Childhood maltreatment leads to flattened cortisol rhythms in adolescence, a costly adaptation to an adverse environment

Adolescents who experience sustained childhood maltreatment show high, inflexible cortisol levels that persist throughout the day in different social contexts, a new study shows. This flattened cortisol rhythm may be a pathway for poorer physical and mental health in youth that experience abuse.

Sigan Hartley, PhD – Slide of the Week

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report elevated parenting stress. The current study examined bidirectional effects between parenting stress and three domains of child functioning (ASD symptoms, internalizing behavior problems, and externalizing behavior problems) across four time points in 188 families of children with ASD (originally aged 5 to 12 yrs).