Does precocious puberty and its treatment cause the emotional and behavioral problems in children?

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) results from the premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Recent studies have indicated that children with CPP are more likely to experience social and psychiatric difficulties compared to their age- and gender-matched peers. The objective of our study was to assess the psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in children newly diagnosed with CPP and those receiving treatment for over a year, and to compare these outcomes with healthy, age- and gender-matched children. Methods: This research was designed as a cross-sectional study, enrolling 50 CPP cases (25 at diagnosis and 25 on follow-up) and 25 healthy controls. The participants and their families completed a sociodemographic form, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version (RCADS-CV), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the TURGAY DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S). Results: No significant differences were found among the three groups regarding quality of life (both child and parent forms), anxiety and depression scores, or strengths and difficulties scores. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of inattention, hyperactivity, oppositional defiant, and conduct disorder scores. Conclusions: Central precocious puberty may bring about concerns regarding the potential psychosocial impact of early pubertal timing and the need for ongoing medical follow-up. In this study, however, children with CPP, both at diagnosis and during treatment, did not exhibit increased psychiatric symptoms or reduced quality of life compared to their typically developing peers. These findings are reassuring but underscore the importance of adopting a multidisciplinary approach to monitor and support the psychological well-being of children with CPP.