Racial discrimination and ethnic racial identity in adolescence as modulators of HPA axis activity

Emma K. Adam; Emily F. Hittner; Sara E. Thomas; Sarah Collier Villaume; Ednah E. Nwafor

doi:10.1017/S095457942000111X

Racial discrimination and ethnic racial identity in adolescence as modulators of HPA axis activity

Emma K. Adam^*, Emily F. Hittner, Sara E. Thomas, Sarah Collier Villaume, Ednah E. Nwafor

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

We review evidence of racial discrimination as a critical and understudied form of adversity that has the potential to impact stress biology, particularly hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We highlight ethnic racial identity (ERI) as a positive regulatory influence on HPA axis activity, as indexed by levels of salivary cortisol. In past research by our group, Black individuals with high adolescent discrimination had low adult cortisol levels (hypocortisolism). Here, we present new analyses showing that ERI, measured prospectively from ages 12 through 32 in 112 Black and white individuals, is related to better-regulated cortisol levels in adulthood, particularly for Black participants. We also describe ongoing research that explores whether the promotion of ERI during adolescence can reduce ethnic-racial disparities in stress biology and in emotional health and academic outcomes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1669-1684
Number of pages	16
Journal	Development and psychopathology
Volume	32
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457942000111X
State	Published - Dec 2020

Funding

Financial Statement. This research was supported by multiple grants over the years. The first three waves of the study were funded by the MacArthur Network on Successful Adolescent Development in High Risk Settings (Chair: R. Jessor). Waves 4, 5 were funded by NICHD Grant #R01 HD33437 to Jacquelynne S. Eccles and Arnold J. Sameroff. Wave 6 was funded by Spencer Foundation Grant MG #200000275 to Tabbye Chavous and JSE. Waves 7, 8 were funded by NICHD Grant #R01 HD048970 to Jacquelynne S. Eccles and Stephen C. Peck and the Wave 8 biomarker data were funded by NIA Grant # RC2AG03678001 to JSE, SCP, EKA, Jennifer Richeson, Margaret Kemeny, and Wendy Berry-Mendes. Support was also provided from the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University to E.K.A., E.H., S.T. and S.C.V.

Keywords

HPA axis
adolescence
adversity
cortisol
early adulthood
ethnic racial identity
racial discrimination

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Psychiatry and Mental health
Developmental and Educational Psychology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/S095457942000111X

Cite this

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title = "Racial discrimination and ethnic racial identity in adolescence as modulators of HPA axis activity",

abstract = "We review evidence of racial discrimination as a critical and understudied form of adversity that has the potential to impact stress biology, particularly hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We highlight ethnic racial identity (ERI) as a positive regulatory influence on HPA axis activity, as indexed by levels of salivary cortisol. In past research by our group, Black individuals with high adolescent discrimination had low adult cortisol levels (hypocortisolism). Here, we present new analyses showing that ERI, measured prospectively from ages 12 through 32 in 112 Black and white individuals, is related to better-regulated cortisol levels in adulthood, particularly for Black participants. We also describe ongoing research that explores whether the promotion of ERI during adolescence can reduce ethnic-racial disparities in stress biology and in emotional health and academic outcomes.",

keywords = "HPA axis, adolescence, adversity, cortisol, early adulthood, ethnic racial identity, racial discrimination",

author = "Adam, {Emma K.} and Hittner, {Emily F.} and Thomas, {Sara E.} and Villaume, {Sarah Collier} and Nwafor, {Ednah E.}",

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AU - Hittner, Emily F.

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AU - Villaume, Sarah Collier

AU - Nwafor, Ednah E.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - We review evidence of racial discrimination as a critical and understudied form of adversity that has the potential to impact stress biology, particularly hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We highlight ethnic racial identity (ERI) as a positive regulatory influence on HPA axis activity, as indexed by levels of salivary cortisol. In past research by our group, Black individuals with high adolescent discrimination had low adult cortisol levels (hypocortisolism). Here, we present new analyses showing that ERI, measured prospectively from ages 12 through 32 in 112 Black and white individuals, is related to better-regulated cortisol levels in adulthood, particularly for Black participants. We also describe ongoing research that explores whether the promotion of ERI during adolescence can reduce ethnic-racial disparities in stress biology and in emotional health and academic outcomes.

AB - We review evidence of racial discrimination as a critical and understudied form of adversity that has the potential to impact stress biology, particularly hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We highlight ethnic racial identity (ERI) as a positive regulatory influence on HPA axis activity, as indexed by levels of salivary cortisol. In past research by our group, Black individuals with high adolescent discrimination had low adult cortisol levels (hypocortisolism). Here, we present new analyses showing that ERI, measured prospectively from ages 12 through 32 in 112 Black and white individuals, is related to better-regulated cortisol levels in adulthood, particularly for Black participants. We also describe ongoing research that explores whether the promotion of ERI during adolescence can reduce ethnic-racial disparities in stress biology and in emotional health and academic outcomes.

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Racial discrimination and ethnic racial identity in adolescence as modulators of HPA axis activity

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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