@article{ref1,
title="Thyroid hormone levels and psychological symptoms in sexually abused adolescent girls",
journal="Child abuse and neglect",
year="2006",
author="Haviland, Mark G. and Sonne, Janet L. and Anderson, D. L. and Nelson, J. C. and Sheridan-Matney, Clare and Nichols, Joy G. and Carlton, Esther I. and Murdoch, William G. C.",
volume="30",
number="6",
pages="589-598",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationships between psychological symptoms and thyroid hormone levels in adolescent girls who had experienced the traumatic stress of sexual abuse. METHOD: The study design was cross-sectional/correlational. Subjects (N=22; age range=12-18 years) had their blood drawn, and they completed 2 psychological tests (depression and general distress/posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD). A pediatrician completed a sexual abuse questionnaire after reviewing law enforcement and Child Protective Services reports and conducting forensic interviews and medical examinations. RESULTS: Girls' average free T4, total T4, free T3, total T3, and TSH levels were within age-specific laboratory reference range limits, as were most individual concentrations. The strongest correlations (p<.05) were between free T3 and PTSD total score (-.50), PTSD-avoidance/numbing (-.49), and general distress (-.48); and between total T3 and depression (-.46), general distress (-.45), and PTSD-arousal (-.44). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support one of the two contemporary models of the relationships between thyroid hormones (i.e., free and total T3) and psychological symptoms (i.e., depression, general distress, and PTSD)--one of &quot;shutting down&quot; (vs. &quot;activation&quot;) in the face of trauma.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0145-2134",
doi="10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.11.011",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.11.011"
}