Cited by 130Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchStress Responses and CortisolChild Abuse and Trauma

Hair cortisol concentrations and cortisol stress reactivity predict PTSD symptom increase after trauma exposure during military deployment

Steudte-Schmiedgen, Susann, Stalder, Tobias, Schönfeld, Sabine, Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich, Trautmann, Sebastian, Alexander, Nina, Miller, Robert, Kirschbaum, Clemens·2015·Psychoneuroendocrinology

Abstract

Background Previous evidence on endocrine risk markers for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been inconclusive. Here, we report results of the first prospective study to investigate whether long-term hair cortisol levels and experimentally-induced cortisol stress reactivity are predictive of the development of PTSD symptomatology in response to trauma during military deployment.Methods Male soldiers were examined before deployment to Afghanistan and at a 12-month post-deployment follow-up using dimensional measures for psychopathological symptoms. The predictive value of baseline (i) hair cortisol concentrations (HCC, N=90) and (ii) salivary cortisol stress reactivity (measured by the Trier Social Stress Test, N=80) for the development of PTSD symptomatology after being exposed to new-onset traumatic events was analyzed.Results Baseline cortisol activity significantly predicted PTSD symptom change from baseline to follow-up upon trauma exposure. Specifically, our results consistently revealed that lower HCC and lower cortisol stress reactivity were predictive of a greater increase in PTSD symptomatology in soldiers who had experienced new-onset traumatic events (explaining 5% and 10.3% of variance, respectively). Longitudinal analyses revealed an increase in HCC from baseline to follow-up and a trend for a negative relationship between HCC changes and the number of new-onset traumatic events. Additional pre-deployment analyses revealed that trauma history was reflected in lower HCC (at trend level) and that HCC were negatively related to stressful load.Conclusions Our data indicate that attenuated cortisol secretion is a risk marker for subsequent development of PTSD symptomatology upon trauma exposure. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings in other samples.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.05.007

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Authors
Steudte-Schmiedgen, S., Stalder, T., Schönfeld, S., Wittchen, H.-U., Trautmann, S., Alexander, N., Miller, R., & Kirschbaum, C.
Affiliations
Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
Venue
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-09
Volume
59
Pages
123-133
ISSN
0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1483199116
Cited by
130
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 2
FWCI
16.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, hair cortisol, salivary cortisol, Trier Social Stress Test, military deployment, military personnel, trauma exposure, stress load, trauma history
MeSH terms
Adult, Hair, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Military Personnel, Predictive Value of Tests, Prospective Studies, Psychometrics, Risk Factors, Saliva, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological, Wounds and Injuries, Afghan Campaign 2001-

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