Exploration of whether quality of relationship mediates the immune response to acute social stress for adolescents who have experienced peer victimization

Peer acceptance and social standing become more important in adolescence. The consequence of this is that adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of social stress. When exposed to social stress, the body produces an initial stress response which is then followed by an inflammation response by the immune system. Cytokines are proteins that have been implicated in the immune system inflammatory response after exposure to social stress. Victimisation by peers has been found to elevate cytokine reactivity after exposure to acute social stress. Social stress can be induced in a lab using the Trier Social Stress Test. Having quality relationships with peers and parents is a protective factor to the impact of peer victimisation. In adults, quality of relationships has been shown to reduce immune reactivity to social stress. Therefore, it was hypothesised that in adolescents’ quality of relationship would act as a mediator to acute social stress for those who have experienced peer...Show morePeer acceptance and social standing become more important in adolescence. The consequence of this is that adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of social stress. When exposed to social stress, the body produces an initial stress response which is then followed by an inflammation response by the immune system. Cytokines are proteins that have been implicated in the immune system inflammatory response after exposure to social stress. Victimisation by peers has been found to elevate cytokine reactivity after exposure to acute social stress. Social stress can be induced in a lab using the Trier Social Stress Test. Having quality relationships with peers and parents is a protective factor to the impact of peer victimisation. In adults, quality of relationships has been shown to reduce immune reactivity to social stress. Therefore, it was hypothesised that in adolescents’ quality of relationship would act as a mediator to acute social stress for those who have experienced peer victimisation. To investigate this hypothesis 79 Dutch adolescents (48% females, 52% males) with an age range of 14-16 years participated in the study. The procedure involved the completion of a series of questionnaires, a period of relaxation, pre-test dried blood spot sampling, participation in the TSST and then post-test dried blood spot sampling. Peer victimisation was measured using the Revised Experiences Questionnaire. The level of cytokines Il6, IL8, IL10 and TNFα detected in the pre and post test blood spot samples were used to measure the inflammatory response to social stress. Quality of relationship with best friend and primary parent were measured using the Network of Relationship Inventory. A mediation analysis was conducted with peer victimisation as the predictor variable, quality of relationship as the mediator variable and cytokine reactivity as the outcome variable; based on previous research BMI, sleep quality, physical health and cognitive stress appraisal were included as control variables. The results of the mediation analysis did not support the hypothesis that quality of relationship in adolescence mediates cytokine reactivity to acute social stress for prior peer victimisation. However, a post-hoc analysis with extreme outliers removed from the cytokine reactivity scores revealed a significant effect between negative quality relationships and TNF-α. This study extends previous research by exploring cytokine reactivity to social stress in a group of healthy adolescents. It highlights the need for further investigation in this population particularly in relation to negative quality relationships and cytokine reactivity, specifically TNF-α. This would enable a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between social experience and immune response in typically developing adolescents.Show less

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Exploration of whether quality of relationship mediates the immune response to acute social stress for adolescents who have experienced peer victimization