Adolescent Psychosocial Problems

1
Adolescent Psychosocial Problems

• Drug, tobacco, and alcohol use and abuse
• Eating disorders
• Antisocial behavior and violence
• Suicide
• Runaways and homeless youth

2
Some principles...

• Distinguish between occasional experimentation
  and enduring patterns of dangerous behavior.
• Distinguish between problems having origins and
  onset during adolescence and those having roots
  in earlier periods of development.
• Many adolescent problems are brief and are
  resolved by early adulthood.
• Problem behavior during adolescence not a direct
  consequence of the normative changes of
  adolescence.

3
Adolescent drug use and abuse

• Monitoring the Future annual survey
• http//monitoringthefuture.org
• Risk factors
• psychological
• conflicted family relationships
• social
• social context

4
Protective factors include...

• Positive mental health (e.g., high self-esteem)
• High academic achievement
• Close family relationships
• Involvement in religious activities

5
Tobacco use

• 33 of 12-17 year olds have tried tobacco.
• Most teens who smoke began before high school
  years.
• Antismoking education is critical in elementary
  and middle school.
• Contributing factors include advertising, adult
  models, peer pressure, need for status.

6
Alcohol use and abuse

• Most adolescents have experimented with alcohol.
• 80 of high school seniors have used alcohol.
• Most do not become problem drinkers.
• Chronic drinking may be genetic or may be modeled
  by parents who drink heavily.

7
Risk factors

• Family history
• Religiosity
• SES
• Place of residence
• Social relationships
• Peers uses

• Juvenile delinquency
• Loneliness
• TV viewing
• Parental support
• Deviant behavior
• Other family-related risk factors

8
Social norms approach

• http//www.socialnorm.org
• The National Social Norms Research Center (NIU)

9
Eating disorders

• Dieting
• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia (binging and purging)
• Obesity

10
Antisocial behavior and violence

• Legacy of Columbine High School.
• Exposure to violence in TV and video games.
• Adolescents two-and-a-half times more likely to
  be victims of crime.
• Homicide second leading cause of death.

11
Suicide

• warning signs
• Sudden, unexplained changes in behavior
• Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• Social withdrawal
• Experiencing a humiliating event
• Feelings of guilt or hopelessness
• Inability to concentrate
• Talking about suicide
• Giving away important possessions

12
Risk factors

• Mental illness and/or biochemical imbalances
• Substance abuse
• Stresses and chaotic family life
• The availability of lethal means (handgun in the
  home)
• Prior suicide attempts

13
Runaways and homeless youth

• Provide care and support
• Provide additional academic assistance, as needed
• Provide support for runaway youth organizations
  and shelters
• Work with social workers and family services
• Encourage peer acceptance