In November, an article was published in Scientific Reports, one of the multidisciplinary scientific journals with the greatest international reach within the Nature group, analyzing gender differences in psychological adjustment during early adolescence using data from the ELISA Project. The study, conducted by researchers from the UNDERISK group, is based on a longitudinal sample of more than 800 adolescents aged around 11 years and aims to examine how different psychological adjustment profiles are organized at this key developmental stage.
Four main profiles were identified, and although girls and boys showed similar mean levels of psychological adjustment, clear gender differences were found in the distribution of these profiles. Specifically, girls were more frequently grouped into normative and internalizing profiles, whereas boys were more represented in profiles characterized by a higher presence of externalizing and comorbid behaviors. In addition, early factors such as socioeconomic status, temperament, and emotion regulation influenced psychological adjustment in a similar way across genders. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of considering both gender and early developmental factors to better understand mental health during adolescence
