Pubertal Development in Early Adolescent Girls: Relationships to Mood, Energy, Restlessness, and Certainty About Self

The study examined the relationship between pubertal development and mood, energy, restlessness, and self-certainty in early adolescent girls, involving 53 girls aged 9.1 to 10.8 and their parents. It found that early puberty was a period of adaptation, with perceived pubertal status and hormone activity independently predicting mood intensity, variability, and energy levels. Girls experiencing pubertal changes reported more intense and variable moods and restlessness. Early puberty timing was linked to greater self-certainty, while FSH levels were associated with mood and energy variability. The study highlighted that the method of measuring puberty influenced conclusions about its impact on mood and behavior.