An early puberty in girls warning sign for later depression?

How does early early menstruation affect the likelihood of depression??

When girls enter adolescence early, they are more likely to develop depression and behavioral problems. This applies until the girl has reached the age of nearly 30 years.

Cornell University researchers in Ithaca, New York found that early onset of puberty in girls leads to an increased risk of depression and behavioral problems compared to girls who start menstruating later. The researchers published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Pediatrics".

If girls enter adolescence early, this affects the likelihood that they will experience depression and other behavioral problems later in life as adults. (Image: Sergey Nivens / fotolia.com)

Physicians are investigating nearly 7,800 subjects for their study

For their study, the experts examined nearly 7,800 women who had their first menstrual cycle at a mean age of twelve. These women were interviewed a total of four times, from the age of 16 to about the age of 28. The scientists found that when girls came into puberty earlier, they were also more likely to be depressed.

Earlier puberty often leads to behavioral problems in girls

The sooner girls get their first period, the stronger the connection between early puberty and mental health problems, explain the authors of the investigation. The effects are more pronounced when, for example, one girl started menses at the age of eight, compared to girls whose menstruation started at the age of ten. Through early puberty, the affected girls were also more likely to have behavioral problems. The effects are manifold: for example, the girls lied and stole more often, they also broke into homes more often and were more likely to be in contact with drugs. These negative effects often last until young adulthood, the authors explain.

Puberty has a strong influence on later depression in adulthood

Interestingly enough, the extent of the association between puberty and these psychological difficulties remains stable, say the physicians. This means that puberty is just as strongly associated with depressive symptoms and antisocial behavior in adulthood as it is in adolescence, explains author Jane Mendle of Cornell University. This indicates that the psychological vulnerability (vulnerability) of earlier puberty lasts longer than we previously expected, the expert adds.

Puberty is a very difficult time

Extensive changes in biology, appearance, self-awareness and emotion make puberty one of the most important stages of development throughout the lifespan. Although puberty can be a difficult time for all adolescents, girls who are physically older than their peers may be particularly hard hit by the effects. As physical maturation is associated with changes in social roles and relationships, this has been linked to certain factors in life and changes in the brain that could make adolescents particularly vulnerable to behavioral problems and mental health issues, say the doctors.

Participating women had to answer various questions

The researchers examined the data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health for their study. The nationwide representative survey includes youth from a wide range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The surveys examined in this study were conducted from 1994 to 2008. Questions asked focused on the onset of menstruation and included some of the symptoms of depression experienced by adolescents over the past week. In addition, the frequency of so-called antisocial behavior such as lying, stealing and drug trafficking was asked.

Women are particularly at risk after early puberty

If women as adults suffer from depression, it may be because they had already experienced symptoms of depression during adolescence, the medical profession speculates. As a result, they continued to be particularly vulnerable over time. The researchers also found that after early puberty, the risk of antisocial behaviors in adulthood was less pronounced compared to the risk of depression.

Premature girls are often treated as if they were actually older

It is possible that a variety of factors not studied in the study could, at least in part, be the reason for the occurrence of early puberty associated with the risk of depression and behavioral problems. From a social perspective, early-developing girls are often treated as if they were older. This may cause such girls to contact older children to better adapt. However, this also means that the girls involved are involved in things for which they are not mature enough in reality. The feeling of not being able to actually belong can then lead to mood swings and behavioral problems that are manifested as patterns of behavior that can also trigger problems in adulthood. (As)