Scientific Publication

C-reactive protein, Epstein-Barr virus, and cortisol trajectories in refugee and non-refugee youth

Abstract

Experiencing childhood adversity has been associated with significant changes in inflammation, cell-mediated immunocompetence, and cortisol secretion. Relatively few studies have examined, longitudinally, alterations to inflammatory processes during adolescence, especially outside Western contexts; none have evaluated biomarker trajectories for at-risk youth in response to a structured behavioral intervention. The study conducted a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a humanitarian intervention targeting stress-alleviation, with 12–18 year-old Syrian refugees and Jordanian non-refugees living side-by-side in war-affected communities in Jordan. This research is part of the ‘Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC)’ programme