title: Improvements in behaviour and self-esteem following growth hormone treatment in short prepubertal children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on behaviour and psychosocial characteristics in short-stature children.
  
  
  METHODS
  99 referred prepubertal non-familiar short-stature children (32 GH deficiency; 67 idiopathic short stature) aged 3-11 years, randomized to fixed or individual GH doses and their parents completed questionnaires (Child Behaviour Checklist, Birleson Depression Self-Report Scale, Abbreviated Parent-Teacher Questionnaire, I Think I Am, Well-Being Visual-Analogue Scales for Short-Stature Children) at baseline (BL) and after 3, 12, and 24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At BL, children showed higher levels of internalizing behaviour (p < 0.001), lower levels of externalizing behaviour (p < 0.006) and self-esteem (p < 0.001) compared to reference values. During GH treatment, behavioural measures (p < 0.001) and depression (p < 0.01) changed towards the mean of the population within the first 3 months and remained improved to 24 months. Self-esteem improved at all time points (p < 0.001), and in all subgroups, as did well-being dimensions stability and mood (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that greater improvements were related to lower BL value, height gain, higher maximal GH value, being older, and being male.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On GH treatment, prepubertal short children significantly improved on behavioural, depression, and psychosocial evaluations over a 2-year period of GH treatment. Most change occurred within the first 3 months, which highlights this short period as important not only for growth and metabolic changes but also for behaviour and psychosocial improvements following GH treatment.
authors.affiliation: Göteborg Pediatric Growth Research Center, Institute of Clinical Science, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: John Eric
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kriström
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hägglöf
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuvemo
authors.forename: A Stefan
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Aronson
authors.forename: Jovanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dahlgren
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albertsson-Wikland
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone