Developmental variables in relation to depressive symptoms in adolescent girls

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigated the relationship of menarcheal timing and ego development to level of depressive symptoms in early adolescent girls. Girls who were postmenarcheal at the beginning of the sixth grade were classified as very early maturers; their premenarcheal peers were regarded as on time. Girls were further classified with the Loevinger Sentence Completion Test as relatively low or high in ego development. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory, short form. Results indicated a significant interaction of menarcheal timing and ego development: Very early maturing was associated with moderate levels of depressive symptoms for girls who were relatively low in ego development; very early maturing girls who were relatively advanced in ego development had the same minimal level of depressive symptoms as on time girls at either relatively low or advanced levels of ego development. The results support a proposed integration of psychoanalytic and empirically based biopsychosocial approaches to adolescent depression.