Effects of a school readiness intervention on hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis functioning and school adjustment for children in foster care
| Autor: | Katherine C. Pears, Jacqueline Bruce, Hyoun K. Kim, Philip A. Fisher, Alice M. Graham |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System Hydrocortisone education Child Foster Psychological intervention Pituitary-Adrenal System Poison control Suicide prevention Article Occupational safety and health 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Intervention (counseling) Outcome Assessment Health Care Injury prevention Developmental and Educational Psychology Humans 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences Child Abuse Child Schools 05 social sciences Human factors and ergonomics Psychiatry and Mental health Foster care Child Preschool Female Psychology Social Adjustment 030217 neurology & neurosurgery 050104 developmental & child psychology Clinical psychology |
| Zdroj: | Development and Psychopathology. 30:651-664 |
| ISSN: | 1469-2198 0954-5794 |
| Popis: | Maltreated children in foster care are at high risk for dysregulated hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning and educational difficulties. The present study examined the effects of a short-term school readiness intervention on HPA axis functioning in response to the start of kindergarten, a critical transition marking entry to formal schooling, and whether altered HPA axis functioning influenced children's school adjustment. Compared to a foster care comparison group, children in the intervention group showed a steeper diurnal cortisol slope on the first day of school, a pattern previously observed among nonmaltreated children. A steeper first day of school diurnal cortisol slope predicted teacher ratings of better school adjustment (i.e., academic performance, appropriate classroom behaviors, and engagement in learning) in the fall of kindergarten. Furthermore, the children's HPA axis response to the start of school mediated the effect of the intervention on school adjustment. These findings support the potential for ameliorative effects of interventions targeting critical transitional periods, such as the transition of formal schooling. This school readiness intervention appears to influence stress neurobiology, which in turn facilitates positive engagement with the school environment and better school adjustment in children who have experienced significant early adversity. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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