Pubertal Maturation and Trajectories of Depression During Early Adolescence

Abstract

Beginning at puberty, prevalence of depression in females rises dramatically. The physical changes of puberty coincide with a period of social flux, during which relationships become less stable and more prone to conflict. While this social upheaval is normatively distressing for girls, it may be especially so for girls with cognitive styles that leave them more susceptible to depression. The present study investigated depressive symptoms at two time points during early pubertal maturation. N = 110 girls ( M age = 11.57, SD = 0.98) reported on depressive symptomology, pubertal maturation, ruminative coping style, frequency of peer conflict, and rejection sensitivity. Multivariate analyses suggest more advanced pubertal development and greater rejection sensitivity at Time 1 predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms at Time 2, after accounting for baseline levels of depressive symptoms and all other social and cognitive correlates of depression. This effect was also found in early maturing girls. Menarche status was not significant. Since menarche occurs toward the end of puberty, results suggest that risk for worsening depression is not associated with completing puberty, or with menstruation itself. Rather, increases in depressive symptoms seem to be associated with physical changes that emerge early in the pubertal transition, especially for early maturing girls, paired with anticipatory concerns about social rejection.

Gendered Pathways of Internalizing Problems from Early Childhood to Adolescence and Associated Adolescent Outcomes

“…Specific technology-based behaviours, such as social comparison and feedback seeking, have also been shown to be associated with depressive symptoms, suggesting a more nuanced approach to the study of adolescents' media use (Nesi and Prinstein 2015). Early menarche was also not a risk factor for girls, supporting recent research showing that menarche status is not associated with worsening depression (McGuire et al 2019). Rather, increases in depressive symptoms seem to be associated with physical changes that emerge early in the pubertal transition for early maturing girls, along with anticipatory concerns about social rejection.…”

Higher Executive Control Network Coherence Buffers Against Puberty-Related Increases in Internalizing Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…As we hypothesized, adolescents who were in more advanced stages of puberty reported larger increases in internalizing symptoms during the COVID-19 crisis. Girls and boys who experience earlier pubertal maturation have been found to be at heightened risk for developing internalizing psychopathology ( 17 , 20 , 21 ), potentially through interacting biological (e.g., hormonal sensitivity) and psychosocial (e.g., peer sensitivity) processes ( 22 , 24 , 29 , 79 , 80 ). Further, early-maturing adolescents have been shown to exhibit heightened reactivity to stressful situations occurring after puberty ( 24 ), suggesting that precocious development is a risk factor for dysregulated stress responses and negative emotionality even after the pubertal phase.…”

“…Earlier-developing males, and particularly females ( 16 ), have been found to have higher risk for internalizing symptoms ( 17 ), due in part to an interplay between biological and social changes ( 18 ) that deviate in timing from that of their typically developing peers ( 19 ). Supporting this biopsychosocial interpretation of advanced pubertal maturation as a risk factor for internalizing psychopathology, researchers have found that early-maturing adolescents are more sensitive to interpersonal stress and rejection ( 20 , 21 ), and exhibit heightened responsiveness to stress ( 22 , 23 , 24 ). Similarly, adolescents who have experienced significant life stress tend to have earlier pubertal onset than do their same-aged peers ( 25 ).…”

Depressão, ansiedade, autorregulação emocional, percepção do suporte social e familiar em escolares

“…Há estudos que demonstraram que transtornos depressivos em meninas são mais evidenciados naquelas que já experienciaram a primeira menstruação, e que meninas que vivenciaram a menarca precocemente podem continuar a relatar psicopatologia elevada na adolescência e no início da idade adulta, no entanto, em outros estudos não foram encontrados tais resultados 7,24,25 .…”