Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents
From adolescence onwards, internalizing symptoms, such as depressive and anxiety symptoms, are twice as prevalent in adolescent girls than boys. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls production and regulation of glucocorticoids (cortisol and cortisone), is li...
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266649762500030X |
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| author | Yasmine Zerroug Marie-France Marin Mara Brendgen Miriam Beauchamp Jean R. Séguin Sylvana M. Côté Catherine M. Herba |
| author_facet | Yasmine Zerroug Marie-France Marin Mara Brendgen Miriam Beauchamp Jean R. Séguin Sylvana M. Côté Catherine M. Herba |
| author_sort | Yasmine Zerroug |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | From adolescence onwards, internalizing symptoms, such as depressive and anxiety symptoms, are twice as prevalent in adolescent girls than boys. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls production and regulation of glucocorticoids (cortisol and cortisone), is linked to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Findings on hair cortisol, cortisone and the cortisol/cortisone ratio in relation to these symptoms have been inconsistent, particularly in adolescent community samples. The ratio provides an indication of the active versus inactive balance of cortisol concentrations, as a proxy of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes. In addition, few studies have investigated whether these associations are the same for adolescent girls and boys. Hair samples of 64 adolescent girls and 59 adolescent boys (aged between 14 and 15 years old) were analyzed using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) extraction method. Internalizing symptoms were measured via validated self-reported online questionnaires. For adolescent boys, no associations between hair glucocorticoids and depressive or anxiety symptoms were found. For adolescent girls, the analyses revealed a positive association between hair cortisone concentrations and depressive symptoms. Our findings highlight significant sex differences in the mechanisms that might operate between glucocorticoid concentrations and internalizing symptoms. Future longitudinal studies could test the predictive, sex-dependent effect of hair glucocorticoids concentrations during adolescence on the development of internalizing disorders in adulthood. Gaining a deeper understanding of HPA axis functioning could help to identify youth who are at greater risk of developing stress-related psychopathologies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2456f3f0b209403dbbc2e1506dbd54bf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-4976 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2456f3f0b209403dbbc2e1506dbd54bf2025-08-20T04:00:43ZengElsevierComprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology2666-49762025-08-012310031110.1016/j.cpnec.2025.100311Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescentsYasmine Zerroug0Marie-France Marin1Mara Brendgen2Miriam Beauchamp3Jean R. Séguin4Sylvana M. Côté5Catherine M. Herba6Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Corresponding author. Department of psychology, 100 Sherbrooke West, H2X 3P2, Montreal, Canada.From adolescence onwards, internalizing symptoms, such as depressive and anxiety symptoms, are twice as prevalent in adolescent girls than boys. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls production and regulation of glucocorticoids (cortisol and cortisone), is linked to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Findings on hair cortisol, cortisone and the cortisol/cortisone ratio in relation to these symptoms have been inconsistent, particularly in adolescent community samples. The ratio provides an indication of the active versus inactive balance of cortisol concentrations, as a proxy of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes. In addition, few studies have investigated whether these associations are the same for adolescent girls and boys. Hair samples of 64 adolescent girls and 59 adolescent boys (aged between 14 and 15 years old) were analyzed using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) extraction method. Internalizing symptoms were measured via validated self-reported online questionnaires. For adolescent boys, no associations between hair glucocorticoids and depressive or anxiety symptoms were found. For adolescent girls, the analyses revealed a positive association between hair cortisone concentrations and depressive symptoms. Our findings highlight significant sex differences in the mechanisms that might operate between glucocorticoid concentrations and internalizing symptoms. Future longitudinal studies could test the predictive, sex-dependent effect of hair glucocorticoids concentrations during adolescence on the development of internalizing disorders in adulthood. Gaining a deeper understanding of HPA axis functioning could help to identify youth who are at greater risk of developing stress-related psychopathologies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266649762500030XAdolescenceSex differencesHair cortisol concentrationsHair cortisone concentrationsCortisol/cortisone ratioInternalizing symptoms |
| spellingShingle | Yasmine Zerroug Marie-France Marin Mara Brendgen Miriam Beauchamp Jean R. Séguin Sylvana M. Côté Catherine M. Herba Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology Adolescence Sex differences Hair cortisol concentrations Hair cortisone concentrations Cortisol/cortisone ratio Internalizing symptoms |
| title | Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents |
| title_full | Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents |
| title_short | Sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents |
| title_sort | sex differences in associations between hair glucocorticoids and internalizing symptoms in adolescents |
| topic | Adolescence Sex differences Hair cortisol concentrations Hair cortisone concentrations Cortisol/cortisone ratio Internalizing symptoms |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266649762500030X |
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