Growth Hormone Impact on Psychological Health in Children with Short Stature： An Exploratory Study

Abstract Background Growth hormone is widely used in children with short stature. However, the relationship between growth hormone and psychological health remains unclear. Our aim is to explore the correlation between growth hormone and psychology in children with short stature and to evaluate potential confounders. Methods All participants were recruited from the Pediatric Endocrine Unit at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. They were divided into two groups: the growth hormone deficiency group (GHD-G) and the idiopathic short stature group (ISS-G). The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used to assess psychological health. Other confounding variables were studied through background surveys and blood chemistry examination. Results Linear regression analysis revealed that a higher growth hormone stimulation peak (GHSP) was associated with a higher score on the SCL-90 (β = 0.027, 95%CI = 0.007 to 0.047, P = 0.00962). This association remained after adjusting for age, sex, and laboratory indices (β = 0.023, 95%CI = 0.003 to 0.043, P = 0.02652). Further analysis showed an interaction between GHSP and luteinizing hormone (LH) (P = 0.0018). When LH was greater than 0.2 U/L, the SCL-90 score increased as the GHSP increased (β = 0.0566, P = 0.0001); however, when LH was less than 0.2 U/L, no significant relationship was found (β = -0.0022, P = 0.8631). Conclusions Growth hormone deficiency does not negatively affect psychological health in children with short stature. However, elevated GH levels may have adverse effects on psychological health, especially in adolescents. Therefore, it is important to reassess GH and its potential psychological impact on children with short stature