"The 244 children involved in the study were followed for four years, and their hair cortisol levels were examined over time. This measurement is referred to as hair cortisol concentration (HCC). Cortisol, the naturally occurring stress hormone that is elevated in times of sustained or intense stress, is often assessed via saliva or a blood sample, but measuring it in hair is significantly less invasive."
"Among this population of children, three patterns of cortisol levels over time were identified: high to low, consistently high, and consistently low. Strikingly, more than two-thirds of the children studied showed consistently high cortisol levels. And most significantly, those same children exhibited higher rates of mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, than the children whose cortisol levels were not consistently high."
Canadian children aged 2 to 16 with chronic physical illness were followed for four years with hair cortisol concentration (HCC) measured as a noninvasive indicator of sustained stress. Three longitudinal HCC trajectories emerged: high-to-low, consistently high, and consistently low. More than two-thirds of children exhibited consistently high HCC. Children with consistently high HCC had higher rates of mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, compared with children whose HCC declined or remained low. Children whose HCC decreased from high to low showed lower mental health risk. HCC patterns may help identify elevated mental health risk in this population.
Read at Psychology Today
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