EARLY MENARCHE [START OF MENSTRUAL PERIODS] AND DEPRESSION

C. Joinson, Ph.D. et al, report in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on their longitudinal study of the impact of early menarche and the development of depressive symptoms.  They found that early menarche was correlated with increased depressive symptoms in 13 and 14 year old females but not for 16.5, 18 and 19 year old females.  Depressive symptoms increase over the course of adolescence for females but the increase is more rapid in early adolescence and this is two fold [100 %] increase.  They defined early menarche as menstrual periods beginning before menarche represents 15.5% of the sample. 

Unfortunately, earlier menarche seems on the rise. This means that there are more and more adolescent girls who are at risk for having depression at an earlier age and this predicts more depressive episodes, with a significant impact on their lives, including an inceased risk for suicide. 

What to do? Stop using hormones in producing food? Stop exposing pregnant women and young children to endocrine altering chemicals? Early identification and treatment of depressive symptoms?  Your ideas?