Relation of Timing of Menarche in Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Adolescence Girls of West Bengal, India
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Existing literature presents controversial relationship between the timing of menarche and psychological distress. This study was undertaken to find out the relationship between age at menarche and mental health viz. depression, anxiety and stress among adolescent girls. Methods: This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted among adolescent female having age limit 10-16 years. Only unmarried adolescent females were included in the study however, females with gynecological, psychological or other medical problems were excluded from the study. Valid and reliable questionnaire such as age at menarche and DASS-21 were used for assessment of depression, anxiety, stress. Then, the logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between psychological distress and age at menarche. t-test was used to compare psychological distress between normative and early / late age at menarche. P<0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The findings from bivariate regression analysis show that early menarche is associated with significantly higher odds of depression, anxiety and stress compared to normal age at menarche (Depression: OR = 4.160; 95% CI = 2.458 to 7.042; p <0.0001. Anxiety: OR = 2.537; 95% CI = 1.761 to 3.638; p <0.0001. Stress: OR = 4.824; 95% CI = 3.485 to 6.678; p <0.0001). Like odd ratio, adjusted odd ratio from multiple regression analysis of depression, anxiety and stress also significantly higher among adolescent girls having early age at menarche in compare with normal menarcheal age group adolescents (Depression: AOR = 3.208; 95% CI = 0.660 to 1.671; p = 0.0000. Anxiety: AOR = 1.418; 95% CI = 0.048 to 0.651; p = 0.0231. Stress: AOR = 1.451; 95% CI = 0.093 to 0.651); p = 0.0088). There is no significant difference of mental stress indices between late age at menarche in respect to normal age at menarche (Depression: OR = 1.178; 95% CI = 2.458 to 7.042; p = 0.7344. Anxiety: OR = 1.032; 95% CI = 0.471 to 2.260; p = 0.9370. Stress: OR = 1.172; 95% CI = 0.610 to 2.258; p = 0.6338). Conclusion: The present findings indicate that early age at menarche is associated with elevated odds of depression, anxiety and stress in compared to females with normative as well as late age at menarche among adolescent school girls.
Authors: Payel Banerjee, Purushottam Pramanik
Institution: Hooghly Mohsin College
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7224437946