adolescence and puberty Flashcards
define adolescence *
the phase between childhood and adulthood
pubertal development might be the start
adulthood is legally, culturally and biologically variable
UN say adult is 18yrs
the definition is extending from 10-20, to 10-25 - this is called the new adolescence
why is the definition of adolescence changing *
the milestones that are meant to happen in adolescence ie marriage, childbirth and leaving home are happening at older ages
ie it is taking longer to master the tasks of adolescence
refers to the period of development that occurs between ages 12-18 years.
what are the changes that occur in adolesence *
cognitive and emotional changes
- hormone driven
- reasoning gets more abstract/phylosophical - change in cognitive capacity
- greater knowledge/awareness of the world
- identity of self, family, ethnicity develops
- reflective functioning/mentalising - self awareness - see yourself through other people’s eyes
biology
- puberty/endocrine changes
- physical growth
family
- challenging rules
- discipline needs reasoning
- less confiding and intimacy in parents
- develop individualism and autonomy
peers
- peer activities/confiding
- sexual relationships
- peer group influences values and behaviour
- influences the development of mental health difficulties
describe adrenarche *
starts female 6-9yrs, males 7-10 ie before puberty
there is a rise in adrenal 19-carbon steroid production, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate - drives hair
purpose is uncertain but it is the precurser to puberty
it is adrenal gland driven
describe the hormone pathway in adrenarche *
CRH released from hypothalamus - acts on pit
pit produces ACTH
ACTH acts on the adrenal cortex
cause production of androsteindione and DHEA
leads to development of pubic hair, armpit hair, acne (acne is a testosterone related SE)
describe the endocrinology of puberty *
GnRH released from hypothalamus - act on pit
LH and FSH released from pit, act on gonads
gonads produce androgen and sperm in males and oestrogen and ovum production and menarche in females
androgens cause penis development, pubic hair, testes, acne
oestrogen causes development of breasts, ovaries, uterus
describe the growth pattern in puberty *
girls grow in early puberty age 12/13
boys grow late puberty age 15
therefore between ages of 12-15 girls are more developed
define menache *
first period
what are the main female changes in puberty *
breast budding
growth of pubic hair
growth spurt
menache
underarm hair
change in body shape
adult breast size
level of puberty at age 13 for girls *
can be prepubertal or fully adult - both are normal
delayed puberty doesnt mean that you have anormal growth
changes that happen in puberty in boys *
growth of scrotum and testes
change in voice
lengthening of the penis
growth of pubic hair
growth spurt
change in body shape
growth of facial and underarm hair
describe how menarch has changed over time *
age of puberty has reduced
because of nutrition
if overweight there is an earlier puberty - increased leptin = increased stimulatioon of kisspeptin neurons = increased GnRH
however, population studies have suggested body weight at menarche has remained constant
psychological changes that occur in puberty *
cognition eg morality/ethics - higehr levels of cognitive ability - piaget’s psychological changes
identity - gender and religion
increased self awareness
affect expression and regulation - learn to recognise and manage emotions
social changes that occur in puberty *
family - parents need to give you respect and autonomy, you are less confiding however need good connections and surveillance - the quality of the time becomes more important than the quantity
peers - increased importance, more complex relationships, hierarchial, more sensitive to acceptence and rejection (trigger for mental health), romantic relationships
social role - education, occupation
what becomes apparent at puberty socially *
deficits in interpersonal skills
before you are protected by family and understand concrete things
now world becomes more complex so might have subtle communication difficulties that make it difficult for you to communicate with peers and form relationships
wider social influences in adolesence *
school
work
culture - teen subculture, migration/culture
social influences eg unemployment, poverty/affluence, housing, neighbourhood effects
social media
describe the effect of social media on mental health *
it isnt the time that you spend on it
it is whether it is beiung used as cyber bullying, stopping you sleep or exercise
describe the development of the brain in adolescence *
there is cortical thickening and then thinning in adolesence
there is a cross over from grey to white matter - this is pruning
the neurons that are used dominate, those that are not are pruned
effect of developmental change in brain on behaviour *
there is a mismatch
there is a period where the dopaminergic/opiodinergic activity ie sensation seeking is ahead of the regulatory/cognitive control to think rationally
therefore it isnt that more risks are taken in adolesence its just that there is a miscalculation of risks
these behaviours might continue into adolesence
incidence of mental health disorders in children
1/10 children aged 5-10 - most are neurodevelopmental disorders rather than emotional
1/2 of mental health disorders are established by 14
3/4 by 24
some are episodic and relapsing, rather than chronic and persistant
describe the association between comparing self on social media and psychiatric disorder *
of people who compare themselves on social media there is a higher proportion of people with psychiatric disorder than not
this is even more common in girls
when do emotional disorders emerge *
in teenage years
how does mental health disease relate to the burden of disease globally *
it is the dominant disease in terms of burden
define the features of anorexia *
restriction of energy intake relatuve to the requirements leading to significantly low body weight for the person in the context of age, sex and developmental trajectory and physical health
psychopathy - intense fear of ganing weight or becoming fat, or persistant behaviour that interfers with weight gain
disturbance in experience of weight/shape - undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation or persistant lack of recognition of seriousness of low weight
weight loss is self induced
endocrine disturbance - amenorrhoea, or delayed growth and puberty - not necessary for diagnosis
dont have to be able to articulate why acting in certain way - drs can infer by the fact they are avoiding calorie dense food
subtypes - restricting v binge eating/purge - they have different prognosises