Salivary cortisol and affective responses to acute psychosocial stress among adolescents.

Background: Acute psychosocial stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and triggers the release of cortisol, a commonly used biomarker of stress reactivity. Yet only 25 % of studies have reported a correlation between cortisol and affective responses to stress. This study aimed to examine whether cortisol reactivity following an acute psychosocial stressor in the laboratory correlated with concurrent positive and negative affect in adolescents, and whether early life adversity (ELA) moderated this relationship.

Salivary CRP predicts treatment response to virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder.

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) places a profound burden on public health and individual wellbeing. Systemic inflammation may be important to the onset and maintenance of SAD, and anti-inflammatory treatments have shown promise in relieving symptoms of SAD. In the present study, we conducted secondary analyses on data from a randomized clinical trial to determine whether C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and social anxiety symptoms decreased over the course of virtual reality exposure therapy, and whether changes in social anxiety symptoms as a function of treatment varied as a function of CRP.

Predictors of Adolescent Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Community Sample of Hispanic and Latinx Youth: Expressive Suppression and Social Support.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruptions in the daily lives and mental health of adolescents. Less attention has been given to the psychosocial resources that may mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health, particularly among minoritized populations. In the present study, 259 youth (aged 11-18) were recruited from a community center for integrated prevention and intervention services in a predominantly Latinx and Hispanic community.