Cortisol awakening response among women exposed to intimate partner violence.

The studies of the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the cortisol awakening response (CAR) are scarce and contradictory. While some of the studies suggested that female victims of IPV showed high CAR, other studies found low CAR. Mixed results may be related to differences in sample characteristics as well as other potential covariates associated with the cortisol, as femalés history of abuse, chronicity, severity and type of IPV, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social support.