Depression and Fear about Maturation in Girls with Precocious Puberty and Depression and Anxiety in Their Mothers

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study investigated depression and anxiety in girls with precocious puberty and in their mothers. METHOD: This study recruited 75 girls treated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) and their mothers from October 2017 to April 2018. The girls completed the Korean Children's Depression Inventory (K-CDI) and Maturity Fear Scale (MFS), and their mothers were surveyed with the Korean Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI) and Korean Beck Anxiety Inventory (K-BAI). RESULTS: The K-BDI scores showed statistically significant differences according to girl's age (p < 0.016) and household income (p < 0.037). The anxiety scores showed statistically significant differences according to girls' Body Mass Index (BMI) (p < 0.029) and household income (p < 0.005). There was a positive correlation between depression in girls and mothers (r=0.264, p < 0.050). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a need for understanding and counseling for depression in both girls??and their mothers during the process of diagnosis and treatment for precocious puberty.