Hair cortisol concentrations in war-affected adolescents: A prospective intervention trial

Temporal examinations of endocrine changes as a biological signature of stress or trauma in war-affected civilian populations are seldom undertaken, and few studies have examined whether stress biomarkers track biological sensitivity to brief interventions targeting the improvement of psychosocial wellbeing. The study is the first to prospectively examine, in war-affected adolescents, the associations between hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and self-reports of stress, insecurity, posttraumatic reactions, and lifetime trauma.