As more children begin puberty earlier than in past decades, new research is shedding light on the potential impact on mental health and substance abuse.
Three recent studies found that children who enter puberty early are more likely to experience mental health challenges and are at greater risk of experimenting with drugs and alcohol. The association appears to be strongest among girls.
“Our studies suggest that girls who enter puberty early may have twice the risk of receiving psychiatric medication for mental health conditions in general, compared with girls who begin puberty at the same time as their classmates. Among boys, we found only a slight increase in risk,” said Anne Gaml-Sørensen, the study’s lead author, in a press release.
Researchers also found that the earlier girls began puberty, the higher their likelihood of receiving an anxiety diagnosis. For each year earlier puberty began, the risk of an anxiety diagnosis increased by about 26%.
The findings extend beyond anxiety and depression to include increased experimentation with alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs during adolescence.
“What we can also see is that earlier and more rapid pubertal development is associated with increased risk-taking behaviour during adolescence. This may manifest itself in earlier and more frequent use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs,” researcher Pernille Jul Clemmensen said.
The studies were conducted by researchers in Professor Cecilia Ramlau-Hansen’s group at the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University. The research analyzed data from 15,818 Danish adolescents who completed questionnaires.
While the findings show a clear association, researchers caution that more work is needed to understand why the link exists.
