Talk it out or tuck it away: The contribution of maternal socialization of coping to depression in youth with early pubertal maturation

Abstract

Theory and research highlight the mismatch between puberty-associated challenges and personal coping resources among youth with early actual or perceived pubertal timing. This study (N = 167; M_age = 12.41 years; 51.5% female; 77.8% White American) examined whether coping resources provided by mothers (maternal socialization of coping) exert protective or exacerbating effects on risk for depression among early-maturing youth. Results revealed that earlier perceived timing predicted higher subsequent depressive symptoms in girls with low (B = .40, SE = .15) but not high (B = -.08, SE = .17) levels of engagement coping suggestions, whereas earlier perceived timing predicted higher subsequent depressive symptoms in boys with high (B = .40, SE = .17) but not low (B = -.12, SE = .15) levels of engagement coping suggestions. These findings build on prior theory and research by highlighting that maternal coping suggestions may mitigate or enhance depression risk in youth who perceive themselves as early maturers; the differential effects in girls and boys suggest that the impact of these suggestions may depend on whether they are in line with gender-specific norms for coping. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Figure 1

Simple Slope Plot of Interaction between Perceived Timing, Engagement Coping Suggestions, and Gender Predicting Wave 2 Depressive Symptoms, Adjusting for Wave 1 Depressive Symptoms