School of Applied Psychology

Samantha Dockray

Monday March 25th, 1pm-2pm

Room G20, Cork Enterprise Centre, Noth Mall Campus, UCC

Puberty is a biological process that has effects on physical and mental health at adolescence, and throughout the life course.  These effects are evidenced in differences between adolescents who experience puberty earlier or later than their peers, as well as in differences by stage of pubertal development.  These differences may be wrought by the changes in physiological processes related to puberty, as well as via social-contextual pathways, that differ geographically and culturally.  

Puberty influences almost all aspects of biopsychosocial wellbeing and this seminar will discuss the biobehavioral developmental science of puberty, and present the findings from research that examines the effects of the biological changes of puberty, timing of puberty and tempo of pubertal change.  Results that relate to changes in depression, anxiety, obesity, cortisol reactivity, anti-social behaviours, substance use and daily experiences that occur during puberty will be highlighted, and preliminary work from research in progress will be discussed.