Stress , Cortisol , and

Stress, Cortisol, and Externalizing Behavior in Adolescent Males: An Examination in the Context of Multisystemic Therapy By Julia C. Schechter Aggression and delinquency are associated with an array of emotional, behavioral, and health problems (Loeber, Burke, Lahey, Winters, & Zera, 2000). Additionally, a multitude of variables are thought to lead to the development of externalizing disorders in adolescent males. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship among stress, cortisol, and externalizing behaviors in males, specifically in a treatment context. In an effort to examine potential differential effects of stressor types, measures of stress were delineated into lifetime, current episodic, and daily hassles sub-categories. This study examined data from a sample of 120 adolescent males (mean age = 15 years) referred to Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for externalizing problems. Partial correlations were used to examine concurrent relationships among self-reported stress, morning cortisol, and externalizing problems (parent reports of aggression and delinquency) at time of referral. Analyses did not yield significant relationships between stress or cortisol and externalizing behavior prior to treatment. Regression analyses were used to measure whether cortisol or stress predicted treatment outcome for youths with externalizing behavior problems. Results indicated that compared to youth who had experienced fewer hassles, youth that had experienced more daily hassles had higher levels of externalizing behavior after treatment. This relationship was moderated by cortisol levels at awakening, such that youth with more daily hassles and high levels of cortisol had the worst outcome at post treatment. This interaction remained significant after controlling for post treatment internalizing disorders. Implications and future directions for treatment are discussed. Stress, Cortisol, and Externalizing Behavior in Adolescent Males: An Examination in the Context of Multisystemic Therapy Julia Corwin Schechter B.S., Cornell University, 2007 Advisor: Patricia Brennan, Ph.D. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology 2010 Table of