Cardiovascular stress responses in young adulthood associated with family-of-origin relationship experiences

The impact of relationships within the family-of-origin on the development of physiological stress responses has significant consequences for long-term vulnerability to stress-related illness. The current study evaluated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) responses to a challenge task in 150 young adults from families characterized by parental loss, divorce, or intact marriages. Overall, higher-quality family relationships were associated with stronger recovery of SBP. For DBP and HR, interactions were found in which higher-quality family relationships were associated with stronger recovery in the loss group relative to the divorce and intact groups. Good support was found for a mediational model outlining self-regulatory abilities as a pathway linking family relationships to SBP reactivity and recovery. Findings provide further evidence that family-of-origin relationship experiences can affect cardiovascular responses to later-life stress.