Cortisol function among early school-aged homeless children

Summary Homelessness represents a context of extreme poverty and risk for child development. This study compared the relative influence of two classes of risk in the context of homelessness. Levels of socioeconomic resource-related risk and negative lifetime events were examined with respect to morn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010-07, Vol.35 (6), p.833-845
Main Authors: Cutuli, J.J, Wiik, Kristen L, Herbers, Janette E, Gunnar, Megan R, Masten, Ann S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adversity
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Cognition
Cortisol
Early childhood
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Family
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Homeless Youth - psychology
Homelessness
Hormones and behavior
Humans
Hydrocortisone - metabolism
Life Change Events
Male
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychomotor Performance
Risk
Risk Factors
Saliva - metabolism
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress
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Summary:Summary Homelessness represents a context of extreme poverty and risk for child development. This study compared the relative influence of two classes of risk in the context of homelessness. Levels of socioeconomic resource-related risk and negative lifetime events were examined with respect to morning cortisol levels and cortisol response to a set of cognitive tasks. Participants were 66 children between the ages of 4 and 7 years staying in an emergency shelter for families. Adversities largely reflecting family level negative life events predicted higher levels of morning cortisol and differences in initial level and change over the course of the session of cognitive tasks. In contrast, a socioeconomic cumulative risk score was not associated with morning or session-related differences in cortisol.
ISSN:0306-4530
1873-3360
DOI:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.11.008