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Cortisol and psychological responses to natural disasters
Mark V Flinn1, Edward Thum2, Inev Lau1
1Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, USA.
None:
Natural disasters are an increasing global health issue. Psychological outcomes from traumatic experiences appear linked to the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol. Here we analyze relations among salivary cortisol, traumatic events, and mental health from a 37-year study of a rural community in Dominica. The community has experienced multiple natural disasters. Our investigations of physiological responses to these traumatic experiences and downstream mental health outcomes are exploratory in nature because this research area is in early stages of methodological and theoretical development, and we are applying current biomedical and psychiatric concepts in a non-western culture. Our analyses suggest that temporal profiles of cortisol response are linked to mental health conditions associated with natural disasters including grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders.
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