Exposure to community violence and cortisol reactivity: An exploratory analysis of the role of coping

Research suggests exposure to community violence may "get under the skin" to impact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis functioning. Less is known about protective factors, such as coping, that may mitigate the risk conferred by exposure to violence (ETV) on physiological functioning. A widespread and better understanding of factors influencing the relationship between ETV and negative outcomes is critical to mitigate the enduring effects of community violence exposure. Thus, we investigated 1) the association between ETV and HPA axis reactivity and 2) whether coping styles moderated this association. We recruited 148 first-generation college students aged 18-25 from across the United States. Participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their demographics, ETV, and coping strategies and completed an online version of the Trier Social Stress Test (i.e., TSST-OL). Multilevel modeling adjusting for peak latency was used to predict cortisol reactivity across the TSST-OL from ETV, coping, and their two-way interactions. There was no direct association between ETV and cortisol reactivity, however, the interaction between ETV and avoidant coping was significant. ETV was associated with larger cortisol responses among those reporting average or high levels of avoidant coping but was not associated with cortisol responding for those reporting low avoidant coping. This exploratory study suggests avoidant coping may amplify the impact of ETV on stress responses to social evaluation among young adults.