Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The neuroendocrine profile of aggressive adolescents shows inconsistencies, potentially influenced by trauma exposure. Specifically, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)–oxytocinergic circuitry may vary among aggressive youth based on past trauma exposure, with a positive interplay between cortisol and oxytocin in those with higher levels of trauma, as a result of the simultaneous hormone release to cope with trauma‐related stress. To explore this hypothesis, this study collected saliva samples at three time points (morning, afternoon, and evening) over 2 consecutive days from male adolescents (N = 57, Mage = 17.95 years, SD = 2.44) in residential youth care facilities. In addition, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was administered to assess the presence and frequency of trauma exposure. A linear mixed‐effects model showed a significant interaction effect, B = 0.06, p = .015, ΔR2 = .013, with simple‐slope analysis showing a positive association between cortisol and oxytocin in residential youth with higher levels of childhood trauma exposure, B = 0.08, p = .007, but not those with lower levels of trauma exposure, consistent with our predictions. These findings suggest a possible compensatory mechanism in response to trauma and emphasize the need to consider trauma exposure when further investigating the neuroendocrine profile of aggression.
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress
DOI: 10.1002/jts.23161
Institution: Radboud University Nijmegen
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4410184504