title: Psychosocial functioning of adolescents with idiopathic short stature or persistent short stature born small for gestational age during three years of combined growth hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine psychosocial functioning of medically referred adolescents with idiopathic short stature (ISS) or persistent short stature born small for gestational age (SGA) during 3 years of combined growth hormone (GH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight adolescents participated in a controlled trial with GH/GnRHa treatment or no intervention. Each year the adolescents and their parents completed questionnaires and structured interviews. Multilevel analysis was used to analyze data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adolescents of the treatment group showed a worse outcome than the adolescents of the control group on 3 of 16 variables: perceived competence of scholastic (p < 0.01) and athletic ability (p < 0.05) and trait anxiety (p < 0.05). Adolescents in both the treatment and control groups perceived improved current height (p < 0.001) and self-appraisal of physical appearance (p < 0.05). The parents did not report changes in their children during treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observation of some adverse psychological consequences as experienced by the adolescents indicates that it is useful to monitor psychosocial functioning during a combined GH/GnRHa treatment in adolescents with ISS or SGA. It is uncertain whether the hypothesized positive effects of the expected gain in final height by adulthood can sufficiently counterbalance possible short-term negative effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Psychology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, The Netherlands. J.Visser-vanbalen@fss.uu.nl
authors.forename: Hanneke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Visser-van Balen
authors.forename: Rinie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Geenen
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moerbeek
authors.forename: Rutger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stroop
authors.forename: Gerdine A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kamp
authors.forename: Jaap
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huisman
authors.forename: Jan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wit
authors.forename: Gerben
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sinnema
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011594:Psychometrics; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D013177:Sports; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C083781:LHRH, Ala(6)-Gly(10)-ethylamide-; D013006:Growth Hormone