Increased cortisol concentrations in hair of severely traumatized Ugandan individuals with PTSD

Abstract

The influence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on cortisol levels is not yet clear. We examined long-term cortisol levels in severely traumatized survivors of the Northern Uganda civil war - 10 individuals with and 17 without PTSD - by assessing hair cortisol. PTSD patients exhibited higher long-term cortisol concentrations than non-PTSD participants, and the cortisol level was positively correlated with the number of traumatic event types experienced. Our results indicate a chronic stress reaction in PTSD patients, especially under conditions of recurring trauma. Wird veröffentlicht in: Psychoneuroendocrinology 36 (2011)