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Depressive tendency in children with growth hormone deficiency

Shinpei Abe1, Akihisa Okumura, Tomoaki Mukae

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan. shiabe@juntendo.ac.jp

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|October 23, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Growth hormone deficiency in children is linked to depressive tendencies. Treatment with growth hormone significantly reduced these symptoms, suggesting positive psychosocial effects.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Child Psychology
  • Medical Treatment Efficacy

Background:

  • Children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) may exhibit depressive tendencies.
  • Assessing psychosocial well-being is crucial for comprehensive GHD management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of growth hormone treatment on depressive tendencies in children with GHD.
  • To determine if GHD treatment improves psychological health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Forty-one children diagnosed with GHD were assessed using the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRSC).
  • Depressive tendency was defined as a DSRSC score of 16 or higher.
  • Assessments were conducted pre-treatment and at least 6 months post-treatment initiation.

Main Results:

  • The mean DSRSC score significantly decreased from 9.7 ± 6.1 pre-treatment to 6.9 ± 4.6 post-treatment (P=0.0013).
  • The prevalence of depressive tendency reduced from 15% (6/41) before treatment to 5% (2/41) after treatment.
  • Six specific items on the DSRSC showed significant improvement post-treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Depressive tendency is a notable concern in children with GHD.
  • Growth hormone treatment demonstrably reduces depressive symptoms in this population.
  • These findings highlight potential benefits of growth hormone therapy on the psychosocial well-being of children with GHD.
Abstract

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