PUBERTAL DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOOL TRANSITION - INFLUENCES ON DEPRESSIVESYMPTOMS IN MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENTS

The impact of simultaneous changes in biological and social context on the mental health of adolescents was examined by testing the hypothes is that normative developmental transitions can be associated with inc reased dysphoria if they occur in close temporal proximity. Girls expe riencing physical changes associated with middle or later stage pubert al development during the initial high school or college year were pre dicted to experience more dysphoria than those experiencing these chan ges during non-transitional times, with negative pubertal attitudes ex acerbating the relation. Pubertal status and dysphoria of high school and college students were assessed. Among females experiencing puberta l changes, dysphoria was indeed highest for the 15 and 19 year olds, a nd lower for the 16, 17, and 18 year olds with females viewing menstru al onset as negative experienced depressive symptoms of moderate clini cal severity. This pattern did not emerge for males, or females not ex periencing pubertal changes. In contrast, the hypothesis was not suppo rted when transition time was operationalized using grade level. Impli cations for psychopathology risk are discussed.