Growth hormone deficiency impacts on psychiatric health

Growth hormone deficient (GHD) children who are referred for growth
hormone treatment often show a poor quality of life associated with
feelings of anxiety, depression, and social isolation, says Brian
Stabler, from the University of North Carolina.

Interestingly, he notes that recent observations have found that short
children who are not referred for medical diagnosis do not experience
the same problems.

The need for psychiatric problems to be detected in GHD children is
particularly important given that patients treated with growth hormone
in childhood often report poor quality of life in adulthood, even if an
acceptable height is achieved, Stabler explains.

He examined groups of young adults treated with growth hormone during
childhood and found that many showed symptoms of previously undetected
psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, panic disorder,
and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

‘Strikingly, the incidence of a particularly disabling anxiety disorder,
social phobia, was detected in 38% of one of our groups. This disorder
occurs in approximately 13% of the general population,’ Stabler reports.

He also points out that similar outcomes had been reported in adults who
have been diagnosed with GHD later in life.

Writing in Hormone Research, Stabler concludes that the ‘spectrum of
potential disabilities tied to GHS is broader than previously thought.’

He adds that ‘potential treatment strategies may include continuation of
GH therapy as indicated, psychotropic medication, or psychosocial
support and rehabilitation.’