Early Pubertal Timing and Childhood Family Adversity Interact to Predict Newlywed Women’s Anxiety Symptoms

Abstract

The contextual amplification hypothesis posits that girls’ early pubertal timing will predict anxiety and depression symptoms most strongly when early puberty occurs under adverse conditions. Research supporting this hypothesis has consistently linked early pubertal timing occurring in adverse contexts to symptoms during adolescence, but little is known about the link to adult symptoms. The present study examined the extent to which women’s reports of early pubertal timing and childhood family adversity interact to predict symptoms of anxiety and depression during the first two years of marriage. Married women (N = 226) completed questionnaires within 7 months into their first marriage (Time 1) and approximately 19 months later (Time 2). Analyses indicated that at both Time 1 and 2, women’s reports of earlier pubertal timing predicted anxiety symptoms only when women reported a history of greater childhood family adversity. Additional analyses indicated that the interaction of earlier pubertal timing and greater childhood family adversity predicted symptoms of traumatic intrusions and panic, but not social anxiety, at Time 1, and panic symptoms at Times 1 and 2. These findings expand our understanding of the relation of early pubertal timing to adult emotional health and the family conditions that moderate this relation.

Associations between adverse childhood family environments and blood pressure differ between men and women

“…Scores ranged from 13–63 and internal consistency was strong (Cronbach’s α = .90). RFQ scores were comparable to those reported in previous reports [21,22].…”

Pubertal development mediates the association between family environment and brain structure and function in childhood

“…For example, superior intelligence has been associated with prolonged cortical thickness growth in children (Shaw et al, 2006 ). The earlier termination of childhood may result in suboptimal development (e.g., a higher risk for health and adjustment problems or psychopathology later in life; Kelsey, Gammon, & John, 1993 ; Winer, Powers, & Pietromonaco, 2017 ).…”

Immune signaling as a node of interaction between systems that sex-specifically develop during puberty and adolescence

“…In fact, in one study early pubertal timing mediated the association between lower socioeconomic status and poor attention ( Stumper et al, 2020 ). Experiencing familial stress as well as early pubertal maturation predicts greater depression and anxiety symptoms after puberty ( Rudolph and Troop-Gordon, 2010 , Winer et al, 2017 ). Stressful childhood experiences are thought to precipitate atypical pubertal timing by altering HPA axis development, but no specific link between adversity, stress, and sexual maturation has been identified.…”