Growing Through It: A Longitudinal Examination of Body Dissatisfaction, Mental Health, and Resilience During Adolescence

INTRODUCTION: Research indicates adolescence, specifically puberty, is a critical period of psychological and physiological development. It is well known that body image is a key aspect of developmental psychology impacting mental health. Yet little is known about the buffering effects of resilience to moderate the relationship between body image and mental health over time. The present study investigated the effects of body mass index (BMI), higher age, and early pubertal status as risk factors predicting subsequent changes in body dissatisfaction and body esteem longitudinally. The study also sought to explore body dissatisfaction, body esteem, and resilience as independent variables in the prediction of future changes in depressive symptomology. METHODS: Following a retrospective longitudinal observational research design stemming from a larger research project, 228 adolescents aged 10-16 completed physiological and psychosocial measures across 2 years (baseline (Year 0) and follow-up (Year 2)). Measures used in this study included the Tanner Stages of Development (pubertal development); Harpenden stadiometer, Michelli GSE 460 scale, Center for Disease Control (CDC) BMI equation, and CDC 2022 extended growth charts (BMI and BMI percentile); Body Image Assessment Procedure for Pre-Adolescents (BIA-P; body dissatisfaction); Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESSA; body esteem); Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ; depressive symptomology); and Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, 10-Item Short-Form (CD-RISC 10; resilience). RESULTS: Multivariate regression analyses indicated that early puberty status predicted significant increases in body dissatisfaction over time, while BMI and age were not significant predictors. Additionally, BMI, age, and puberty status did not demonstrate any significant predictive associations with body esteem at follow-up. Baseline body dissatisfaction and body esteem were then examined as independent predictors of changes in depressive symptomology, and analyses evaluated whether resilience moderated these associations. Among adolescents reporting no change or decreases in resilience, higher levels of body dissatisfaction at baseline predicted greater increases in depressive symptomology at follow-up; however, this association was not observed among adolescents with increases in resilience, indicating a significant moderating effect of resilience on this relationship (p = 0.0080). Body esteem at baseline did not significantly predict depressive symptomology at follow-up, nor was this relationship moderated by changes in resilience (p = 0.3972). CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide a deeper understanding of risk and protective factors associated with depressive symptomology in adolescents, highlighting resilience as an important independent variable that may buffer the impact of body dissatisfaction on mood outcomes. These results may help researchers and clinicians better conceptualize how resilience functions in adolescents navigating puberty and body image and support its consideration in interventions aimed at mitigating mood disturbances.