Adolescence and Early Adulthood Flashcards
what are the stages of adolescence?
o Early 11-14.
o Middle 14-17.
o Late 18-21.
when do girls start growing taller?
early in puberty
when do boys start growing taller?
late in puberty
what is the gender difference in puberty?
girls grow taller, start puberty and are more mature, earlier than boys do.
when do the sexes start puberty?
girls start puberty around 8 (with breast budding)
whilst boys start around 10.5.
when is peak puberty for boys and girls?
peak for girls is 11-13.5
peak for boys is 13-15.
what are early maturing girls and late maturing boys at risk of?
depression, substance abuse, ASBOs, eating disorders and bullying.
what happens to grey matter as you reach adolescence? what happens to white matter? what other cortical changes occur?
- grey matter decreases in the brain
pre-frontal cortex increases in density of grey matter until puberty, then decrease. - cortical white matter increases
- Synaptogenesis followed by pruning (synapse elimination) occurs so unneeded connections are removed so to learn more complex things
when do certain lobes develop to their peak?
- ~12yrs: Frontal and parietal lobes develop peak.
* ~16yrs:Temporal lobes develop peak.
which area of the brain is last to develop?
Dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex
association areas in general develop last while regions associated with basic functions like sensory and motor processing develop first
what are the Piaget’s stages of development?
- Birth to 2: Sensorimotor stage.
- 2 to7: Preoperational stage
– symbolic thinking. - 7 to 11: Concrete operational stage
– reason logically. - 11 to 15: Formal operational stage
– abstract, idealistic, logical and hypothetical reasoning.
how does morality develop throughout time?
Kohlberg's Theory - Level 1 + 2: Pre-conventional – desire to avoid punishment. - Level 3 +4: Conventional – to illicit validation from others. - Level 5 +6: Post-conventional – internal moral code and independent of others.
what is Harter’s 8-dimension model of self-concept?
Scholastic, job, athletic, physical appearance, social acceptance, close friends, romantic appeal and conduct of self
what is the clinical implication of low self-esteem on adolescents?
can lead to depression, anxiety, poor academia, social isolation but can also happen to normal esteem
how does ethnic identity develop in cultural minorities?
1) Integration
– retain base culture, develop and maintain with mainstream culture as well.
2) Assimilation
– lose base culture, develop and maintain into mainstream culture.
3) Separation
– retain base culture, no development into mainstream culture.
4) Marginalisation
– lose base culture, no development into mainstream culture.
what is the role of family in development?
Conflict with parents
– most adolescents have good relationships, high confiding in mothers.
Family connectedness is associated with
– reduced risk behaviours and increased self-esteem
how does peer development change throughout adolescence?
1) Primary school (7-11)
– goal to be accepted by peers, prefer same gender and gain loyalty.
2) 11-13
– expect genuineness, intimacy, common interests, emergence of cliques.
3) 13-16
– friendship goals, cross-gender relationships and develop larger groups.
4) 16-18
– emotional support expected and increase dyadic romantic ties.
how do boys and girls differ in relationships with others?
Boys
– less intimate, disclosing and friendships embedded in larger circles.
Girls
– close and confiding relationships but are more brittle.
what influences may peers and parents have on a developing teen?
Peers influence – interpersonal style, fashion/entertainment.
Parents influence – academic choice, career choice and future aspirations.
what two theories describe the onset of puberty?
1) Maturation of the CNS affecting GnRH neurones (increased release)
2) Altered set-point to gonadal steroid negative feedback.
what is menarche?
the first occurrence of menstruation
why has menarche been pushed to earlier ages in the last 150 years?
possibly due to better nutrition available
but body weight has remained constant over those years
what is adrenarche?
early sexual maturation stage (10 or 11):
–> DHEA, DHEAS is made by the adrenals
rather than gonadly using the HPA axis rather than PPG axis.
Hair growth results
increase in adrenal androgen production
what does Kisspeptin do? what can stimulate kisspeptin?
stimulates GnRH and the GnRHr.
Increased leptin can stimulate Kisspeptin and thus stimulate more GnRH.
hence early puberty
what is the effect of childhood obesity on puberty?
early puberty
what is pruning? what is the significance of this?
brain’s way of removing connections in the brain that are no longer needed.
Increases risk taking
what are the cardinal features of anorexia nervosa?
1) Body weight maintained 15% below expected weight
(or BMI < 17.5)
- through self induced weight loss
2) Psychopathology
– dread of fatness and preoccupation with this.
3) Endocrine abnormalities
– amenorrhoea, delayed growth (in younger people)
most sufferers are female (90%)
what are the causes of anorexia n?
- genetics
- perfectionism
- some subcultures
- abuse and adversity
- higher social class.
how is anorexia nervosa treated?
- family intervention
- cognitive behavioural therapy
- (small %) weight restoration may require hospital administration
what is bulimia nervosa?
Like anorexia nervosa but involves a preoccupation with eating and then involves purging
what are the types of pre-pubertal depression?
(1) common with co-morbid behavioural problems, bad upbringing (bad parents etc.), course of this resembles children with a conduct disorder. No increased risk of recurrence in later life.
(2) less common, highly familial, high rates of anxiety and bipolar. Recurrence common
what is adolescent depressive disorder?
Irritability instead of sadness (especially in boys), social withdrawal.
Outcome with high recurrence and impairment in later adult relationships.
what are the symptoms of depression?
(1) Persistent sadness or low mood and/or;
(2) Loss of interest or pleasure – anhedonia.
(3) Fatigue/low-energy – anergia.
must be present for at least 2 weeks with associated symptoms like:
(4) Disturbed sleep
(5) poor concentration, (6) low self-confidence, (7) changes in appetite and weight
(8) suicidal thoughts/acts
(9) agitation
(10) guilt or self-blame
what are the different clusters of depression symptoms?
o Affective
– sadness, loss of enjoyment, irritability.
o Cognitive
– self-blame, hopelessness, guilt.
o Biological
– disturbed sleep, reduced appetite.
what development factors predispose a teen to depression?
o Endocrine
– especially in females and may increase risk of low mood.
o Relationships with family
– get closer with family as you develop leads to more conflict.
o Peers
– increased involvement with peers as you develop leads to more rejection and conflict.
o Responsibilities and hassle.
what are the causes of teen depression?
- genetics
- family interactions (i.e. criticism)
- life events.
what is the prognosis like in depression?
- pre-pubertal onset has a better prognosis.
- major depression has a high risk of reoccurrence
what are the interventions for tackling depression?
o Cognitive behaviour therapy. o Interpersonal psychotherapy. o Family intervention (for associated family problems) o Anti-depressants – SSRIs (for mod to severe depression).
what is conduct disorder?
persistent (>6 months) failure to control behaviour appropriately within socially defined rules.
what are some clinical features of conduct disorder?
- Loses temper and argues
- defies adult requests or rules
- Bullies, fights or intimidates
- Steals and breaks things
- Tantrums
- Defiance
- Defies adult requests or rules
- Cruelty to animals
- Destructiveness
- Fire-setting
- Truanting
- Runs away
what happens during development that predisposes you to conduct disorder?
o Family changes
– less direct surveillance and physical closeness.
o Peer changes (pressure)
– increased involvement with peers may amplify ASBOs.
o Experimentation and risk taking
– rule violation, drugs and alcohol exposure.
common from age 5-15 in deprived city centre areas in males. Associated with larger family sizes and lower socio-economic status
how does family influence conduct disorder?
poor parenting, discord, lack of warmth, inconsistent discipline, coercive interactions and aggression.
what are the wider influences on conduct disorder?
poor schools and neighbourhoods
what outcomes are there for males and females with conduct disorder?
o Males – greater risk of ASBOs in males.
o Females – range of emotional and personality disorders.
what are the interventions for conduct disorder?
o Children
– problem solving skills.
o Treat underlying co-morbidities
– depression, hyperactivities.
o Parenting programmes.
- family intervention
what are the other definitions for conduct disorder?
Anti-social behaviour – defined by society. Delinquency/offending – defined by the law. Conduct disorders – defined by psychiatry.
what are the types of conduct disorder?
- Unsocialised CD.
- Oppositional CD.
- Socialised CD (well integrated in peer group)
- Depressive CD.
- Hyperkinetic CD.
what happens to grey matter up to puberty? what happens to it towards early adulthood?
grey matter in the prefrontal cortex increased up to puberty
density decreased to earlier adulthood
what are some male pubertal changes?
growth of scrotum and testes change in voice lengthening of penis growth of pubic hair growth spurt growth of facial and underarm hair change in body shape.
what are some female pubertal changes?
breast budding growth of pubic hair growth spurt first period, growth of underarm hair change in body shape.
what happens to cortical white matter?
increases from puberty
where is DHEA produced? what happens to DHEA?
adrenal glands
to a lesser degree in the ovaries and testes
is converted to DHEAS in the adrenals and liver
what hormones are dependent on DHEA?
oestrogen and testosterone
what hormones related to protein synthesis and growth does DHEA have a role in?
IGF-1
what are the names of the stages of Piaget’s model of cognitive development?
- sensorimotor
- preoperational
- concrete operational
- formal operational
what are the domains of social development?
- family development
- peer development
- friendships
- school attainment
- parental conflict
why does puberty lead to increased body dissatisfaction?
in girls, the increase in adiposity
–> anorexia nervosa
