FMR1 Premutation Carrier Mothers' Daily Negative Affect and Cortisol: Probing the Impacts of Stress Exposure, Coping Style, and CGG Repeats.

Abstract

This study utilized a daily diary methodology to investigate negative affect and cortisol secretion of mothers of adolescents and adults with fragile X syndrome (n = 104). We investigated whether coping style moderated the effects of child behavior problems on daily stress responses for these mothers and whether mothers with varying numbers of CGG repeats differed in the extent to which their coping style impacted daily outcomes. Results indicated that high levels of problem-focused coping buffered the effects of behavior problems on mothers' negative affect and cortisol secretion. There was a significant interaction between CGG repeat group and coping in predicting negative affect; mothers with midrange CGG repeats were less likely to benefit from coping than those who had fewer repeats.