(PS7-3) Adolescent Temperament Mediates the Relationship Between Pubertal Status and Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms

Abstract Text:

Introduction: Puberty is a critical period for the development of psychopathology due to rapid brain, hormonal, and social changes (Berenbaum et al., 2015). There is a well-established link between early pubertal timing (i.e., puberty much earlier than same-sex peers) and an increased risk for disorders such as anxiety, depression, or conduct problems (Hoyt et al., 2020). Scant research has explored the link between early puberty and less prevalent disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Clinically-significant OC-symptoms (OCS) involve persistent and unwanted thoughts (i.e., obsessions) and time-consuming rituals (i.e., compulsions) performed to alleviate anxiety associated with obsessions. The onset and worsening of OCS may in part be initiated by pubertal development (Labad et al., 2005, Taylor, 2022). Additional research is needed to elucidate how puberty and OCS interact to influence severity. Certain temperament traits (e.g., effortful control) are influenced by pubertal timing and may therefore be especially relevant during adolescence (Lynch et al., 2021). Effortful control (EC), for example, involves the ability to regulate emotion, attention, and behavior, and thus plays an important role in a variety of disorders (Santens et al., 2020). The purpose of the present study is to evaluate whether EC mediates the relationship between early puberty and later OCS.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The present analyses include data from three distinct time-points (baseline: ages 9-10; 2-year follow-up: ages 11-12; 4-year follow-up: ages 13-14). Casewise deletion embedded in the SPSS PROCESS Macro was used to account for missing data (final N=4490). Measures include Pubertal Development Scale (Baseline; Peterson et al., 1988), the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire - Revised (EC Subscale, 2yr FU; Ellis & Rothbart, 2001), and the Child Behavior Checklist (OC Subscale, 4yr-FU; Storch et al., 2006).

Results: A simple mediation analysis was conducted using the SPSS PROCESS Macro (i.e., bootstrapping test of the mediated effect). Regression coefficients indicate significant A (e.g., pubertal status → EC, B = -.036**) and B (e.g.; EC → OCS, B = -2.53***) paths. After controlling for biological sex, the indirect effect of pubertal status on OCS indicates a significant mediating effect of effortful control [B=.077 (CI = .025-.130), SE=.027)].

Discussion: Advanced pubertal status at ages 9-10 is consistent with earlier than average puberty for both boys and girls, suggesting these youth may have a decreased ability to regulate attention, emotion, and behavior (Otten et al., 2023) and an increased risk for psychopathology later in adolescence (Hoyt et al., 2020). Results indicate that facets of adolescent temperament, such as effortful control, may serve as a mechanism by which earlier pubertal development contributes to an increase in OCS. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring specific OCS in youth who go through puberty earlier than same-sex peers and/or those who exhibit diminished EC.