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Children's internalizing symptoms: the role of interactions between cortisol and respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Mona El-Sheikh1, Dilbur D Arsiwalla, J Benjamin Hinnant

  • 1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, 203 Spidle Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5214, USA. elshemm@auburn.edu

Physiology & Behavior
|February 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with higher cortisol and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) levels showed fewer internalizing symptoms like depression and anxiety. This highlights how the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) interact to influence children's mental health.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Internalizing symptoms, including depression and anxiety, are prevalent in children.
  • Understanding the physiological underpinnings of these symptoms is crucial for early intervention.
  • Previous research has often examined physiological systems in isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the combined predictive power of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) on children's internalizing symptoms.
  • To explore the interaction between salivary cortisol (HPA) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) (PNS) in relation to depression and anxiety.
  • To advance the understanding of multifaceted physiological regulation in child mental health.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies were conducted with a total of 276 children (ages 8-10).
  • HPA activity was measured using baseline salivary cortisol levels.
  • PNS activity was assessed via baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).
  • Child-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety were collected.

Main Results:

  • A significant interaction was found between cortisol and RSA in predicting internalizing symptoms.
  • Children exhibiting higher levels of both cortisol and RSA reported the lowest levels of depression and anxiety.
  • This interaction uniquely explained variance in children's internalizing symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Simultaneous assessment of HPA-axis and PNS activity provides a more comprehensive understanding of children's internalizing symptoms.
  • The interplay between cortisol and RSA may serve as a protective factor against depression and anxiety in children.
  • Future research should consider multi-system physiological interactions in child mental health studies.

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