Biomarkers Predicting Depression in Teen Boys

Clinical depression in teenage boys may have just become predictable, allowing for proactive treatment, according to a newly released study.

The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that teenage boys with elevated levels of the hormone cortisol are up to fourteen times more likely to develop major or clinical depress than those with average levels of the hormone.

Researchers came to this conclusion after measuring cortisol in saliva from a group of over 1000 teenagers. The subjects, consisting of both boys and girls, were asked to provide samples of saliva every morning on schooldays over the course of a week. Twelve months later they were asked to do the same thing. This way, researchers were able to show over one year that cortisol levels did not change over the course of a year.

The levels of each individual's cortisol sample were compared with quality of life and mental health. What researcher found was that teenagers with high levels of cortisol were on average seven times more likely to develop major depression, compared to teens with standard or sub-standard levels of cortisol. Interestingly, researchers also found that this correlation between the hormone level and likelihood of depression was most prevalent in teenage boys.

The researchers admit that why cortisol encourages depression in boys remains a mystery. Still, past studies have indicated that abundant levels of cortisol may act to suppress autobiographical memories, potentially erasing or dulling memories of happy moments from an individual's past.

In a press release, the researchers explained that they hope that an easily identifiable marker for depression, such as high levels of cortisol, can help care providers to identify at-risk boys who may need help. Proactively preventing major depression by employing mental health strategies.

It is important to note that the study was unable to determine why males seemed to be more susceptible to the higher levels of cortisol than females. Finding this out might provide clues into how the hormone affects the human body and how it might be tied to depression and memory suppression. Naturally, researchers conclude that more research will need to be done before any conclusions about the hormone are made.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on February 17.

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