Cited by 34Child Abuse and TraumaStress Responses and CortisolPosttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Childhood trauma, perceived stress, and hair cortisol in adults with and without cardiovascular disease

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Bossé, Stéphanie, Stalder, Tobias, D'Antono, Bianca·2018·Psychosomatic Medicine

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Childhood trauma has been associated with greater psychological and physical morbidity, including a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). This may partially reflect trauma-induced disturbances in how stress is later perceived and regulated. This study evaluated the associations of childhood trauma with perceived stress and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in a large sample of adults with coronary artery disease (CAD) and in non-CVD patients experiencing other nonfatal illnesses. Whether sex, age, or CVD status influenced these associations was also examined. METHODS: A total of 1124 men and women (aged 65.2 [6.9] years) recruited from a hospital cohort completed the Childhood Trauma and Perceived Stress Questionnaires, whereas hair samples were obtained from 598 participants. Health status was confirmed via medical records. RESULTS: Moderate to severe childhood trauma was experienced by 359 participants. Childhood trauma was associated with greater perceived stress levels for the past 2 years (r = .308, p = .01; β = 0.263, p < .001), but not 3-month cortisol secretion in hair. Perceived stress correlated negatively with age (r = -.241, p < .001). In secondary analyses, age moderated the relation between sexual abuse and perceived stress (β = -0.067, p = .016). Although sexual abuse was associated with greater levels of perceived stress among all participants, this relation was strongest in younger individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Participants who experienced trauma in their youth reported greater levels of perceived stress, but not HCC, in late adulthood. Whether this suggests intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal regulation in those exposed to childhood trauma or whether this reflects the characteristics of our sample requires further investigation.

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  1. [12]Slavik S Croake J The individual psychology conception of depression as a stress-diathesis model. The J Individ Psychol 2006; 62: 417– 28.

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Authors
Bossé, S., Stalder, T., & D'Antono, B.
Affiliations
University of Siegen (DE)
Venue
Psychosomatic Medicine
Published
2018-05
Volume
80
Issue
4
Pages
393-402
ISSN
  • 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
  • 1534-7796
OpenAlex
W2793272697
Cited by
33
References
87
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2
FWCI
4.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP # 111015)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Keywords
childhood trauma, perceived stress, hair cortisol, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, sexual abuse, age moderation, old age, chronic stress
MeSH terms
Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events, Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Female, Hair, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Middle Aged, Stress, Psychological, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

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