Association between childhood maltreatment and adult cortisol concentrations mediated through subjective health complaints

Background Lower cortisol concentrations in adulthood were repeatedly associated with more severe childhood maltreatment. Additionally, maltreatment was reported to promote health risk behavior, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, and increase the of mental somatic diseases during adulthood, major depressive disorders obesity. The present study investigated if behavior disease symptoms adults mediate associations between past basal serum concentrations. Methods Data from two independent adult cohorts general population-based Study Health Pomerania (SHIP-TREND-0: N = 3,517; SHIP-START-2: 1,640) used. Childhood assessed via Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Cortisol measured single-point samples. physical used mediators. Mediation analyses calculated separately for both cohorts; results integrated meta-analyses. Results In mediator-separated analyses, partly mediated by (BDI-II: β indirect effect -.011, p FDR .017, 21.0% mediated) subjective complaints (somatic complaints: -.010, .005, 19.4% mediated). second step, mediators simultaneously into one mediation model. model replicated effects (whole model: -.014, .001, 27.6% mediated; BDI-II: -.006, .163, 11.4% mediated, -.020, .020, 15.5% Conclusion support hypothesis that long-lasting on stress response system are through self-perceived symptoms. However, no found physically models multiple simultaneous pointed a relevant overlap potential This should be focused future studies.