Abstract

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis are associated with numerous health and behavioral outcomes, yet emerging research suggests that HPA–HPG interactions may impact health and behavior beyond either axis alone. While once thought to inhibit each other, a dual-axis view suggests that HPA–HPG associations may actually be flexible depending on salient contextual factors. We review studies of cross-axis ‘coupling’ at different ages and in different contexts in order to demonstrate the robustness of this phenomenon, variance by developmental stage, sex differences and implications for psychopathology.