Young girls who mature early may face difficult teenage years, British researchers warn today.
A new study links depression in adolescence to the age at which girls begin their periods.
Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge conclude that a girl who begins menstruating before the age of eleven and a half, a year before the average, faces a risk of becoming depressed by the age of 13.
Researcher Dr Carol Joinson says early puberty may lead to young girls facing a range of emotions which they will struggle to deal with.
And she suggests these girls could be identified and helped because of the link to early menstruation.
The findings, reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry, come from a study of more than 2,000 girls in the Bristol area of England.
Dr Joinson said: "Our study found that girls who mature early are more vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms by the time they reach their mid-teens.
"This suggests that later maturation may be protective against psychological distress."
She added: "The transition into puberty is a critical developmental period, associated with many biological, cognitive and social changes. These can include increased conflict with parents, the development of romantic relationships, changes in body image and fluctuating hormone levels.
"These changes may have a more negative impact on girls who mature at an early age than those who mature later. Early maturing girls may feel isolated, and faced with demands which they are not emotionally prepared for."
Timing of menarche and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls from a UK cohort. Joinson C, Heron J, Lewis G, Croudace T and Araya R. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011; 198:17-23
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