Adolescent Development
TENTAMEN 3
Chapter 13 psychosocial problems in adolescence
→ psychosocial problems in adolescent
- het is belangrijk om onderscheid te maken tussen eenmalige
experimentatie ,et ongezonde activiteiten en echt een patroon
- ook maak je onderscheid tussen gedrag dat ontstaat voor of tijdens
adolescentie, most of the time the onset of problems have already started
before adolescence
- not all problems will persist during adulthood (substance use, delinquency,
boulimia)
→ 3 broad categories of problems
(1) substance use
=maladaptive use of drugs ( including alcohol and nicotine)
(2) externalizing disorders
=problems that are manifested in a turning of symptoms outward, as in aggression
and delinquency
(3) internalizing disorders
=problems are turned inward and manifested in emotional and cognitive distress, as
depression, anxiety or disordered eating
● (1) SUBSTANCE ABUSE
- substance abuse is combodart both both internalized and externalized
problems
- you can have also both internalizing and externalizing problems, this is
different among males and females
- girls: depressed → problems with peers → conduct problems
- boys: conduct problems → depression
→ comorbidity of externalizing problems
- problem behavior syndrome= the covariation among various types of
externalizing problems/disorders believe to result from an underlying trait of
unconventionally ( not normal)
- unconventionally can come from biological underpinnings, nurture or
environment or family context.
- engaging in one problematic activity can lead to other problematic activities
tes:
externalizing problems in childhood
academic problems in adolescence
,internalizing problems in adulthood
social control theory= individuals who do not have strong bonds to society
instructions (such as family, school, work) will be likely to behave unconventionally
→ comorbidity of internalizing problems
- negative emotionality= the presumed underlying cause of internalizing
disorders, characterized by high levels of subjective distress
- individuals with high negative emotionality or anhedonic(=having difficulty
experiencing positive emotions) people are greater at risk for depression,
anxiety or other internalizing problems
→ substance use and abuse
- monitoring the future= annual nationwide survey of american 8th, 10th, and
12th graders for data on substance abuse:
- alcohol < vaping nicotine > marijuana > other drugs
- binge drinking= more than five drinks in a row
- overtime trends of substance abuse is relative the same with same small
increases/decreases
- cigarettes → decreasing
- alcohol → increasing
- vaping → increasing
- gateway drugs= drugs than when used lead to use of other, more dangerous
substances ( f.e. alcohol or tobacco)
→ risk factor substance abuse
1. personality characteristic like impulsivity, sensation seeking
2. family conflicts/bad relationship with family
3. friends who use drugs
4. social context that makes drugs use easier ( minimum age, stores that sell
drugs, schools with a lot of use etc)
protective factors= factors that limit the vulnerability to harm, for instance positive
mental health, high academic achievement, close family, involvement in religious
activities.
→ drugs and the brain
drugs use releases dopamine: long term use of drugs can affect the experience to
normal amount of pleasure
→ prevention= causing minimum age and increasing the price can reduce
substance abuse
● (2) EXTERNALIZING PROBLEMS
→ 3 categories of externalizing problems
, (1) conduct disorder
= a repetitive and persistent pattern of antisocial behavior that results in problems at
school or work with others.
A related disorder is oppositional defiant disorder= excessive anger, spite (wrok)
and stubbornness (koppigheid)
- more males than female (10 % vs 5 %)
- both in childhood and adolescence
- other related disorders:
antisocial personality disorders= antisocial behavior and persistent disregard for
the rules of society and others
psychopaths= individual who are not only antisocial but also manipulative,
superficially charming, impulsive and indifference to the feelings of others
callous-unemotional traits (CU)= a cluster of traits characteristics of psychopathic
individuals which includes a lack of empathy and indifference toward the feelings of
others
(2) aggression
=act done to be intentionally harmful
- many forms of aggression
- most aggressive period of development is in preschool years
- boys > girls
(3) juvenile offending
=externalizing problem that includes delinquency and criminal behavior
- status offenses= violations of the law for only minors
- highest crimes prevalent in adolescence
(1) authority conflicts= stubbornness and rebelliousness
(2) covert antisocial behavior= misdeed that are not always detected such as
lying or stealing
(3) overt antisocial behavior= aggression toward others
There is a difference between life-course persistent offenders versus adolescence-
limited offenders
adverse context → early harsh parenting → poor school readiness → conduct
problems → school failure → low parent monitoring → deviant peers →
adolescent violence
- agression is heritable
- delinquent children mostly have a history of aggressive behavior but not all
children with a history of aggressive behavior become delinquent
- ADHD can increase the likelihood of externalizing behavior
- low intelligence can increase the likelihood of externalizing behavior
- hanging around with peers is an important predictor
→ treatment externalizing behavior
- school and family interventions
, - learn resistance to peer pressure, train parents, intervening classrooms,
school and neighborhood, learn consequences
● (3) Internalizing problems
depression= a psychological disturbance characterized by low self-esteem,
decreased motivation, sadness and difficulty in finding pleasure.
- Depression is the most common disturbance among adolescents.
- Girls are more depressed than boys. This may be because of the higher
insecurities in girls to peer conformance and physical appearance.
- stress in puberty → depression
- girls are more likely to investigate in close relationships but break ups can
cause depression
→ suicide and non-suicidal self injury (NSSI)
- 11% females and 7% males commit suicide in america
- suicidal ideation= thinking about ending life
- non-suicidal self injury (NSSI)= deliberate attempts to hurt oneself in non
lethal ways (cutting or burning)
5 risk factors of suicide:
- history of suicide in the family
- being under stress
- being bullied
- depression of substance use
- parental rejection/extensive family conflict
for girls: te hormonal cycle influences suicidal thoughts; this is during premenstrual
phase (high in hormones, 2 weeks before menstruations)
suicide contagion= the process through which learning about anothers suicide can
lead people to try to take their own lives ( also in media)
→ cause of depression and internalziing problems
diathesis-stress model of depression= a perspective on depression posits that
problems are the results of an interaction between a preexisting condition
(diathesis) and exposure to stressful events
2 possible diathesis → biological genes + cognitive tendencies
3 sets of stressors → high family conflict + unpopular yo peers + problems
like
poverty or lost parent
→ treatment
- CGT + interpersonal therapy + anti depressant (SSRI’s)
→ stress and coping
stress can influence substance abuse or internalizing/externalizing problems
2 coping strategies:
(1) primary control= attempt to change the stressor
(2) secondary control= attempt to adopt the stressor
→ studying harder (1) or going to the movie to relax (2)
