Eight male adolescents with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, who were being treated with pulsatile GnRH administration, were examined psychologically. We focused on the development of independence and on the manner in which they experienced their illness and treatment. The patient group was compared with a group of male adolescents of normal height and a group of male adolescents of short stature. We found that there were problems in the patient group in the development of independence, specifically relating to their own body image and social functioning. The retarded sexual development of these patients is probably of greater importance than the height growth-related problems, if any. The problems we found appeared to be caused primarily by the presence of the physical disorder and not by the stress of treatment.