SALIVARY CORTISOL IN MALTREATED CHILDREN - EVIDENCE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN NEUROENDOCRINE ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE

Salivary cortisol concentrations (10:30-11:30 a.m.) and social behavio r (observations and teacher reports) were examined in 33 maltreated (2 6 boys) and 16 comparison (8 boys) children. The maltreated children w ere studied for 31 days while they attended a therapeutic preschool fo r abused and neglected children. Children in the comparison sample wer e studied while attending a preschool serving economically disadvantag ed families. Each child's cortisol values over days were used to compu te measures of basal activity (median cortisol) and reactivity (ratio of quartile ranges). Median cortisol was not significantly correlated with social behavior measures; Cortisol reactivity was positively corr elated with social competence and negatively correlated with shy/inter nalizing behavior. Maltreated children exhibited less cortisol reactiv ity then did comparison children. Maltreated children also scored lowe r in social competence and higher in shy/internalizing and acting out/ externalizing behaviors. In additional analyses, maltreated children f ailed to show elevations in cortisol on days of high versus low social conflict in the classroom. Social competence was also found to correl ate positively with cortisol levels on high-conflict days. In all, the results suggest a reduction in cortisol reactivity in maltreated chil dren related to the impairment in social competence frequently noted a mong these children.