A new study by researchers from Arizona State University and the Naval Postgraduate School analyzed the relationship between PTSD and hormones in the non-industrialized Turkana society, revealing that Turkana warriors with PTSD had lower morning testosterone but no significant difference in cortisol levels. This challenges previous findings in Western populations and suggests cultural and environmental factors may influence physiological responses to trauma, emphasizing the need for broader research beyond industrialized societies. ASU scientists are the first to study the relationship between hormones and PTSD in a non-industrialized society.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 3.9% of the global population has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives. In the United States, this prevalence is higher, reaching about 6% .
PTSD can develop after an individual experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, with symptoms lasting for months or even years. However, much remains unknown about the condition.
Researchers from Arizona State University and the Naval Postgraduate School, including anthropologists, social scientists, and veterans, are the first to study the connection between the hormones cortisol and testosterone and PTSD within a non-industrialized society.
This new study sheds more light on the PTSD puzzle. Homing in on hormones
Previous studies about PTSD and hormones have focused only on people living in Western or European industrialized societies. They included people who suffered from different types of trauma like car crashes, assault and multiple deployments, according to Ben Trumble, a research scientist at the Institute of Human Origins and associate professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.
The studies showed the majority of people diagnosed with PTSD had very little change in their cortisol levels throughout the day. Instead, the results showed “blunted” levels of cortisol and not the normal rise and fall patterns.
“In healthy men, hormones like testosterone and cortisol follow a pattern throughout the day,” Trumble said. “Hormone levels are the highest just after waking up, and then decline rapidly. Levels are low throughout the day, and rise again at night.”
The big question Trumble and colleagues wanted to answer was, would they see this same pattern in a […]
Surprising PTSD Findings: Why Western Assumptions May Be Wrong
