Developmental Issues in Adolescents

Lauren Reese

10/20/2019

ASU West
 Developmental Issues in Adolescence

Adolescence is a period of change, characterized by emotional, behavioral, social,

physical, and cognitive development. It’s important to note that these categories broadly overlap,

and problems in one can result in problems in the others. Each of these groupings come with

unique issues, as well, which can affect the development of adolescents and alter how they view

themselves and their peers.

“Healthy emotional development in adolescence is marked by a gradually increasing

ability to perceive, assess, and manage emotions” (Office of Adolescent Health, 2018).

Emotional development is commonly affected by hormones, which control emotional responses

and stress, and the ability to self-manage emotions, which can help adolescents respond to

pressure and get an understanding of the consequences associated with their actions later in their

life. Closely tied to emotional development is physical and social development, as self-esteem

and peer acceptance are in the forefront of most adolescents’ minds. Issues that can hinder

emotional development are stress, particularly academic and social, which can make teens

question their worth and their own identity. Cognitive issues, as well, can affect emotional

development during this time. Teens with mental health disorders or mental disabilities often

develop a negative self-image because of how their disabilities affect the way they interact with

others and complete day-to-day tasks.

The expansion of social circles and social roles is another common feature of

adolescence. Sports, jobs, and after-school programs all significantly expand teens’ world, and

often this leads to the building of friendships and relationships. Issues that come with this

broadening of horizons are peer pressure and bullying. Peer pressure can be positive, but it
largely has negative connotations. It can lead to risky behaviors and a dependence on social

acceptance- this can, in turn, lead to poor mental health. Bullying is another issue for social

development- this can stunt social growth and lead to depression and isolation.

Adolescent behavior is affected most commonly by social and emotional development. Social

influence comes from peers, which introduce peer-pressure to engage in certain actions. Parents

and academic figures also have some influence on behavioral development, as they give

examples of what behaviors are appropriate in certain settings- whether this is good or bad

depends on the parents and teachers. Adolescents’ emotions spark responses to their

surroundings, which ultimately produce a standard behavior when reacting to that specific

stimuli. The issue comes when that behavior is unhealthy or risky- for example, associating

alcohol with friends at parties and then coming to associate alcohol with friends and happiness in

general, leading teens to drink when they feel alone. Another issue that arises is social media,

and how it shapes adolescent behavior. An example of this is the glorification of thinness, which

can lead adolescents to disordered eating patterns.

Issues affecting and/or involving physical development include the timing of puberty and

mental health. Adolescent girls typically experience physical changes faster than boys, which

places them in a position to be treated like they are older than they really are. Often times,

adolescent girls are expected to be more mature than their male peers because their bodies

develop quicker. Mental health can also play a large role in physical development. Eating

disorders and some chronic illnesses often appear around this adolescence, and can cause bone

loss and cardiovascular problems, as well as extreme fatigue and an inability to concentrate

(National Eating Disorders Association, 2018).

 During adolescence, changes in the limbic system and the pre-frontal cortex affect

pleasure seeking behaviors, sleep patterns, and executive functioning. Things like learning

disabilities and mental health can negatively affect cognitive development in adolescents. Certain

learning disabilities, like auditory processing disorder, dyslexia, and ADD/ADHD can detract

from social and academic development by complicating the processing of information. Mental

health isalso a significant factor in cognitive development, as certain mental disorders like

depression and anxiety can affect cognitive ability and the ability to complete day-to-day tasks.

It’s important for parents and educators to be aware of developmental issues in

adolescents so that they can better understand how these issues affect teens. Being

knowledgeable about developmental issues can also help parents and educators to help

adolescents struggling with them, and they can become resources for their teens to come to when

these issues become a bigger problem.

 References

Adolescent development. (2017, May 9). Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/development/en/​.

Health Consequences. (2018, February 22). Retrieved from

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences.

Office of Adolescent Health. (2018, July 29). Emotional Development. Retrieved from

https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/explained/emotional/index.html​.