The relationship between social stressors and psychopathology: a short-term longitudinal study of moderating factors

Rationale: Problematic peer relationships in adolescence have long been linked with various psychological disorders, but there remain questions as to why adolescents with similar social experiences may suffer no psychological effects or why some respond with depression or anxiety while others become aggressive. Parenting style and level of chaos in the home environment have also been shown to have protective or detrimental effects in conjunction with social stressors. Adolescence is typified by substantial hormonal changes and maturation of both the pubertal and the stress systems. Ian Goodyer has suggested that atypical ratios of stress and pubertal hormones may be indicative of vulnerability for psychopathology. High cortisol and low DHEAS have been linked to depression, whereas the opposite has been found in those with aggression. This study is the first to examine the cortisol/DHEAS ratio as a moderator of peer stress in the development of psychopathology in adolescents. This investigation uses a biopsychosocial model to test the moderating role of parenting style, environmental chaos, and adrenal hormone ratios on the association between social stress and aggression or depression over a 1-year period. Methods: Participants were 156 young adolescents (50% f; M age = 11 years, SD = 0.7), ethnically diverse, and predominantly middle to lower SES. Depressive symptoms, aggression, social stress, and environmental chaos were assessed via survey and interview reports from mothers and children. Parenting characteristics were assessed via mother survey. Saliva and urine samples were collected on multiple mornings to measure cortisol and DHEAS, respectively. Results: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicate significant main effects of parenting style, chaos, and adrenal hormone ratios in predicting depressive symptoms and aggression and significant moderating effects on the relationship between social stressors and psychopathology. High cortisol/DHEAS ratio predicted depressive symptoms and enhanced the effects of peer problems; low ratio was predictive of aggression in adolescents with high levels of peer problems. Conclusion: The results of this study shed light on factors that may better explain the varying responses adolescents have to social stressors, thereby identifying adolescents at risk for psychological problems.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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