Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women
Research on stress has demonstrated that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis contributes to major depressive disorder in youth. Hair glucocorticoids are key biological markers of chronic stress. We assessed group differences in hair cortisol and cortisone concentrations, and the cortisol/c...
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| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Stress |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10253890.2025.2459726 |
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| author | Yasmine Zerroug Marie-France Marin Elyse Porter-Vignola Patricia Garel Catherine M. Herba |
| author_facet | Yasmine Zerroug Marie-France Marin Elyse Porter-Vignola Patricia Garel Catherine M. Herba |
| author_sort | Yasmine Zerroug |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research on stress has demonstrated that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis contributes to major depressive disorder in youth. Hair glucocorticoids are key biological markers of chronic stress. We assessed group differences in hair cortisol and cortisone concentrations, and the cortisol/cortisone ratio between depressed adolescent women and a non-depressed comparison group. Further, within the depression group, we explored the contribution of symptom severity and clinical correlates of depression in relation to glucocorticoid concentrations. Hair samples of three centimeters for 74 adolescent women (41 in the depression group and 33 in the comparison group), aged between 12 and 19 years old, were analyzed. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Beck Youth Inventory II and clinical correlates of depression were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form and the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children. No significant differences emerged between the depression group and the comparison group on hair cortisol or hair cortisone concentrations. However, groups differed significantly on the cortisol/cortisone ratio, a proposed proxy of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity, with a higher ratio for the depression group. Within the depression group, neither symptom severity nor clinical correlates were associated with glucocorticoid concentrations. Although cross-sectional, our findings highlight the importance of future studies to test whether the group difference found in cortisol/cortisone ratio is the result of alterations in 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes (type 1 or 2) activity. Further research is thus needed to clarify the role of these enzymes in major depressive disorder in youth and to develop more targeted intervention strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf146abb60b5441f9ebafe8a9222e193 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1025-3890 1607-8888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
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| series | Stress |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf146abb60b5441f9ebafe8a9222e1932025-02-03T07:33:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupStress1025-38901607-88882025-12-0128110.1080/10253890.2025.2459726Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent womenYasmine Zerroug0Marie-France Marin1Elyse Porter-Vignola2Patricia Garel3Catherine M. Herba4Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, CanadaAzrieli Research Center of the CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, CanadaResearch on stress has demonstrated that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis contributes to major depressive disorder in youth. Hair glucocorticoids are key biological markers of chronic stress. We assessed group differences in hair cortisol and cortisone concentrations, and the cortisol/cortisone ratio between depressed adolescent women and a non-depressed comparison group. Further, within the depression group, we explored the contribution of symptom severity and clinical correlates of depression in relation to glucocorticoid concentrations. Hair samples of three centimeters for 74 adolescent women (41 in the depression group and 33 in the comparison group), aged between 12 and 19 years old, were analyzed. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Beck Youth Inventory II and clinical correlates of depression were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form and the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children. No significant differences emerged between the depression group and the comparison group on hair cortisol or hair cortisone concentrations. However, groups differed significantly on the cortisol/cortisone ratio, a proposed proxy of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity, with a higher ratio for the depression group. Within the depression group, neither symptom severity nor clinical correlates were associated with glucocorticoid concentrations. Although cross-sectional, our findings highlight the importance of future studies to test whether the group difference found in cortisol/cortisone ratio is the result of alterations in 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes (type 1 or 2) activity. Further research is thus needed to clarify the role of these enzymes in major depressive disorder in youth and to develop more targeted intervention strategies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10253890.2025.2459726Depressionhair cortisolhair cortisonecortisol to cortisone ratioadolescencesymptom severity |
| spellingShingle | Yasmine Zerroug Marie-France Marin Elyse Porter-Vignola Patricia Garel Catherine M. Herba Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women Stress Depression hair cortisol hair cortisone cortisol to cortisone ratio adolescence symptom severity |
| title | Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women |
| title_full | Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women |
| title_fullStr | Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women |
| title_short | Differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non-depressed adolescent women |
| title_sort | differences in hair cortisol to cortisone ratio between depressed and non depressed adolescent women |
| topic | Depression hair cortisol hair cortisone cortisol to cortisone ratio adolescence symptom severity |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10253890.2025.2459726 |
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