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Stressful life events, inflammation and emotional and behavioural problems in children: A population-based study

Eirini Flouri1, Marta Francesconi1, Efstathios Papachristou1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK.

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
|February 27, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Childhood adversity may lead to internalizing symptoms through elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. This study explored inflammatory markers as a link between adverse life events and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Psychoneuroimmunology
  • Child Psychology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Adverse life events in childhood are linked to mental health issues.
  • Inflammatory markers may mediate the relationship between stress and psychopathology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if inflammatory markers, specifically C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), mediate the association between adverse life events and internalizing/externalizing symptoms in children.
  • To examine the longitudinal and reciprocal associations between these factors.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort (n=4583).
  • Employed cross-lagged panel modeling and path analyses to assess mediation and control for reverse causality.
  • Controlled for potential confounders including gender, ethnicity, BMI, socioeconomic status, and maternal depression.

Main Results:

  • C-reactive protein (CRP) showed no association with adverse life events.
  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) partially mediated the relationship: adverse events predicted higher IL-6, which in turn predicted increased internalizing symptoms.
  • IL-6 did not mediate the association between internalizing symptoms and later life events, nor the link between life events and externalizing symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest a potential pathway linking early psychosocial adversity to childhood internalizing symptoms through elevated plasma IL-6 levels.
  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) may play a role in the development of internalizing symptoms following childhood adversity.
  • The specific pathway investigated did not extend to externalizing symptoms.
Abstract

Keywords:
ALSPACExternalisingInflammationInternalisingLife events

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