Adolescence Challenges: Navigating Mental Health Issues

While the prevalence of depression is negligible prior to the age of 12, it increases exponentially during adolescence, afflicting roughly 17-25% of the population by the conclusion of adolescence. Furthermore, the onset of depression in earlier developmental stages can signal more severe depression in later stages. Depression is also a significant risk factor for suicide among the adolescent population, with roughly half of those that die by suicide meeting the criteria for a depressive episode or depressive disorder at their time of death. In this “challenges of adolescence” essay will be an attempt to reveal the topic through studies about anxiety, depression and peer pressure during adolescence.

Suicide and Depression in Adolescence

Suicide rates among adolescents have risen dramatically over the years and is now regarded as the third leading cause of death among the adolescent population. A survey administered by the CDC  to establish high risk behaviors among youths also revealed that over 6% of adolescents had made a suicide attempt in the previous year and nearly 14% had suicidal ideation. Along with suicidality, adolescent depression is implicated in adult anxiety, bipolar and substance use disorders as well as higher unemployment rates and general health problems. Thapar ascertains that “an episode of depression during adolescence often heralds a chronic or relapsing disorder, and forecasts a broad range of psychosocial difficulties and ill health.” Research also suggests that depression frequently co-occurs with other mental health disorders, with roughly 3 out of every 4 adolescents also having an anxiety disorder. Moreover, Horowitzestablished a connection between adolescent coping behaviors, namely avoidant and emotion-focused coping mechanisms, and higher levels of depression and suicidal ideation. This further evidences the need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies that foster social competence, emotion regulation, resilience while simultaneously mitigating the acuity of adolescent mental health conditions.

Anxiety in Adolescence

While depression in adolescence is often implicated as a precipitant to pathology in young adulthood, anxiety is the most prevalent mental health condition among adolescents, with an estimated 31% meeting the criteria for an anxiety disorder. In a longitudinal study of 816 adolescents conducted by Essau et al, it was determined that adolescent anxiety served as a predictor for chronic stress, unemployment, and maladjustment in adulthood. Despite the pervasiveness and longstanding consequences of anxiety disorders, the rate of anxiety among the adolescent population continues to rise while the number of adolescents undergoing treatment remains steadily at half. While anxiety in adulthood can present as racing thoughts, feelings of dread or impending doom, or excessive worry, Siegel reports that children and adolescents are more likely to experience behavioral and somatic manifestations of anxiety. This makes it all the more difficult for parents and educators to recognize and further necessitates the need for proper education pertaining to the identification and treatment of the presenting symptomatology. 

Bullying and Peer Victimization in Adolescence

Anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation have dire implications for mental health in adulthood; however, bullying and peer victimization serve as precipitants to many of these mental health disorders in adolescents. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, roughly one out of every five students endorses being bullied. The widespread nature of bullying among the child and adolescent populations is paramount, as both the perpetrators and victims of peer victimization demonstrate poor psychosocial adjustment. In a meta analyses aimed at identifying both short term and long term health consequences of bullying and peer victimization, Moore et al ultimately concluded that a causal relationship exists between bullying and anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation both in adolescence and well into adulthood Gladstone et al. Mclaughlin also determined that those with internalizing symptomatology, namely depression and anxiety, are at increased risk of peer victimization, making bullying both a cause and a consequence of mental health conditions. This cyclical relationship between psychosocial stressors and mental and behavioral health problems in adolescence and adulthood further evidences the importance of implementing school and community-based resources rooted in the management of adolescent mental health.

Adolescent Psychopathology and Emotion Dysregulation

While peer victimization precedes and predicts mental health problems in both adolescence and adulthood, it also precipitates emotion dysregulation, a catalyst for conduct issues. According to the CDC, 1 in every 2 adolescents with depression and 1 in every 3 adolescents with anxiety has a co-occuring behavioral disorder. Rogers ascertains that while some behavioral issues are developmentally appropriate for adolescence, more severe disruptive behavior that impacts daily functioning may be a manifestation of the individual’s internal distress. According to Brooks et al depression and stress were positively associated with physical fighting among adolescent males, with emotion dysregulation serving as a predictor for adolescent aggression. Moreover, McLaughlin determined that emotion dysregulation is a significant risk factor for psychopathology in adolescence. Consequently, she ascertains, “Individuals who have not developed strategies to adaptively manage negative emotions arising from the many challenges of adolescence may be particularly at risk for adverse mental health outcomes.” Regardless of whether emotion dysregulation serves as a catalyst for or a consequence of mental health conditions in adolescence, the need for school and community-based resources that foster adaptive methods for regulating affect remains dire.  

Conclusion 

One of the most serious obstacles for young people is related to psychological health. Because anxiety and emotional disorders often emerge prior to adulthood, are precipitated by social and environmental factors, and can manifest as behavioral problems, the need for prevention and early intervention is paramount.