Altered neuroendocrine activity in maltreated children related to symptoms of depression
Abstract
This study examined the effects of stressful environments on physiological and affective functioning among 131 maltreated school-aged children attending a summer day camp. Sixty-six nonmaltreated children also attending the camp served as a comparison group. Salivary Cortisol measures were obtained daily at 10:00 a.m. and at 4:00 p.m. Depression was measured using the Child Depression Inventory. Children with scores of 19 or higher were classified as depressed. Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were determined from the Teacher Report Form of the Child Behavior Checklist. Children with t scores of 70 or higher were classified as having clinical levels of these problems. Maltreated children had slightly elevated afternoon Cortisol concentrations, but their morning concentrations did not differ significantly from those of nonmaltreated children. Neither clinical levels of depression, internalizing, or externalizing problems were predictive of the elevated afternoon values. Depression among maltreated children was, however, associated with altered activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Depressed maltreated children had lower morning Cortisol concentrations compared to nondepressed maltreated children and were more likely to show a rise rather than the expected decrease in Cortisol from morning to afternoon. These data replicated earlier findings. There was no evidence that depressed, nonmaltreated children exhibited this change in diurnal Cortisol activity.
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Neither the Hart et al. study nor the Kaufman study examined the developmental timing of maltreatment subtypes.
“Neither the Hart et al. study nor the Kaufman et al. study examined the influence of the developmental timing of maltreatment subtypes.”
From The Differential Impacts of Early Physical and Sexual Abuse and Internalizing Problems on Daytime Cortisol Rhythm in School-Aged Children (2010) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 1996
The observed pattern differs from that in adults with clinical depression but agrees with two prior reports on depressed maltreated children in day-camp settings.
“Whereas the pattern we noted is not the same as that seen among adults with clinical depression, the findings are consistent with those described in two other reports on depressed, maltreated children studied in a day camp setting (Hart et al., 1996; Kaufman, 1991).”
From The Differential Impacts of Early Physical and Sexual Abuse and Internalizing Problems on Daytime Cortisol Rhythm in School-Aged Children (2010) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 1996
Hart et al. found that maltreated children who were also depressed had a less marked 9 AM to 4 PM cortisol decrease, without differentiating by maltreatment subtype.
“Hart and colleagues found that maltreated children who were also depressed showed a less marked diurnal decrease in cortisol from 9 AM to 4 PM, although no attempt was made in that study to differentiate patterns based on subtype of maltreatment.”
From The Differential Impacts of Early Physical and Sexual Abuse and Internalizing Problems on Daytime Cortisol Rhythm in School-Aged Children (2010) · cites this paper as Hart et al., 1996
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- Authors
- Hart, J., Gunnar, M., & Cicchetti, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Minnesota (US)
- University of Rochester (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gunnar, Megan
- Venue
- Development and Psychopathology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1996
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 201-214
- ISSN
- 0954-5794 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2198
- OpenAlex
- W2171293380
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Development and Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Keywords
- child abuse, depression, salivary cortisol, diurnal cortisol rhythm, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroendocrine activity, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, high-stress environments, school-aged children
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