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Mental health problems are one of the leading causes of non-fatal burden in adolescents, with lasting impacts on health, social adjustment and economic productivity across the lifespan. Pubertal development occurs through two neuroendocrine processes: adrenarche and gonadarche. The earlier process of adrenarche begins with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which produces androgens responsible for pubic hair growth and skin changes. Findings from this review provide evidence for individuals with early pubertal timing being generally vulnerable to mental health problems as a result of increased experience of, or sensitivity to, negative social environments. However, there are also nuances in these associations that we need to better understand in order to a) identify at-risk individuals, and b) design and tailor puberty-informed preventative interventions for mental health problems …