The Psychology Of Adolescence

Adolescence is a time when youth make decisions, both good and bad, that have consequences for the rest of their lives. Some of these decisions put them at risk of lifelong health problems, injury, or death. The Institute of Medicine held three public workshops between 2008 and 2009 to provide a venue for researchers, health care providers, and community leaders to discuss strategies to improve adolescent health.

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.

Adolescence is a pivotal period of development with respect to health and illness. It is during adolescence that many positive health behaviors are consolidated and important health risk behaviors are first evident; thus, adolescence is a logical time period for primary prevention. In addition, the predominant causes of morbidity and mortality in adolescence are quite different from those of adults, indicating that early identification and treatment of adolescent health problems must be directed to a unique set of targets in this age group. Moreover, because of the particular developmental issues that characterize adolescence, intervention efforts designed for adults are often inappropriate or ineffective in an adolescent population. Even when chronic illnesses are congenital or begin in childhood, the manner in which the transition from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood is negotiated has important implications for disease outcomes throughout the remainder of the person’s life span. Organized in five major sections (General Issues, Developmental Issues, Treatment and Training, Mental Health, and Physical Health) and 44 chapters, Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology addresses the common and not so common health issues that tend to affect adolescents. Coverage includes: ▪ Context and perspectives in adolescent health psychology ▪ Health literacy, health maintenance, and disease prevention in adolescence ▪ Physical disorders such as asthma, obesity, physical injury, and chronic pain ▪ Psychological disorders such as substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and eating disorders ▪ Congenital chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes and spina bifida Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology is the definitive reference for pediatricians, family physicians, health psychologists, clinical social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and all practitioners and researchers working with adolescents.

Combines theory and research findings to study adolescent behavior patterns, social interactions, and physical, emotional, and mental development.