Guide to Navigating this Research Archive
Here you will find research articles published by IDHP researchers that are related to our primary scientific foci: the interconnected mental health of children and their caregivers, the intergenerational impact of stressful experiences on mental and physical health, and interventions and other buffers that support family wellness.
In the right sidebar, you can search this archive by research topic, as well as by research study (you can read about each study on the Current Projects page). Each archive entry has a simple summary, the full scientific abstract, and a link to the full article. Most of the articles in this research archive are available open access (i.e., you can access it without a subscription). If you are trying to access an article and aren't able to see the full version, please email us at [email protected], and we would be happy to assist.
August 12, 2021
Biomarkers
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
CTRP-Health Study
Intervention effects
This study looked at how cortisol levels, measured through hair samples, are related to behavior problems in young children from low-income families. The researchers studied two groups of children: those who had experienced trauma and participated in therapy, and a community group of children from families experiencing high stress. They found that increases in cortisol over time were associated with greater improvements in child behavior problems, and that changes in hair cortisol levels over time may be more informative than looking at hair cortisol levels at one point in time.
July 20, 2021
Biomarkers
Childhood adversity
CTRP-Health Study
Stress during pregnancy
This study looked at how adversity during childhood and pregnancy affects the immune system in a sample of women who have experienced interpersonal violence. Researchers found that higher levels of adversity during childhood and pregnancy, but not total lifetime adversity, were associated with a type of immune system imbalance, which could lead to increased risk for chronic diseases. These findings suggest that experiencing adversity during childhood and pregnancy can have long-term impacts on health.
March 12, 2021
Biomarkers
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
MAMAS/SEED Study
SEED Study
This study explored how different physiological systems work together to predict mental health in young children. Researchers identified different profiles of autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning at 18 and 36 months of age. One profile which involved persistent heightened baseline ANS and HPA axis activity was associated with child internalizing (anxiety and depression) problems at age 3.
January 14, 2021
Biomarkers
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
This study shows that the development of mental health problems in young children is influenced by both family adversity and physiological factors like cortisol levels and parasympathetic nervous system functioning. These findings emphasize the importance of considering multiple factors in understanding mental health and highlights the importance of family adversity prevention to make a positive impact on children's well-being.
November 17, 2020
Biomarkers
Child physical health
MAMAS/SEED Study
SEED Study
This study investigated the relationship between early weight gain in infants and the development of their autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation. The results showed that greater than average weight-for-length gain during the first 6 months of life was associated with ANS dysregulation at 6 months. These findings suggest that early adiposity gain is a risk factor for ANS dysregulation, which can inform early intervention programs for obesity prevention and promoting self-regulation in infancy.
October 17, 2020
Biomarkers
CANDLE Study
Childhood adversity
Stress during pregnancy
This study looked at the effects of childhood trauma on pregnant people's placental Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone (pCRH) levels, which can impact the health of both the mother and child. Researchers found that exposure to childhood abuse or violence predicted higher levels of pCRH later in pregnancy, but stressors during adulthood nor pregnancy did not affect pCRH. The study highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing childhood trauma in pregnant people to promote better health outcomes for them and their children.
May 28, 2020
Biomarkers
This study examined how the body's stress-responsive systems work together during early childhood. Researchers used a special analysis to identify three distinct patterns of activity across three systems: the parasympathetic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. These patterns were stable over time and were associated with children's socioemotional outcomes. This information can help us understand how stress affects young children and develop strategies to support their well-being.
May 1, 2020
Biomarkers
Child mental & behavioral health
This study looked at how kindergarten classrooms affect children's mental health, and whether children's physiological reactivity to stress affects this relationship. Researchers found that classrooms with more child-centered methods helped children with higher physiological reactivity to stress to have fewer externalizing symptoms, while more teacher-dominated methods were associated with increased symptoms. For children with lower physiological reactivity, exposure to more teacher-dominated classroom management practices was associated with lower externalizing symptoms. Understanding children's individual physiological differences can help teachers create environments that promote good mental health.
January 1, 2020
Biomarkers
Childhood adversity
This editorial comments on a recent study by Rasmussen & colleagues (2019), which assessed soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a potentially useful immune biomarker of early-life adversity. This discovery offers a foundation for precision medicine strategies in pediatrics to prevent longer-term impacts of stress on the body that confers a risk of disease across the life course. Large data sets, including this study of suPAR and beyond, will be crucial to the identification of novel markers with broad population relevance. However, to progress from markers to biologically informed treatments, we must elucidate for whom, under what circumstances, and by what mechanisms trauma leads to inflammation.
October 23, 2018
Biomarkers
Childhood adversity
Researchers aimed to study how childhood social adversity affects health across the lifespan by examining changes in child DNA methylation (when a 'tag' is added to DNA, turning it on or off). They found that family income, parental education, and family psychosocial adversity were associated with DNA methylation in unique sets of gene sequences related to immune and developmental regulation functions. These findings support the use of DNA methylation as a biomarker for the long-term health effects of childhood social experiences.