Psychosocial and endocrine features of chronic first-episode major depression in 8–16 year olds
Abstract
Background Psychoendocrine processes may have a role in explaining individual differences in the outcome of major depression in 8-16-year-old school children. Methods Salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, life events, and comorbidity were assessed at presentation, 36, and 72 weeks in 47 (60%) of 78 clinically referred subjects with a first episode of major depression. Comparisons were made between chronic and nonchronic major depression. Results Chronic depression was characterized by being older, cortisol hypersecretion at 8:00 PM at all three assessments, increasing depression-dependent life events over the follow-up period, and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) at presentation and at 36 weeks. Chronicity may be best predicted by increasing depression-dependent events over the 72-week period. Such events are more likely in cases with evening cortisol hypersecretion at entry and persistent OCD. Variations in DHEA levels were not associated with chronicity or increasing life events. Conclusions During adolescence, but not childhood, the persistence of major depression may occur through an increase of risk for further and particular types of depression-dependent undesirable life events (personal disappointments and/or dangers to the self), that are more likely in those subjects with persisting cortisol hypersecretion and unresolved comorbid OCD.
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Elevations in evening cortisol levels predict greater risk for persistent depressive episodes.
“Elevations in evening cortisol levels predict a greater risk for persistent depressive episodes.46”
From Early life adversity and the epigenetic programming of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function (2014) · cites this paper as [46]
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- Authors
- Goodyer, I. M., Park, R. J., & Herbert, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Goodyer, Ian M.
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2001-09
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 351-357
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1969288273
- Cited by
- 130
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 3.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Keywords
- first-episode depression, adolescent depression, salivary cortisol, cortisol hypersecretion, dehydroepiandrosterone, psychosocial factors, life events, obsessive-compulsive disorder comorbidity, depression persistence, psychoneuroendocrinology
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Chronic Disease, Circadian Rhythm, Dehydroepiandrosterone, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Life Change Events, Male, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Personality Assessment, Risk Factors, Saliva, Comorbidity
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