Mood and behavior at adolescence: evidence for hormonal factors

We studied the relationship among behavior, mood, pubertal development, hormonal levels, and psychological functioning in 100 adolescent white girls between the ages of 10.6-13.3 yr. The girls were grouped by pubertal breast stages and four stages of estradiol secretion. No significant mood or behavior changes were found as a function of pubertal stages, controlling for age effects, except for a decrease in interest in sports. The hormonal stages revealed a significant curvilinear trend for depressive affect (increase, then decrease; P less than 0.01), impulse control (decrease, then increase; P less than 0.04), and psychopathology (increase, then decrease; P less than 0.03) scales, indicating significant changes in these behaviors during times of rapid increases in hormone levels. These data suggest that hormonal changes may be more important than the physical changes as determinants of certain mood and behavior patterns at adolescence.