Anxiety and depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in girls with central precocious puberty versus isolated premature thelarche: a comparative cross-sectional study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction Previous studies have examined psychological symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) and isolated premature thelarche (IPT), but findings from direct comparisons have been inconsistent. We aimed to compare anxiety and depressive symptoms and HRQoL between girls with CPP and IPT and to examine associations between psychological symptom burden and HRQoL. Methods This comparative cross-sectional study included 50 girls (mean age, 8.33 ± 0.23 years), including 18 with idiopathic CPP and 32 with IPT. Breast development had first been recognized before 8 years of age in all participants. Psychological questionnaires were administered on the same day as the endocrinological evaluation. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using SCARED, RCADS-CV, and CDI, and self-reported HRQoL was assessed using PedsQL 4.0. Between-group comparisons incorporated Benjamini–Hochberg false-discovery-rate correction. Spearman correlations and exploratory hierarchical linear regression were performed. Results No between-group differences in anxiety, depressive symptoms, or HRQoL remained statistically significant after FDR correction. Clinically elevated SCARED scores occurred in 38.9% of girls with CPP and 53.1% with IPT (p=0.333), while CDI scores ≥19 occurred in 11.1% and 18.8%, respectively (p=0.694). In the combined sample, psychological symptom scores were inversely correlated with PedsQL total scores (Spearman’s r s =−0.568 to −0.720; all p<0.001). In exploratory regression adjusted for endocrine phenotype, BMI SDS, and symptom duration, SCARED (β=−0.382, p=0.003) and CDI (β=−0.481, p<0.001) scores were associated with lower PedsQL total scores. Discussion Higher anxiety and depressive symptom scores were associated with lower HRQoL in this clinical sample. The absence of statistically significant CPP–IPT differences does not establish equivalence or exclude a contribution of endocrine factors. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations.
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry
Institutions: Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi, Kocaeli Üniversitesi
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7222476831