Genetic and environmental hormonal response to stress in children depends on family context

A study conducted on 346 19-month-old twins by an international team led by Université Laval professor of psychology Michel Boivin reveals that the genetic and environmental bases of hormonal response to stress depend on the context in which a child grows up. This is the first time such an effect has been reported in young humans. The researchers explain the details of their findings in the latest edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry.