Salivary cortisol responses in prepubertal boys: the effects of parental substance abuse and association with drug use behavior during adolescence

Background: The purpose of this investigation was threefold. First, we extended our original observation of decreased cortisol reactivity to an anticipated stressor in sons of fathers with a substance use disorder (SUD). Second, we examined the hypothesis that salivary cortisol underresponsivity in these high-risk prepubertal boys is an adaptation to the stress associated with having a father with a current, rather than remitted, SUD. Third, we tested the hypothesis that prepubertal cortisol underreactivity might be associated with subsequent drug use behavior during adolescence. Methods: Preadolescent salivary cortisol responses were examined in the context of risk-group status, paternal substance abuse offsets, and subsequent adolescent drug use behavior. Results: The results confirmed a decreased salivary cortisol response to an anticipated stressor among sons of SUD fathers in our expanded sample. In addition, sons of fathers with a current SUD and boys whose fathers had a SUD offset from their 3rd to 6th birthdays had lower anticipatory stress cortisol levels compared with sons of control fathers. Finally, lower preadolescent anticipatory cortisol responses were associated with regular monthly cigarette smoking and regular monthly marijuana use during adolescence. Conclusions: Hyporeactivity as an adaptation to chronic stress may be salient to the intergenerational transmission of substance abuse liability.