Early abuse tied to more depression in children
Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 23:21
in Psychology & Sociology
A study of 500 low-income children ages 7 to 13, about half of whom had been abused and/or neglected, aimed to find out whether abuse early in life and feelings of depression affected cortisol ("stress hormone") levels. Study results suggest that there are different subtypes of depression, with atypical cortisol regulation occurring among children who were abused before age 5.