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To determine if girls who enter puberty earlier than their peers — a risk factor for numerous mental health problems during adolescence — continue to have excess risk for those problems during young adulthood, investigators analyzed data on 7800 girls from a national longitudinal study in the U.S. Girls were followed up at four time points (mean ages at enrollment and final follow-up were 15 and 28 years, respectively), and reported their age at menarche and how often in the past 12 months they engaged in various antisocial behaviors (e.g., property damage, stealing). Participants also completed a depression assessment tool.
Consistent with other studies, earlier menarche was associated with increased risk for depression during adolescence, …