Disparate plasma cortisol concentrations in sexually abused female children from Johannesburg, South Africa

A growing body of research indicates that a bidirectional response to a stressor may occur in maltreated children and may be associated with later life psychopathology. However, few studies have investigated stress reactivity in children when they first present to a sexual abuse clinic. Thus, in order to evaluate whether HPA axis dysregulation would be evident at first presentation to a sexual abuse clinic in young girls (n =26), between the ages of 6-12 years old, blood samples were obtained immediately following examination at a forensic sexual abuse clinic and from the matched control group of children (n = 14; 10.1 +/- 0.8) immediately following a bone density scan. Stratification of the sexually abused group into those children who were reportedly abused by a stranger and had no other family stressors (n = 15, 10.4 +/- 1.8) and those children whose parents reported abuse of the child by a stranger and other family stressors (n = 11; 9.5 +/- 1.8) revealed differences in stress reactivity. Plasma concentrations, of the children from the forensic clinic, were significantly increased in children who reported abuse by a stranger only (322.3 +/- 117.4 nmol/l) and significantly decreased in children whose histories indicated sexual abuse by a stranger and other family stressors (149.6 +/- 39.7 nmol/l) when compared. to the control group (225.5 +/- 47.5 nmol/l). In conclusion, following sexual abuse and a secondary stressor, the forensic examination, there is evidence of divergent cortisol responses in the stratified clinical group of children. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.