title: Timing of menarche and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls from a UK cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A growing number of studies suggest a link between timing of menarche and risk of depressive symptoms in adolescence, but few have prospectively examined the emergence of depressive symptoms from late childhood into adolescence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether girls who experience earlier menarche than their peers have higher levels of depressive symptoms in adolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample comprised 2184 girls from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The association between timing of menarche and depressive symptoms at 10.5, 13 and 14 years was examined within a structural equation model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Girls with early menarche (<11.5 years) had the highest level of depressive symptoms at 13 (P=0.007) and 14 years (P<0.001) compared with those with normative and late timing of menarche.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early maturing girls are at increased risk of depressive symptoms in adolescence and could be targeted by programmes aimed at early intervention and prevention.
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Cotham House, Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6JL, UK. Carol.Joinson@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joinson
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.forename: Glyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Croudace
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Araya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom