Analytic Plan: Hypotheses were tested within a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework, using Mplus version 7.4 (Muthén & Muthén, 2010). Youth age, gender, family income, and previous psychopathology were controlled for.

Results
Bivariate correlations are reported in Table 1. Results from the SEM (see Figure 1) showed that EA at T1 was significantly associated with change in internalizing and externalizing psychopathology at T2. The association between EA and youth internalizing was partially mediated via blunted cortisol reactivity to social stress. The present results have implications for research on the developmental etiology of internalizing and externalizing disorders in adolescence. Furthermore, primary prevention of EA may contribute to improved mental health outcomes for youth.

Authors

• Erinn B. Duprey, University of Georgia
  Presenting Author

• Emilie Mylene Ellis, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeri Sasser, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Avery Moore, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Assaf Oshri, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author