During the COVID‐19 pandemic, research indicated increased psychological distress among adolescents. However, limited research has investigated the association between COVID‐19‐related stress and the adolescent hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, a critical stress response system. To address this gap, we conducted a longitudinal study exploring the relationship between COVID‐19 stressors and adolescent HPA activity. We recruited 121 adolescents (Mage = 10.02) and their parents. One parent reported COVID‐19 stressors and their own anxiety, while adolescents reported parenting behaviours. Diurnal cortisol levels in adolescents were assessed 4 months later. Our results found that the association between COVID‐19 stressors and diurnal cortisol levels was sequentially mediated by parental anxiety and indifference, but not parental caring. These findings underscore the detrimental effects of negative parental behaviours on adolescent HPA axis during the pandemic. Therefore, interventions targeting reduced parental anxiety and negative parental behaviours may effectively protect adolescents' mental health in such circumstances.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19压力源与青少年昼间皮质醇之间的纵向关联：父母焦虑和行为的中介作用


在 COVID-19 大流行期间，研究表明青少年的心理困扰有所增加。然而，有限的研究调查了 COVID-19 相关压力与青少年下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺 (HPA) 轴（一个关键的压力反应系统）之间的关联。为了解决这一差距，我们进行了一项纵向研究，探索 COVID-19 压力源与青少年 HPA 活动之间的关系。我们招募了 121 名青少年（法师 = 10.02）及其父母。一位家长报告了 COVID-19 压力源和他们自己的焦虑，而青少年则报告了养育行为。 4 个月后评估青少年的每日皮质醇水平。我们的结果发现，COVID-19 压力源与昼间皮质醇水平之间的关联依次由父母焦虑和冷漠介导，但与父母关怀无关。这些发现强调了大流行期间父母的负面行为对青少年 HPA 轴的有害影响。因此，针对减少父母焦虑和消极父母行为的干预措施可以有效保护青少年在这种情况下的心理健康。