Resilience to Stress Across the Lifespan: Childhood Maltreatment, Heart Rate Variability, and Bereavement

Authors

Michelle A Chen
Robert Suchting
Julian F Thayer
Christopher P Fagundes

Publication Date

5-1-2023

Journal

Psychology and Aging

Abstract

Following a stressful life event, there is considerable variation in how individuals respond and adapt. Multiple models of risk and resilience show that adverse childhood experiences may be associated with an individual's response to stress later in life. While there is considerable support that early adversity can sensitize the stress response system and lead to adverse outcomes later in life, there is mounting evidence that in adolescence and young adulthood, certain biological predispositions to stress may be associated with resilience in the context of subsequent stressors. In this study, we evaluated how individual differences in vagally mediated heart rate variability moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and grief among a sample of individuals experiencing a stressful life event (i.e., spousal bereavement) over time. Data were collected at approximately 3, 4.5, and 6.5 months after the death of a spouse (

Keywords

Humans, Young Adult, Adult, Aged, Child, Longevity, Heart Rate, Aging, Grief, Bereavement, Child Abuse

Comments

Supplementary Materials

PMID: 36951695