What Are Normal Physical and Mental Changes in Adolescence?

In the past, people thought that adolescence was a time of dramatic emotional turmoil. Recent studies, however, have shown that this is not the case, as 80 percent of teens get through adolescence with minimal or no psychiatric problems. Nevertheless, 20 percent of teens do experience some form of psychiatric disturbance during their adolescent years. Thus, your depressed teen is certainly not alone in her suffering. Besides depression, other symptoms considered "abnormal" include:

• antisocial behavior (for example, illegal activities),

• suicidal statements (including groups of teens who may jointly make suicide "pacts"),

• significant deterioration of school performance, or

• significant anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities.

These behaviors are considered out of the range of normal and are red flags that need psychiatric attention. If your child falls into this category, get help.

Although adolescence is not necessarily a time of great turmoil, it is a time of great changes—physically, emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally. The changes most adolescents must cope with are discussed below.

Physical Changes

Pubertal development occurs in early adolescence, and with it comes increased self-consciousness in many teens, and some increased need for self-care (for example, using deodorants). There are some gender-specific advantages and disadvantages for adolescents whose bodies mature earlier. Boys who mature earlier have an advantage socially, as their greater size and strength are respected by peers. Girls who mature later have an advantage academically, as they are less distracted by male attention than their early-maturing peers. Whatever the rate of maturation in your teen, try to be sensitive to his or her increased need for privacy and potential embarrassment about physical development. Be positive about growing up and becoming a young man or young woman.

Mental Changes

Until the age of eleven or twelve, children are concrete thinkers. They see things in black and white and have less ability to see the "gray" areas. For example, a concrete thinker who receives a desired phone call from a friend may assume she is liked and popular. Likewise, if she does not receive a desired call from a friend, she assumes the friend does not like her. Hypothetical and futuristic thinking is not a part of concrete thinking.

Abstract reasoning (beginning around age thirteen in most children) allows for speculations and hypotheses about different possibilities, and some increased ability to plan ahead and "look before you leap." Unfortunately, it also allows for more worries and existential concerns (for example, questions about the purpose of one's life, or the nature of the universe or God). In depressed teens, this type of reasoning can lead to unhealthy, prolonged rumination (reviewing the same thought or worry or scenario repeatedly). A depressed teen may think, "I am totally unpopular. No one will ever like me." All teens reflect on their place in the world occasionally, but such negative thinking, especially when left untreated, can become habitual and actually perpetuate further depression.

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It's not unusual for teens to challenge familiar and family beliefs at this age. Another "side effect" of abstract reasoning is the ability to argue more effectively. As they come to realize that you are not perfect, teens will identify your faults more readily. Don't take it personally. Set limits when needed. For example, you may wish to say to your teen, "It is OK to express your feelings but it is not OK to yell or scream or swear at me." Remember, for some teens arguing is just a way of exercising the brain.

Another notable change in thinking is that most teens become more able to be organized and goal directed as their brain matures. This may be more evident at school, where they are required to organize their thoughts in essays and open-ended questions. Essentially, their brains are becoming more sophisticated as they prepare for adulthood.



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