Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume 34, Issue 9 , Pages 1363-1369 , October 2009

Childhood parental divorce and cortisol in young adulthood: Evidence for mediation by family income

  • Amy J. Kraft
  • ,
  • Linda J. Luecken

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Box 1104, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States. Tel.: +1 480 965 6886; fax: +1 480 965 8544.

Received 10 June 2008 ,Revised 13 April 2009 ,Accepted 13 April 2009.

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PII: S0306-4530(09)00124-3

doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.04.008

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume 34, Issue 9 , Pages 1363-1369 , October 2009