Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

    J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999 Apr;38(4):460-7.

    Corticotropin-releasing hormone and cortisol: longitudinal associations with depression and antisocial behavior in pregnant adolescents.

    Susman EJ, Schmeelk KH, Worrall BK, Granger DA, Ponirakis A, Chrousos GP.

    Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA.

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the concurrent and longitudinal associations between corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol concentrations and depression and antisocial behavior (conduct disorder symptoms) in pregnant adolescents. METHOD: Fifty-nine adolescents were evaluated in early pregnancy (9-21 weeks' gestation), late pregnancy (32-34 weeks' gestation), and the postpartum period (4-5 weeks postpartum). Symptoms of depression and conduct disorder were obtained from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. RESULTS: Lower concentrations of CRH were related to a greater number of depression symptoms in early pregnancy (p < .05) and in late pregnancy (p < .05). Lower concentrations of CRH also were related to a greater number of conduct disorder symptoms in early pregnancy (p < .06) and in the postpartum period (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The findings support the long-standing hypothesis that stress-related products of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are associated with emotions and behavior during pregnancy.

    PMID: 10199119 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

    Supplemental Content