Maternal early life maltreatment and psychopathology affect the next generation: Alterations in post-awakening cortisol levels of primary school-aged children

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Karen Hillmann - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Corinne Neukel - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Johannes Zimmermann - , University of Kassel (Author)
  • Anna Fuchs - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Anna Lena Zietlow - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Eva Möhler - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Sabine C. Herpertz - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Michael Kaess - , Heidelberg University , University of Bern (Author)
  • Katja Bertsch - , Heidelberg University , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)

Abstract

Early life maltreatment (ELM) has severe and lasting effects on the individual, which might also impact the next generation. On an endocrine level, the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis has been suggested to play an important role in the interplay between ELM and the development of mental disorders. Several studies have revealed that maternal post-awakening cortisol concentration, maternal sensitivity, maternal ELM and psychopathology are associated with children's cortisol levels. We investigated the post-awakening cortisol concentrations in 6- to 11-year-old children (N = 53) whose mothers either had experienced ELM and had developed a lifetime mental disorder (N = 15 ELM and disorder group), had experienced ELM without developing a mental disorder (N = 12 ELM-only group), or had neither experienced ELM nor developed a mental disorder (N = 26 HC-group). Furthermore, we assessed maternal post-awakening cortisol concentrations, maternal psychopathology, and sensitivity. Multilevel analysis revealed higher cortisol at awakening (S1) levels in children of mothers with ELM and disorder. Maternal cortisol at awakening (S1) also predicted the child's cortisol at awakening (S1), and no effect of maternal sensitivity could be found. The current results replicate an attunement of cortisol levels (S1) between mothers and children and suggest an association between the children's endocrine stress system and maternal factors such as ELM and psychopathology.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)98-107
Number of pages10
JournalDevelopmental Psychobiology
Volume63
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2021
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 32497280
ORCID /0000-0002-7278-5711/work/142233579

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • attunement, maternal sensitivity, mother–child dyads, psychopathology, trauma