Menarche, puberty and psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVE

Puberty and adolescence are important periods about mental health, particularly for women. Relationship between age of menarche, psychiatric complaints during adolescence and family stories of psychiatric disorders are investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study is conducted with 61 patients with schizophrenia, 35 patients with bipolar affective disorder, 40 patients with depressive disorder and 60 healthy control subjects. All subjects were evaluated with SCID-I and questionnaire fit for the aim of the study was fulfilled.

RESULTS

Bipolar affective disorder had a stronger relationship with menarche, psychiatric problems during adolescence were related with early onset of illness in schizophrenia and bipolar groups. Family story of psychiatric illness was related with psychological problems during puberty in schizophrenia group.

CONCLUSION

This study underlies the puberty and adolescence period for psychiatric illness. An integrative clinical approach is suggested while examining the psychiatric illness at the basis of engaged roles of hormonal effects of menarche, social effect of puberty psychiatric complaints and genetical and psychosocial burden of family story of illness.