Early DHEA Levels Predict Depression in Adolescent Males but Not Females

The transition into adolescence is characterized by a sharp rise in the incidence of depression and anxiety, marking the developmental point where sex differences in prevalence first emerge [1]. While psychosocial factors are often cited, clinical attention has increasingly focused on the endocrine shifts of adrenarche, the early stage of pubertal maturation involving the increased secretion of adrenal androgens [2]. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate ester (DHEAS) are neurosteroids that modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the primary system regulating the physiological stress response, and have been linked to mood regulation across various clinical populations [3, 4]. Despite these biological links, the role of early hormonal shifts in driving the sex disparity in adolescent mental health remains unclear [5]. This prospective cohort study evaluates whether these adrenal androgens serve as the primary mediators of the increased psychiatric risk observed in young females compared to their male peers.