Psychology & Psychiatry

Depressed teens appear to be extra sensitive to parental criticism

"You're so messy! Tidy up your room." "Why are you so lazy today? Go and do your homework." Criticism is never nice to hear. But for some teens it hits extra hard, research by Ph.D. candidate Lisanne van Houtum has shown. ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Consumer health: Teens and suicide

Suicidal thoughts are common among teens and young adults, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nearly 20% of high school students in the U.S. report serious thoughts of suicide, and 9% report a suicide attempt. ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Teens and depression: A back-to-school concern

With many teens heading back to school, peer pressure and academic expectations are once again a reality. These added pressures can cause ups and downs during what can be an already tumultuous time of life. For some teens, ...

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Adolescence

Adolescence (lat adolescere, (to) grow) is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the biological or physiological ones are the easiest to measure objectively. Historically, puberty has been heavily associated with teenagers and the onset of adolescent development. In recent years, however, the start of puberty has had somewhat of an increase in preadolescence (particularly females), as well as an occasional extension beyond the teenage years (typically males). This has made adolescence less simple to discern.

The end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood varies by country and by function, as even within a single country there will be different ages at which an individual is considered mature enough to be entrusted with particular tasks, such as driving a vehicle, having sexual relations, serving in the armed forces, voting, or marrying. Also, adolescence is usually accompanied by an increased independence allowed by the parents or legal guardians and less supervision, contrary to the preadolescence stage.

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