Profiles of risk and resilience, and diurnal cortisol rhythms in Mexican-origin mothers.

OBJECTIVES

To identify distinct profiles based on socioeconomic status (SES), marital status, home and neighborhood environments, and psychological symptoms, in a sample of primarily Mexican-origin mothers, and to examine how these profiles relate to maternal diurnal cortisol.

METHODS

Mexican-origin mothers (N = 143) were assessed for their objective (education, income-to-needs ratio) and subjective SES (perceived financial concern), marital status, home chaos, neighborhood environments (cohesion and quality), and maternal depressive symptoms when their child was approximately 6-months old. Maternal salivary cortisol levels were collected around the time of their wake-up and at their child's bedtime. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify distinct profiles of maternal risk and resilience.

RESULTS

LPA revealed three distinct profiles with unique patterns of risk and resilience. The Higher-Risk profile (36%) was characterized by low SES, poor home and neighborhood environments, and heightened depressive symptoms. The Resilient profile (46%) displayed low objective SES but low financial concern, positive home and neighborhood environments, and fewer depressive symptoms. Lastly, the Lower-Risk profile (18%) showed relatively high SES, positive home and neighborhood environments, and fewer depressive symptoms. Mothers in the Higher-Risk profile exhibited less pronounced declines in cortisol from wake-up to bedtime compared to those in the Resilient and Lower-Risk profiles. The Resilient group showed a diurnal pattern similar to the Lower-Risk group.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights that even in the context of objectively low SES, positively perceived SES, supportive home and neighborhood environments, and low depressive symptoms may serve as resilience factors, promoting healthier cortisol patterns among low-income Mexican-origin mothers.