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Chronic stress predicts post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms via executive function deficits among urban American

Juyoung Kim1, Longfeng Li1, Kevin M Korous1

  • 1School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.

Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|January 17, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Chronic stress, measured by hair cortisol concentration, is linked to increased PTSD symptoms in American Indian children. This occurs through negative impacts on executive functions like working memory and cognitive flexibility.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Limited understanding of chronic stress impact on American Indian (AI) children's mental health.
  • Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a biomarker for chronic stress.
  • Executive functions (EF) are crucial for mental health regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between chronic stress (HCC) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in urban AI children.
  • To explore the mediating role of executive function (EF) deficits in this relationship.
  • To identify specific EF skills affected by chronic stress.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 163 urban American Indian children (ages 8–15).
  • Chronic stress assessed via hair cortisol concentration (HCC).
  • Executive function deficits and PTSD symptoms measured using caregiver-reported scales (BRIEF, TSCYC).

Main Results:

  • Higher HCC was indirectly associated with increased PTSD symptoms via EF deficits.
  • Elevated HCC linked to PTSD arousal symptoms through impaired working memory.
  • Higher HCC associated with PTSD avoidance and intrusion symptoms through reduced cognitive flexibility.

Conclusions:

  • Chronic stress negatively impacts AI children's mental health through executive function pathways.
  • Interventions targeting stress reduction or EF enhancement may benefit AI children's cognitive and mental health.
  • Findings highlight the importance of addressing chronic stress and supporting EF development in this population.

Keywords:
American IndianChronic stressexecutive functionhair cortisol concentrationpost-traumatic stress disorder

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