Giletta M, et al. - The current study was interested in exploring the role that peer victimization and cognitive vulnerability play in shaping adolescents’ pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to an acute social stressor. The data presented in this work showed a biological pathway by which peer victimization could interact with cognitive vulnerability to influence health in adolescence.

Methods

• For this study, adolescent girls at risk for psychopathology (n = 157; Mage = 14.73 years; SD = 1.38) were exposed to a laboratory-based social stressor before and after which the authors evaluated salivary levels of 3 key pro-inflammatory cytokines – interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).

Results

• According to the findings obtained, adolescents with greater peer victimization exposure showed greater increases in IL-6 and IL1-β in response to the laboratory-based social stressor.
• Additionally, for all 3 cytokines individually and for a combined latent factor of inflammation, peer victimization anticipated enhanced inflammatory responding most strongly for adolescents with high levels of hopelessness.