FMR1 Premutation Carrier Mothers' Daily Negative Affect and Cortisol: Probing the Impacts of Stress Exposure, Coping

Leann Smith DaWalt1, Jinkuk Hong1, Catherine Rogers Gaspar1

  • 1Leann Smith DaWalt, Jinkuk Hong, and Catherine Rogers Gaspar, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Ashley Woodman, University of Massachusetts-Amherst; Elizabeth M. Berry-Kravis, Rush University Medical Center; and Marsha R. Mailick, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This study utilized a daily diary methodology to investigate negative affect and cortisol secretion of mothers of adolescents and adults with fragile X syndrome (n = 104). We investigated whether coping style moderated the effects of child behavior problems on daily stress responses for these mothers and whether mothers with varying numbers of CGG repeats differed in the extent to which their coping style impacted daily outcomes. Results indicated that high levels of problem-focused coping buffered the effects of behavior problems on mothers' negative affect and cortisol secretion. There was a significant interaction between CGG repeat group and coping in predicting negative affect; mothers with midrange CGG repeats were less likely to benefit from coping than those who had fewer repeats.

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