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Hormones and the HPA Axis
Just as neurotransmitters help ferry signals along nerve pathways, other complex chemicals called hormones carry messages to organs or groups of cells throughout the body. These chemicals trigger or regulate certain activities, such as the release of an egg from a woman’s ovary and the delicate control of blood sugar levels.

The hypothalamus in your brain, the pituitary gland below your brain, and the adrenal glands atop your kidneys form a trio known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Together these structures govern a multitude of hormonal activities in the body and may play a role in depression as well.
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A new study (as of June ‘08) has identified social/psychological factors in early childhood that can contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression later in life. According to the doctorate study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), small children who grow up in a family where the mother has psychological distress, the family is exposed to stress or is lacking social support, are at higher risk of developing anxious and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. Girls are more vulnerable than boys, and very timid or short-tempered children are more vulnerable than others to develop emotional problems.

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental problems for children and adolescents.
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