Unit 5 - Adolescents

• Adolescence


  Transitional stage from childhood to adulthood that occurs between ages 13 and 19
• Adolescence


  • Time of both disorientation and discovery
  • Physical and psychological changes often start earlier, during the preteen or "tween" years: between ages 9 and 12
  • Each transitional stage encompasses different challenges questions of independence and identity for teens and necessitates different responses from parents
  • Adolescents involves cultivating their sense of self, experience difficult choices about academics, friendship, sexuality, gender identity, drugs, and alcohol
• Adolescents


  • They often focus on themselves and believe that everyone else—from a best friend to a distant crush—is focused on them too
  • They may grapple with insecurities and feelings of being judged
  • Relationships with family members often take a backseat to peer groups, romantic interests, and appearance, which teens perceive as increasingly important during this time
• The transition can naturally lead to anxiety about physical development, evolving relationships with others, and one's place in the larger world
• Mild anxiety and other challenges are typical, but serious mental health conditions also emerge during adolescence
• Purpose of adolescence


  • For a child to psychologically and socially transform into a young adult
  • Breaking from their childhood attachment and security allows children to acquire freedom and responsibility
  • The pathway to develop independence and to differentiate themselves from their parents and childhood to establish their own unique identity
• Puberty


  A series of changes that occur in the body during adolescence that ultimately make children capable of reproduction
• Puberty begins between ages 9 and 15, and it lasts between a year and a half to three years
• Hormonal and biological changes during puberty

  • Can lead adolescents to feel anxious and self-conscious
  • Requires more privacy and they become preoccupied with their appearance, which can influence how they are perceived and accepted
• Onset of puberty


  1. Signal from the hypothalamus–to the pituitary gland–to adrenal glands and gonads (the HPA axis)

  2. Gonads release testosterone and estradiol

  3. Hormones influence mood and thought
• Factors affecting onset of puberty

  • Gender (girls ahead by months or years)
  • Genes and ethnicity
  • Weight (malnutrition delays puberty)
  • Stress (causes puberty earlier)
• First signs of puberty in girls

  • Breast development, soon followed by pubic hair development
• First signs of puberty in boys

  • Enlargement of the testicles, followed by penis enlargement about one year later
• Body growth during puberty

  • Girls generally grow an average of 3.5 inches and boys grow about 4.1 inches
  • Girls typically grow between one and two more inches after menstruation, ultimately reaching their adult height by about 14 or 15 years
  • Boys usually gain more height two years later than girls and most stop growing by age 16, but their muscles continue to develop
• Changes in boys during puberty


  • Body becomes broader and more muscular
  • Brief period of breast growth that eventually subsides
  • Voice becomes deeper
  • Gain thicker body hair and begin to develop pubic hair, as well as hair under the arms and on the face
• Changes in girls during puberty

  • Bodies become more curvaceous as their breasts develop and their hips broaden, and they gain more body fat
  • Areolas increase and form projections on the breasts, but eventually only the nipples will be erect
  • Develop pubic hair and hair under their arms
  • Start to have a menstrual period, which generally begins sometime between 10 and 16.5 years of age
• Menstrual cycle


  • A series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that make pregnancy possible
  • The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs and the cyclic release of estrogen and progesterone
  • Divided into four phases: Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulation, and Luteal
• Effects of varied timing of puberty


  • Early maturing girls are at higher risk of: Teasing, Early sexual activity, Eating disorders, Early substance use
  • Early maturing boys are at higher risk of: Rebellion, Breaking the law, Stress and depression from relationships
  • Late maturation may also be difficult, especially for boys in a school in which athletics is valued
  • Late maturing girls may feel anxiety about when puberty will hit
• Cognitive development in adolescence

  • Progression of thinking from the way a child does to the way an adult does
  • Characterized by cognitive, psychosocial, and emotional development
• Cognitive development in teens

  • Ability to do abstract thinking, reason from known principles, consider many points of view, and comprehend about the process of thinking
• Factors affecting cognitive growth in teens

  • Each child moves ahead at their own rate
  • Each child develops their own view of the world
  • Some children may be able to use logical operations in schoolwork long before they can use them for personal problems
  • Emotional issues can cause problems with a child's ability to think in complex ways
  • The ability to consider possibilities and facts may affect decision-making, either positively or negatively
• Types of cognitive growth through the teen years

  • Early adolescence: Uses more complex thinking focused on personal decision-making, begins to show use of formal logical operations, begins to question authority and society's standards, begins to form and speak his or her own thoughts and views
  • Middle adolescence: Has some experience in using more complex thinking processes, expands thinking to include more philosophical and futuristic concerns, often questions and analyzes more extensively, begins to form his or her own code of ethics and identity, begins to systematically consider possible future goals and make plans
  • Late adolescence: Uses complex thinking to focus on less self-centered concepts and personal decision-making, has increased thoughts about more global concepts, often develops idealistic views, may debate and develop intolerance of opposing views, begins to focus thinking on making career decisions and their emerging role in adult society
• Encouraging positive and healthy cognitive growth in teens

  • Including them in discussions about a variety of topics, issues, and current events
  • Encourage them to share ideas and thoughts
  • Encouraging them to think independently and develop their own ideas
  • Help them in setting goals
  • Challenge them to think about possibilities for the future
  • Compliment and praise them for well-thought-out decisions
  • Help them in re-evaluating poorly made decisions
• Puberty is challenging due to the hormonal and biological changes that can lead adolescents to feel anxious and self-conscious and require more privacy and become preoccupied with their appearance
• Why teens make bad decisions and take risks

  • Adolescent risk-taking is often blamed on hormonal changes, but relationships play a key role as well
  • The teenage years are devoted to creating friendships that can serve individuals for life
  • Adolescents are motivated by peer acceptance more than adult perceptions
• How sleep changes during adolescence

  • The biological clock shifts during puberty, prompting teens to become sleepy later and therefore wake up later to get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep
  • Later middle and high school start times are associated with improved attendance and grades as well as a lower likelihood of experiencing depression
• Health during adolescence


  • Adolescence is generally a healthy age period with problem-free reproduction, peak athletic performance, high energy and endurance, and body systems functioning at an optimal level
  • Unfortunately, teens engage in behaviors that put their health at risk, including the increased incidence of eating disorders, fatal accidents, suicides, and homicides
• Pregnancy in adolescence and STDs

  • Pregnancy during adolescence, especially age 15 or younger, can interfere with hormones, height, and nutrition, and the girl's uterus may not yet be mature
  • Around 50% of teens will have an STI (STD) during adolescence, which can cause later infertility and have higher risk of serious consequences and reinfection compared to adults
• Psychology behind teen substance use and abuse

  Biopsychological factors and treatments are important to mitigate the risks
• Mental health changes during adolescence


  • Many mental health conditions people confront as adults begin to manifest in adolescence, with one in five young adults having a diagnosable disorder
  • Teens can also struggle with anxiety, depression, and other forms of distress that are developmentally appropriate and will not necessarily endure
  • It's important to identify early warning signs and access treatment early on to prevent conditions from increasing in severity or duration
• How to talk to and maintain a close relationship with a teen


  Includes learning how to identify early warning signs of mental health conditions, not being afraid to ask about their thoughts and experiences, and confronting mental health conditions and accessing treatment early on
• Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development

  • Adolescents transition from the "concrete operational stage" to the "formal operational stage", where they develop the ability to understand abstract thoughts, symbolism, and hypothesis testing
  • However, only about one-third of adults are fully in the formal operational stage
• Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development


  The "identity vs. role confusion" stage occurs approximately between ages 12 and 18, where individuals develop a sense of self and autonomy, often questioning what they were taught by their parents
• Discuss the role of biopsychological factors and treatments to mitigate the risks of the effects of puberty on the emotional development and mental health of adolescents