Psychological Changes During Puberty - Adolescent School Girls

Adolescence is a period when physical growth and maturation are accompanied by mental and psychological development. Pubertal timing was associated with different symptoms than pubertal status or age. Puberty seems to affect girls more negatively than boys. Stage of pubertal development rather than chronological age has been reported as a risk factor for eating disorders, depression and anxiety. Many mental disorders such as major depression certain anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders increase in prevalence during adolescence. Puberty includes major hormonal changes that are likely to contribute for example to both depressive affect and aggression. WHO estimate shows that up to 20 per cent adolescent have one or more mental or behavioural problems. Studies conducted in different parts of the world show that prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems in adolescents ranges from 16.5 per cent to 40.8 per cent and in India it is in the range of 13.7 per cent to 50 per cent as adolescents form one fifth of India’s population. The study set out to assess the relationship between pubertal timing and emotional and behavioural problems in middle adolescence. Physical as well as psychological changes during adolescence create a state of physiological stress that must be coped with. The study involved a school based survey of health, health behaviour and behaviour in school as well as questions about emotional and behavioural problems, the association between socio-environmental factors was also examined.