Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-hfldf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T23:56:18.048Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Adrenal secretion and major depression in 8- to 16-year-olds, II. Influence of co-morbidity at presentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

J. Herbert
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy, MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
I. M. Goodyer*
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy, MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
P. M. E. Altham
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy, MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
J. Pearson
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy, MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
S. M. Secher
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy, MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
H. M. Shiers
Affiliation:
Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy, MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor I. M. Goodyer, Development Psychiatry Section, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 2AH.

Synopsis

The association between high evening cortisol and low morning DHEA and the pattern of co-morbid diagnoses in 82 cases of major depressive disorder in 8- to 16-year-olds has been analysed. There was a significant association between the presence of high evening cortisol and co-morbid dysthymia. This was independent of age or sex. No positive association was found between the presence of low morning DHEA and any co-morbid diagnosis. However, co-morbid panic or phobic disorder was significantly associated with the absence of this endocrine abnormality. These findings suggest that specific endocrine disturbances may be associated with different patterns of co-morbidity during an episode of major depression in this age group.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Angold, A. & Costello, E. (1993). Depressive comorbidity in childhood and adolescents: empirical, Theoretical and Methodological Issues. American Journal of Psychiatry 150, 17791791.Google Scholar
Caron, C. & Rutter, M. (1991). Comorbidity and child psychopathology: concepts, issues and research strategies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 32, 10631080.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chambers, W., Puig-Antich, J., Hirsch, M., Pacz, P., Ambrosini, P. J., Tabrizi, M. A. & Davies, M. (1985). The assessment of affective disorders in children and adolescents by semi-structured interview. Test–retest reliability of the K-SADS-P. Archives of General Psychiatry 24, 696702.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dahl, R., Ryan, N., Puig-Antich, J., Nguyen, N. A., Al-Shabbout, M., Meyer, V. A. & Perel, J. (1989 a). Twenty-four hour cortisol measures in adolescents with major depression: a controlled study. Biological Psychiatry 30, 2526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dahl, R., Puig-Antich, J., Ryan, N., Nelson, B., Novacenko, H., Twomey, J., Williamson, D., Goetz, R. & Ambrosini, P. J. (19889b). Cortisol secretion in adolescents with major depressive disorder. Acta Pyschiatrica Scandinavica 80, 1826.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodyer, I. M., Herbert, J., Altham, P. M. E., Pearson, J., Secher, S. M. & Shiers, H. M. (1996). Adrenal secretion during major depression in 8- to 16-year-olds, I. Altered diurnal rhythms in salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Psychological medicine 26, 245256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrington, R., Fudge, H., Rutter, M., Pickles, A. & Hill, J. (1991). Adult outcomes of childhood and adolescent depression, II links with antisocial disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 30, 434439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovacs, M., Feinberg, T. L., Crouse-Novak, M. A., Paulauskas, S. L. & Finkelstein, R. (1984). Depressive disorders in childhood, 1. A longitudinal prospective study of characteristics and recovery. Archives of General Psychiatry 41, 229237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kovacs, M., Gatsonis, C., Paulauskas, S. & Richards, C. (1989). Depressive disorders in childhood. IV. A longitudinal study of comorbidity and risk for anxiety disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry 46, 776782.Google Scholar
Kovacs, M., Akiskal, H. S., Gatsonis, C. & Parrone, L. (1995). Childhood-onset dysthymic disorder. Clinical features and prospective naturalistic outcome. Archives of General Psychiatry 51, 365374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Majewska, M. D. (1992), Neurosteroids: endogenous bimodal modulators of the GABAa receptor. Mechanisms of action and physiological significance. Progress in Neurobiology 38, 379395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, B. P. (1991). Steroids and depression. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 38, 537559.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pfeffer, C. R., Stokes, P., Weiner, A., Shindledecker, R., Faughan, L., Mintz, M., Stoll, P. M. & Heiligenstein, D. P. (1989). Psychopathology and plasma cortisol responses to dexamethasone in prepubertal psychiatric inpatients. Biological Psychiatry 26, 677689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolkowitz, O. M. (1994). Prospective controlled studies of the behavioural and biological effects of exogenous corticosteroids. Psychoneuroendocrinology 19, 233255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed