L4 The Challenges of Middle and Late Adolescence

• Adolescence stage can be both exciting and challenging. As the body readies itself to mature and prepares

  to perform adult roles, never ending difficulties may challenge teenagers to the limit which often result to

  frustration and if unmanaged may lead to clinical depression or worse case, untimely taking of one's life.
• Adolescence stage Others may resort to risk-taking behaviors such as substance abuse, (alcohol, illegal drugs, and cigarettes),

  delinquent behaviors, and eating disorders. The role of parents in training and guiding their adolescents

  can never be discounted since it has great impact on the capacity of adolescents to face adversities.
• adolescents become stronger and wiser through never ending striving, they emerge victorious

  as they learn that life is a never-ending process of trial and error. Challenges or problems serve as tools to

  harness patience, practice good judgment or right discernment. Everyone is capable to achieve their

  dreams and success is a never ending journey. As the old cliché goes, "experience can be the greatest

  teacher." Adolescence stage
• Biopsychosocial Approach

  This approach emphasizes that biological, psychological and social factors interact to produce the problems

  adolescents develop. Thus, if an adolescent engages in substance abuse, it may be due to a combination

  of biological (heredity or brain processes), psychological (emotional turmoil), and social (poverty) factors.
• Biological Factors

  Adolescents' problems are believed to be caused by malfunctioning of the body. Scientists who adopt

  a biological approach usually focus on the brain and genetic factors as causes of problems. Drug therapy or prescribing antidepressant drugs maybe prescribed to a teenager who is suffering from drug-

  related case.
• Psychological Factors

  Distorted thoughts, emotional turmoil, inappropriate learning and troubled relationship may be the cause of adolescents' problems. Family and peer influences are especially believed to be important

  contributors to their problems. In this case, the main cause of drug dependence may be linked to parent

  or peer problems.
• Social Factors

  The adolescents' problems appear in most cultures. However, the frequency and intensity of these

  problems vary across cultures, with variations linked to social, economic, technological, and religious

  aspects of the cultures. For example, poverty may be a factor in the occurrence of delinquency.
• Major Problems Adolescents Face

  1. Substance Abuse
  2. Juvenile Delinquency
  3. Depression and Suicide
  4. Eating Disorders
• Substance Abuse - For many teens, illicit substance use and abuse become part of the landscape of

  their teenage years. Although most adolescents who use drugs do not progress to become drug

  abusers or drug addicts in adulthood, drug use in adolescence is a very risky proposition. Even small

  degrees of substance abuse (for example, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants)
• Juvenile Delinquency - Is consists of a broad range of behaviors, from socially undesirable behavior to status offenses. Predictors of juvenile delinquency include authority conflict, minor covert acts such as lying, overt acts of aggression, negative identity, cognitive distortions, low self-control and low parental support and others. A number of interventions have been introduced including conflict

  resolution training.
• Depression and Suicide - Adolescents have higher rate of depression than children do. Females are

  more likely to develop depression than males. Treatment of depression has involved both drug therapy

  and psychotherapy.
• Eating Disorders - This has become an increasing problem in adolescents, being overweight or

  underweight have both negative effects on physical health and socioemotional development