Adolescence and puberty Flashcards
What is adolescence?
The phase between childhood and adulthood.
What happens during adolescence? Four categories?
□ COGNITIVE/EMOTIONAL CHANGES: emotional change, reasoning becomes more abstract, greater awareness and identity. □ PEERS: peer activities and influences, sexual relationships. □ FAMILY: challenging rules, discipline needs reasoning, less confiding and intimacy with parents. □ BIOLOGY: puberty and endocrine changes. Leads to physical growth.
What has happened to the onset of puberty since the mid-19th century?
It has lowered from about 13/14 to 12 years of age. This is known as a SECULAR TREND.
What is adrenarche?
□ Occurs before puberty that results in growth of hair in the axilla and pubis. However, it is driven by the adrenal glands rather than the gonads. □ Adrenal glands produce 19-carbon steroid – DHEA and DHEAS. □ Presents in females between 6 and 9, and males between 7 and 10 years.
What is the endocrinology of puberty?
□ Puberty is initiated by activation of GnRH neurones. □ GnRH is released from the hypothalamus, which stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to produce LH and FSH. These act on the gonads in men to stimulate sperm and testosterone production, and on the gonads in females to stimulate ovary production, menarche and estrogen production. □ Testosterone stimulates development of the penis, pubic hair and testes. □ Estrogen stimulates development of the breast, ovaries and uterus. □ Gonads also product inhibin and activin. Inhibin inhibits secretion of FSH; activin enhances it and is involved in regulation of the menstrual cycle.
What is the role of Kisspeptin in puberty?
Puberty is initiated by activation of GnRH neurones: This is thought to involve kisspeptin signalling. This is because GnRH neurones express kisspeptin receptors, GPR54.
What pubertal changes occur in females?
- Breast budding. 2. Growth of pubic hair. 3. Growth spurt. 4. First period (menarche). 5. Growth of underarm hair. 6. Change in body shape – increased adiposity and breast development.
What pubertal changes occur in males?
- Growth of the scrotum and testes. 2. Change in voice. 3. Lengthening of the penis. 4. Growth of pubic hair. 5. Growth spurt. 6. Change in body shape – increased height and musculature. 7. Growth of facial and underarm hair.
What factors have resulted in earlier onset of puberty?
NUTRITION – those who are overweight are more likely to go into puberty earlier.
What psychological changes occur in adolescence? (x4)
Higher levels of cognition occur (individual is able to think more abstractly), identity (including gender identity, emerge during adolescence), increased self-awareness, and an effect on expression and regulation (i.e. how we perceive and manage emotions).
What social changes occur in adolescence? (x3)
□ Family changes (views on parental surveillance changes, and there is less confiding in parents. When there is not enough freedom from parents, relationship tends to breakdown). □ Changes with interaction with peers (increased importance, more complex and hierarchical, more sensitive to acceptance and rejection, and romantic relationships emerge). □ Social role – education, occupation, etc.
What happens to the brain during adolescence?
There are cortical changes in adolescence: thickening of the cortex which begins to thin again. In this period, grey matter turns to white matter in a process known as pruning, where neurones which are being utilised most become more dominant, and those that are not used are pruned away.
What is the developmental mismatch hypothesis?
The cortical changes that occur in adolescence result in changes in the dopaminergic activity of the brain (sensation-seeking activity of the brain), and the regulatory/cognitive activity of the brain (rational thought). The mismatch between the changes in these two pathways means that between the ages of 10 and 22, there is increased risk in the decisions that individuals take. During this time, individuals aren’t taking more risks; instead, they are miscalculating their risk.
What is the statistical link between adolescence and mental health?
By the time of 14, half of all mental health issues are established. Adolescence is therefore the crucial time for the development of mental health issues.
What explains the increased incidence of mental health issues and adolescence? (x6)
□ Self-awareness and ability to see yourself through other people’s eyes becomes more influential in adolescence – this is reflected in the use of social media. □ Endocrine changes in the body. □ Peer influences which become more important in adolescence. □ Social changes and perception of social position in the world. □ Advances in psychological and cognitive changes. □ More intense fluctuations of mood occur in adolescence.
