Contextual Amplification or Attenuation of Pubertal Timing Effects on Depressive Symptoms Among Mexican American Girls

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.10.006

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 50, Issue 6, June 2012, Pages 565-571

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.10.006 Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the role of neighborhood contextual variation in the putative association between pubertal timing and depressive symptoms among Mexican-origin girls.

Method

Mexican-origin girls (N = 344; x̄_age = 10.8 years) self-reported their total pubertal, adrenal, and gonadal events, along with levels of depressive symptoms in the 5th grade. Girls' residential addresses were geocoded into neighborhoods, and census data were obtained to describe neighborhoods along two dimensions: Hispanic cultural context and socioeconomic disadvantage. Two years later, when most of the girls were in the 7th grade, we reassessed the girls regarding depressive symptoms.

Results

Neighborhood Hispanic composition and neighborhood disadvantage were highly positively correlated. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we examined the moderating influence of neighborhood Hispanic composition and neighborhood disadvantage on the prospective associations between pubertal timing (total, gonadal, and adrenal) and depressive symptoms. Neighborhood Hispanic composition moderated the prospective association between total pubertal and gonadal timing and depressive symptoms. Neighborhood disadvantage did not moderate these associations.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that early maturing 5th grade Mexican-origin girls living in non-Hispanic neighborhoods are at the greatest risk for increased depressive symptoms in the 7th grade, even though these neighborhoods tend to be socioeconomically more advantaged. The protective cultural context of largely Hispanic neighborhoods may outweigh the potential amplifying effects of neighborhood disadvantage.

Section snippets

Participants and procedures

Data for the current study were obtained from the first and second waves of a longitudinal study focused on Mexican-origin adolescents and their families. All study procedures were approved by the University's Institutional Review Board; details regarding the full sample and procedures are provided elsewhere [29]. Participants were recruited when they were students in the 5th grade (beginning fall 2004). Spanish and English recruitment materials were sent home with 5th grade students in

Results

Table 2 provides zero-order correlations for all person-level study variables. Pubertal timing, gonadal timing, and adrenal timing at baseline were positively correlated with follow-up depressive symptoms. At the neighborhood level (N = 113), Hispanic composition and disadvantage were highly correlated, r = .69 (p < .01). Model results are presented for gonadal timing, adrenal timing, and total timing, respectively. Within each section, we discuss (a) whether, on average, baseline timing

Discussion

This is the first study to examine the moderating influence of neighborhood context on the prospective association of early pubertal timing with female adolescents' depressive symptoms. The study used a diverse sample of young Mexican-origin girls at the beginning of the pubertal transition; controlled for differences in nativity, age, and family income; examined these associations using three indicators of pubertal timing; and replicated all findings when parent reports on girls' depressive

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the families for their participation in the project. They also thank two anonymous reviewers for very constructive comments on an earlier draft of this article. Work on this project was supported, in part, by NIMH grant R01-MH68920.

References (39)

R. Kaltiala-Heino et al.
Pubertal timing, sexual behaviour and self-reported depression in middle adolescence
J Adolesc
(2003)
J. Mendle et al.
Detrimental psychological outcomes associated with early pubertal timing in adolescent girls
Dev Rev
(2007)
G.C. Patton et al.
Pubertal transitions in health
Lancet
(2007)
S.S. Sun et al.
Is sexual maturity occurring earlier among U.S. children?
J Adolesc Health
(2005)
D.A. Obeidallah et al.
Links between pubertal timing and neighborhood contexts: Implications for girls' violent behavior
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
(2004)
C. Hayward et al.
Ethnic differences in the association between pubertal status and symptoms of depression in adolescent girls
J Adolesc Health
(1999)
J.M. Siegel et al.
Body image, perceived pubertal timing, and adolescent mental health
J Adolesc Health
(1999)
D. Shaffer et al.
NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): Description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
(2000)
A. Angold et al.
Puberty and depression: The roles of age, pubertal status and pubertal timing
Psychol Med
(1998)
2008 National Population Projections

E.J. McDonald et al.

Cultural affiliation and self-esteem as predictors of internalizing symptoms among Mexican American adolescents

J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol

(2005)

R.T. Mikolajczyk et al.

Correlates of depressive symptoms among Latino and non-Latino white adolescents: Findings from the 2003 California health interview survey

BMC Public Health

(2007)

J.S. Brown et al.

Race-ethnic inequality and psychological distress: Depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood

Dev Psychol

(2007)

V. McBride Murry et al.

Neighborhood poverty and adolescent development

J Res Adolesc

(2011)

X. Ge et al.

Pubertal maturation and African American children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms

J Youth Adolesc

(2006)

X. Ge et al.

It's about timing and change: Pubertal transition effects on symptoms of major depression among African American youths

Dev Psychol

(2003)

S. Negriff et al.

Pubertal timing, depression, and externalizing problems: A framework, review, and examination of gender differences

J Res Adolesc

(2011)

A. Angold et al.

Pubertal changes in hormone levels and depression in girls

Psychol Med

(1999)

J. Brooks-Gunn et al.

Biological and social contributions to negative affect in young adolescent girls

Child Dev

(1989)

Cited by (44)

Pubertal timing, neighborhood income, and mental health in boys and girls: Findings from the adolescent brain cognitive development study
2023, Social Science and Medicine
Early pubertal timing is associated with youth mental health problems, with association amplified or mitigated by characteristics of the residential neighborhood. Yet, limited research simultaneously examines the roles of neighborhood context and biological sex in this association. This study fills this research gap by examining sex-specific associations between pubertal timing and neighborhood income with youth mental health problems (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) in a longitudinal cohort of early adolescents in the United States (US). Participants were 9201 youth aged 9 or 10 years from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Pubertal timing was the average of parent- and youth-reported pubertal status standardized within sex and age. Outcome variables were youths’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms assessed at 1-year follow-up via parent survey. We evaluated interaction effects between pubertal timing and neighborhood income in a series of sex-stratified linear mixed effect models, adjusted for family and personal sociodemographic characteristics. In girls, earlier pubertal timing was associated with more internalizing (β = 0.06, p < 0.001) and externalizing problems (β = 0.07, p < 0.001) at 1-year follow-up, not moderated by neighborhood income. In boys, earlier pubertal timing was associated with more externalizing problems among youth living in high-income neighborhoods, but not among those in low-income neighborhoods (interaction-p = 0.006). Results suggest that pubertal timing may affect youth mental health differentially in boys and girls, depending on the neighborhood contexts. These findings highlight the importance of both biological and social forces in shaping adolescent mental health and, thus, have public health and clinical implications for health promotion.
A systematic review into the role of pubertal timing and the social environment in adolescent mental health problems
2023, Clinical Psychology Review
Pubertal timing and its developmental significance for mental health and adjustment
2023, Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Third Edition: Volume 1-3
Although puberty is a universal developmental process shared by all humans, there are considerable individual differences in the age of puberty. The timing of the pubertal changes relative to same-age, same-sex peers has well-established implications for the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents. This article summarizes findings from the most influential empirical studies in the field of pubertal timing and its developmental significance for mental health and social adjustment. In addition, the article presents the major theories, models, and hypotheses in the field and attends to the questions of why, when, and under what circumstances pubertal timing is consequential. The article ends with a discussion on implications for interventions and the need for future research.
Adolescent neurocognitive development
2023, Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health, First Edition
Adolescence is generally defined as beginning at the onset of puberty, and ending when adult independence is reached. The adolescent period reflects a time of peak sensation seeking, which supports information seeking and exploration that is necessary to gain new experiences required to support the transition to adulthood. Although adaptive, sensation seeking can also lead to risk-taking behavior, contributing to an increased risk for deleterious activities such as delinquency, substance use, and reckless driving. Adolescence is also a time of heightened vulnerability to the emergence of psychopathology, including mood disorders, substance use disorders, and psychosis. Thus, the significant developmental potential and risk during this period underscores the importance of understanding the neurobiological mechanisms supporting normative adolescent brain and behavioral development.
During adolescence, affective processes, including reward and emotion, have a disproportionate effect on behavior relative to cognitive processes which, according to Dual Systems models, reflects differing developmental trajectories of these systems. Behavioral findings indicate that adolescents can access many cognitive processes, such as inhibitory control, at adult-like levels in certain contexts (i.e., when offered rewards), but their cognitive processes are inconsistent and unreliable. Studies have also found that adolescents are more sensitive to rewards and are still developing the ability to process and regulate emotions. These behavioral changes are supported by changes in functional brain activation and connectivity across affective and cognitive networks. Additionally, it has been suggested that adolescence may be a critical period of plasticity for prefrontal cortical development, during which experience interacts with neurobiological factors to affect normative brain development. This critical period is likely initiated and maintained by neurobiological processes that support adolescent development in general, including large-scale changes in GABA, glutamate, and dopamine neurotransmitter systems. Cortical gray matter decreases across childhood, adolescence, and into early adulthood, believed to reflect synaptic pruning mechanisms of brain specialization, while white matter volume increases across this period to facilitate greater communication across brain regions. Furthermore, the myelination of these white matter tracts increases through adolescence and young adulthood, allowing for more effective signaling and contributing to the closing of the adolescent critical period.
Taken as a whole, the current literature suggests that the adolescent period encompasses key development of neurobiological and cognitive processes. These critical maturational processes, coupled with the increased risk of psychiatric disorders and life-threatening behaviors, highlight the importance of understanding normative adolescent neurocognitive development, its underlying mechanisms, and how these processes can go awry. Further research will seek to expand on our current knowledge of brain maturation and its mechanisms in order to improve mental health and cognitive outcomes during adolescence and into adulthood.
Girls' Pubertal Timing and Tempo and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Examination in an Ethnically Diverse Sample
2021, Journal of Adolescent Health
Earlier timing and faster tempo of puberty have been linked to adolescents' poor mental health. Previous research rarely adjusted for childhood mental health, did not use physical examination to assess puberty, and excluded Latinas and Asian Americans. This study addressed these limitations.
We followed 822 girls, recruited at ages 6-8, for 8 years. Breast and pubic hair development and anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed prospectively and repeatedly. Structural equation models tested whether pubertal timing and tempo were associated with adolescent mental health symptoms and whether associations varied by ethnicity. Models were adjusted for childhood mental health symptoms, body mass index, and family income.
Earlier breast development was associated with higher depressive symptoms among whites (β = −.19; p < .01) and higher anxiety symptoms among Latinas (β = −.26; p < .05), but lower depressive symptoms among Asians (β = .24, p < .05). Later pubic hair development (b = .24; p < .05) and faster pubic hair tempo (β = .26; p < .01) were associated with higher anxiety symptoms among Latinas. Faster pubic hair tempo was associated with lower depressive symptoms among Asians (β = −.34; p < .05). Tempo of breast development showed no associations.
Findings confirmed that earlier breast development was associated with higher mental health symptoms for Latina and white girls but was protective among Asians. Results for pubic hair and pubertal tempo were inconsistent, requiring future examination. While targeted interventions to prevent mental health problems among early-maturing girls are critical, there is variability among who might benefit most.
Trajectories of Violent and Nonviolent Behaviors From Adolescence to Early Adulthood: Does Early Puberty Matter, and, If So, How Long?
2021, Journal of Adolescent Health
It is well known that pubertal timing affects adolescents' externalizing behaviors, but it is unknown if this effect lasts into adulthood. This study assessed if and when the early maturation effect wanes, specifically in two domains of externalizing behaviors: nonviolent and violent behaviors.
Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) that include age-appropriate items of violent and nonviolent behaviors assessed from ages 11–30 over four waves (N = 4,255), we conducted a series of longitudinal growth curve analyses to evaluate the effect of pubertal timing on the trajectories of nonviolent and violent externalizing behaviors for males and females.
Compared to later maturing male peers, early maturing males reported significantly elevated overall externalizing, nonviolent, and violent behaviors throughout adolescence, but became indistinguishable from on-time and late-maturing counterparts in young adulthood. Similarly, early maturing females showed higher levels of overall externalizing and nonviolent behaviors than later maturing counterparts, but no effect of pubertal timing was seen on the trajectories of violent behaviors. However, early maturing females' overall externalizing and nonviolent behaviors also became indistinguishable from on-time and late-maturing females after adolescence.
These findings clarify the differential effect of early maturation on nonviolent and violent behaviors, especially in females, and highlight the short-lived nature of the effects of early pubertal timing.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Original articleContextual Amplification or Attenuation of Pubertal Timing Effects on Depressive Symptoms Among Mexican American Girls

Abstract

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Participants and procedures

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

J Adolesc

Dev Rev

Lancet

J Adolesc Health

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Puberty and depression: The roles of age, pubertal status and pubertal timing

Psychol Med

2008 National Population Projections

Cultural affiliation and self-esteem as predictors of internalizing symptoms among Mexican American adolescents

J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol

Correlates of depressive symptoms among Latino and non-Latino white adolescents: Findings from the 2003 California health interview survey

BMC Public Health

Race-ethnic inequality and psychological distress: Depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood

Dev Psychol

Neighborhood poverty and adolescent development

J Res Adolesc

Pubertal maturation and African American children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms

J Youth Adolesc

It's about timing and change: Pubertal transition effects on symptoms of major depression among African American youths

Dev Psychol

Pubertal timing, depression, and externalizing problems: A framework, review, and examination of gender differences

J Res Adolesc

Pubertal changes in hormone levels and depression in girls

Psychol Med

Biological and social contributions to negative affect in young adolescent girls

Child Dev

Original article
Contextual Amplification or Attenuation of Pubertal Timing Effects on Depressive Symptoms Among Mexican American Girls