Pham Holly T, Berenbaum Sheri A, DiLalla Lisabeth F, Corley Robin P, Wadsworth Sally J, Reynolds Chandra, Beltz Adriene M
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA.
Psychol Med. 2025 Apr 14;55:e115. doi: 10.1017/S0033291725000820.
Pubertal development variations have consequences for adolescent internalizing problems, which likely continue into adulthood. Key questions concern the extent of these links between pubertal timing and adult symptoms, as well as the underlying mechanisms.
Longitudinal data were available for 475 female and 404 male participants. Pubertal timing was indicated by age at mid-puberty for both groups and age at menarche for female participants (both assessed continuously). Adult self-reported outcomes of recent and lifetime depression and anxiety were predicted from pubertal timing, also controlling for adolescent (then childhood) internalizing problems. Emerging adulthood self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, education level, and age at sexual initiation were examined as mediators of the pubertal timing-adult internalizing link. Multilevel models tested hypotheses.
Pubertal timing had persisting and sex-dependent psychological associations. Specifically, in female, but not male, adults, early puberty was associated with all adult internalizing outcomes, and for past year and lifetime depression symptoms, even after controlling for adolescent internalizing problems. Pubertal timing links with past-year depression symptoms were mediated by age at sexual initiation, while all other persisting pubertal timing links with adult symptoms were mediated by body dissatisfaction. Most findings concerning depression held when childhood internalizing problems were also a covariate.
Leveraging data spanning four developmental periods, findings highlight the associations between pubertal variations and adult internalizing symptoms by revealing underlying sex-dependent behavioral pathways. Only for female participants did pubertal timing affect depression and anxiety in established adulthood, with body dissatisfaction and age at sexual initiation as unique developmental mechanisms.
青春期发育差异会对青少年的内化问题产生影响，这些问题可能会持续到成年期。关键问题在于青春期时间与成年症状之间这些联系的程度以及潜在机制。
有475名女性和404名男性参与者的纵向数据。两组的青春期时间由青春期中期年龄表示，女性参与者的初潮年龄（均为连续评估）。根据青春期时间预测成年人自我报告的近期和终生抑郁及焦虑结果，同时控制青少年（以及儿童期）的内化问题。将成年初显期的自尊、身体不满、教育水平和首次性行为年龄作为青春期时间与成年内化联系的中介因素进行研究。采用多层次模型检验假设。
青春期时间存在持续且与性别相关的心理关联。具体而言，在成年女性而非成年男性中，青春期早发与所有成年内化结果相关，对于过去一年和终生抑郁症状，即使在控制了青少年内化问题之后也是如此。青春期时间与过去一年抑郁症状的联系由首次性行为年龄介导，而青春期时间与成年症状的所有其他持续联系由身体不满介导。当儿童期内化问题也是一个协变量时，关于抑郁的大多数发现仍然成立。
利用跨越四个发育阶段的数据，研究结果通过揭示潜在的性别依赖行为途径，突出了青春期变化与成年内化症状之间的关联。只有女性参与者的青春期时间会影响成年期已确定的抑郁和焦虑，身体不满和首次性行为年龄是独特的发育机制。
