12559 Objective Versus Subjective Measures Of Reproductive Development And Psychological Well-Being In Peri-Menarcheal Adolescents: A Pilot Study
Authors: McCormick Kathleen C , Lujan Marla E , Chang Jane , Ipp Lisa , Alladeen Anisah , Lamar Hannah , Mendle Jane , Brink Heidi Vanden 
Published: October 2024

Disclosure: K.C. McCormick: None. M.E. Lujan: None. J. Chang: None. L. Ipp: None. A. Alladeen: None. H. Lamar: None. J. Mendle: None. H. Vanden Brink: None.

Introduction: Risk of psychopathology emerges during the pubertal and peri-menarcheal years; however objective physiological measures of maturation often differ from adolescents’ own reports of their development. Understanding how psychological symptoms emerge in relation to both objective and subjective evaluations of reproductive development can provide critical insights into mental health risk and variability in psychological symptom severity during the pre-menarcheal and early post-menarcheal years. Methods: 52 females 9-15 years old (n=16 pre-menarcheal, n=36 &lt;2 years post-menarche) underwent a non-fasting blood draw for reproductive hormones (estradiol, anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)), anthropometry, detailed reproductive and menstrual history, and a series of surveys to evaluate depression (CES-DC), anxiety (MASC), perceptions of pubertal-related change (POPS), and transdiagnostic psychological processes (rumination, emotional clarity) which can contribute to, and are risk factors for, psychopathology. Whether psychological symptoms are associated with objective measures (menarche, gynecological age, reproductive hormone concentrations) versus subjective measures (self-reported tanner stage, severity of dysmenorrhea) were contrasted using t-tests and Pearson Correlation Coefficient analyses (JMP Pro (v17)). Results: The majority of participants (26/36 post-menarcheal and 11/16 pre-menarcheal) exceeded the standard cut-off of 15 for depressive symptoms, consistent with research on mental health symptomatology in this cohort of youth. POPS scores were higher (39±10.9) in post-menarcheal versus pre-menarcheal (31±12.6) adolescents indicating post-menarcheal adolescents reported more puberty-linked change in their lives (Pttest=0.04). Lower emotional clarity was associated with higher AMH concentrations (r= -0.27, p=0.0944). Depressive symptoms tended to be greater (27+14.8) in those with moderate dysmenorrhea versus mild/no dysmenorrhea (19±11.1, Pttest=0.08). Depression (r=0.30, p=0.032) and anxiety symptoms (r=0.32, p=0.027), and rumination (r=0.30, p=0.033) were associated with higher self-reported Tanner scores; POPS was trending (r=0.25, p=0.0776). Neither estradiol nor FSH were associated with any measures of psychological well-being. Conclusion: Both objective measures of reproductive development and adolescent self-reports may help providers assess individual vulnerability to internalizing psychopathology, such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, given population level increases in depressive symptoms in adolescents, researchers should avoid utilizing simple cutoffs for depression and anxiety, which lack specificity and overlook critical variability which can further elucidate mental and physical health dynamics.

Presentation: 6/2/2024