Association of Pubertal Timing with Psychopathology, Substance Use, Risky Behaviors, and Peer Problems During Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Adolescence represents a period of risk for the onset of psychopathology and the emergence of psychosocial processes associated with later risk. Understanding which adolescents are most at risk informs targeted prevention efforts. Pubertal timing relative to same-sex peers is one factor associated with adolescent psychological and psychosocial outcomes. Research in this area has focused largely on depression and substance use. For both boys and girls, earlier puberty has been found to be associated with increased depressive symptoms as well as earlier onset and greater likelihood of recurrence of major depressive disorder. It has also been found to be associated with increased substance use and greater likelihood of substance use disorder. Additionally, earlier pubertal timing is associated with other negative adolescent behaviors and outcomes, such as risky behavior and peer problems. We expanded on this research by examining the association between pubertal timing at age 14 and a wide range of psychiatric disorders (major depression, anxiety, substance use, antisocial personality disorders) and psychosocial outcomes (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis use; risky behavior, risky sexual behavior; peer relationships; emotional distress) at age 17 in a community sample of 2510 male and female twins. Consistent with previous research, we found that, relative to adolescents who experienced puberty later, those who experienced puberty earlier were more likely to have been diagnosed with an externalizing disorder (p = .015) and more likely to have been diagnosed with an internalizing disorder (p = .051) by age 17, although the latter finding did not reach significance. Pubertal timing was also associated with psychosocial outcomes at age 17. Specifically, adolescents with earlier pubertal timing reported more current alcohol (p < .001), nicotine (p = .029), and cannabis use (p = .002); risky behavior (p = .009); risky sexual behavior (p < .001); and emotional distress (p = .038) relative to their peers who experienced puberty later. Additionally, adolescents with earlier pubertal timing were more likely to report having peers that engaged in antisocial behavior (p = .002) and more likely to report being bullied (p = .021). We also examined the effect of pubertal timing on recurrence of major depressive disorder and found that adolescents with earlier pubertal timing were more likely to have recurrent depressive episodes than those with later pubertal timing (p = .013). The only sex difference in the above associations was for cannabis use; namely, boys--but not girls--with earlier pubertal timing reported more cannabis use at age 17. Our findings suggest that earlier pubertal timing is broadly associated with psychological and psychosocial distress in adolescence for both boys and girls. Future research is needed to interrogate the nature of this association, particularly whether earlier puberty has a causal relation with these outcomes or whether both earlier puberty and adolescent outcomes reflect shared underlying risk processes.

Authors

• Emily Padrutt, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Presenting Author

• Paige Raymond, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author

• Matt McGue, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author

• William G Iacono, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author

• SYLIA WILSON, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author