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The Pressure-Activation-Stress scale in relation to ADHD and cortisol
J Isaksson1, K W Nilsson, F Lindblad
1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden, johan.isaksson@neuro.uu.se.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|April 17, 2014
Summary
Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report higher stress levels on the Pressure-Activation-Stress (PAS) scale, but this doesn't correlate with cortisol. This highlights stress-related fragility in ADHD.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The Pressure-Activation-Stress (PAS) scale measures perceived stress in children.
- Understanding stress correlates in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is crucial for intervention.
- Diurnal cortisol patterns offer a physiological stress marker.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the PAS scale by comparing perceived stress in children with ADHD versus healthy controls.
- To investigate the association between PAS scores and diurnal cortisol levels in children.
- To explore age and gender effects on perceived stress and cortisol in ADHD.
Main Methods:
- Administered the PAS scale to children aged 11-17 with ADHD (n=102) and healthy controls (n=146).
- Collected saliva samples four times during a school day for cortisol analysis.
- Utilized parental rating scales to assess ADHD symptom severity and subtypes.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD reported significantly higher PAS scores than controls.
- PAS scores showed age-related increases in healthy children but not in the ADHD group.
- No significant association was found between PAS scores and diurnal cortisol levels in either group.
- Children with ADHD exhibited a lower cortisol/perceived stress ratio due to higher PAS scores and lower cortisol levels.
Conclusions:
- Elevated PAS scores in children with ADHD support the scale's validity.
- The dissociation between perceived stress (PAS) and cortisol levels suggests a complex stress response in ADHD.
- Findings indicate potential stress-related fragility accompanying ADHD in childhood.
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