Teenage Stress

September 1st, 2009 . by admin

Any adult who doubts that teenage stress is a real problem affecting a large number of
teenagers, only needs to cast their mind back to their own teenage years and recall their
own experiences to realize how prevalent teenage stress is, and how difficult it can be. In
recent years, the amount of stress in young peoples lives seems to be increasing, and stress
seems to be present in their lives earlier and earlier. Recent survey results show that one
third of all teenagers experience stress at least once per week.
Given the near impossibility of determining what normal teenage behavior is, it can be
difficult, to say the least, to recognize the onset of teenage stress. The fact that teenagers
are particularly reluctant to ask for help, makes it very important to detect the signs, both
physical and emotional, of behavior which indicates some form of stress. These can include
obvious physical signs such as headaches and nausea, and less obvious, but equally
important emotional ones such as feelings of uneaseiness, or not having fun, or even more
obvious symptoms like edginess and even anger.
The causes of teenage stress may appear trivial by comparison to the stresses which we
experience as adults, which are associated with our responsibilites. However, to teenagers
their suffering is very real, and can be very difficult to deal with. The good news is that, with
the right encouragement, teenagers ability to cope with the stresses in their lives can be
improved enormously. The benefits of being able to do so can be far reaching and long
lasting, since the habits learned in adolesence carry through well into adult life.
The first thing to learn is how to avoid a build up of stress in the first place, and this can be
accomplished by following some simple, yet effective guidelines. These include eating right,
getting enough sleep, avoiding drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and excess caffeine. Encouraging
teenagers to spend time in activities which they actually enjoy, whether its reading, writing,
music, or sports, will also allow them to be removed from constant sources of stress, like cell
phones, email, IM, texting, and social media. It should also allow them to relax, and prevent
both the reality and the perception of their time being over committed.
The more that teenagers realize that there is a support network to help them through their
problems, the easier it can be for them to learn how to cope. That way, they can learn to talk
openly about the causes of their stress, and as a result, explore potential cures and
remedies which might help. Typically, they need to know that adults will keep the lines of
communication open, so that they can make use of them when the need arises.
Of course, this need will always arise when you least expect it, and when you are least ready
to deal with it. However, thats when it really matters to be there for them. And, to
paraphrase, the 3 rules of dealing with teenage stress for you as an adult can be
summarized as: listen, listen, and listen. Its your opportunity to act as a model for them to
emulate, by listening in a way which provides support and encouragement.

Teenage Stress: 3 Major Factors to Consider

January 1st, 2010 . by admin
Parents should treat teenage stress education just as importantly as they do any other topic
in a teenagers educational curriculum, including substance abuse education, or sex
education. So says Dr Carl Pickhardt, a psychiatrist in Austin, Texas and author of several
books, the most recent of which include The Connected Father, The Future of Your Only
Child, and Stop Screaming. Here are some of his thoughts on what he describes as the hard
half of parenting, and in particular, dealing with teenage stress issues.

There are three major aspescts of teenage stress to consider: its causes, its warning signs,
and how to guard against its onset.

Looking first at the causes, it boils down to teenagers having a feeling of not being able to
cope with the demands being placed upon them. There is a sense of not having the
resources to cope with these demands, and a concern about the consequences of their not
being able to cope. The predominant emotion is anxiety over this apparently overwhelming
demand.

Looking next at the warning signs of teenage stress, here are 4 major clues to watch out for:

constant fatigue stress can wear you out and make you feel tired all the time

persistent discomfort stress can actually hurt, since both mind and body register
stress

burnout stress can cause depression, and change what you care about

breakdown stress can be debilitating, and leave you unmotivated

Theres nothing wrong with teenagers setting very ambitious goals for themselves.
However, they have to learn that this comes at the price of putting a lot of demand
on themselves. This is especially true if they are setting lots of ambitious goals in lots
of different areas of their lives. Its only natural for teenagers, just like the rest of us,
to want to succeed in everything that they do; the trick is to be aware from the
outset that they are creating the potential for stress. Then, hopefully, they can avoid
the pitfall of over-commiting themselves, or if they do fall into that trap, at least be
able to recognize when they do, and take appropriate steps. Even teenagers have
only so much time and energy in any one day.

The same arguments apply to teenagers setting standards for themselves, where
again they need to guard against putting undue pressure on themselves by a
tendency to seek perfection in everything they do. This would be as good a time as
any for them to realize that perfection is a fallacy. Setting limits is as much about
teenagers placing limits on their desire to fulfill what they see as their obligations to
others, as it is about them setting limits on their efforts to fulfill their own wants.

So its not difficult to see that the higher the goals, standards and limits that
teenagers put on themselves, the higher the demands they place on themselves, and
the greater the chance that they will put themselves under stress from over demand.
The good news is that the ability to set challenging and yet realistic goals, standards,
and limits is not somehow pre-ordained at birth. It is in reality a learned skill, which
teenagers can develop gradually as they grow in maturity and confidence in their
own abilities. It is a skill from which they can derive enormous benefit not just in
dealing with teenage stress, but also throughout the rest of their lives.

http://www.teenagestress.org/

Mouse Study Links Teen Stress to Adult Mental Illness

New laboratory research on rodents suggests an elevated stress hormone in adolescence

may be linked to severe mental illness in adulthood.
Johns Hopkins researchers noted that adolescence is a critical time for brain development.
During this stage, a hormone abundance could potentially cause genetic changes which
could result in severe mental illness among individuals
The findings, reported in the journal Science, could have wide-reaching implications in both
the prevention and treatment of schizophrenia, severe depression and other mental
illnesses.
We have discovered a mechanism for how environmental factors, such as stress hormones,
can affect the brains physiology and bring about mental illness, said study leader Akira
Sawa, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine.
Weve shown in mice that stress in adolescence can affect the expression of a gene that
codes for a key neurotransmitter related to mental function and psychiatric illness. While
many genes are believed to be involved in the development of mental illness, my gut feeling
is environmental factors are critically important to the process.
Researchers set out to simulate social isolation associated with the difficult years of
adolescents in human teens.

They found that isolating healthy mice from other mice for three weeks during the
equivalent of rodent adolescence had no effect on their behavior. But when mice known to
have a genetic predisposition to characteristics of mental illness were similarly isolated, they
exhibited behaviors associated with mental illness, such as hyperactivity.
These mice also failed to swim when put in a pool, an indirect correlate of human
depression.
When the isolated mice with genetic risk factors for mental illness were returned to group
housing with other mice, they continued to exhibit these abnormal behaviors, a finding that
suggests the effects of isolation lasted into the equivalent of adulthood.
Genetic risk factors in these experiments were necessary, but not sufficient, to cause
behaviors associated with mental illness in mice, Sawa said. Only the addition of the
external stressor in this case, excess cortisol related to social isolation was enough to
bring about dramatic behavior changes.
The investigators not only found that the mentally ill mice had elevated levels of cortisol,
known as the stress hormone because it is secreted at higher levels during the bodys fightor-flight response.
They also found that these mice had significantly lower levels of the neurotransmitter
dopamine in a specific region of the brain involved in higher brain function, such as
emotional control and cognition.
Changes in dopamine in the brains of patients with schizophrenia, depression and mood
disorders have been suggested in clinical studies, but the mechanism for the clinical impact
remains elusive.
To determine whether cortisol levels were influencing dopamine levels in the brain and adult
behavioral patterns in the abnormal mice, the investigators gave them a compound called
RU486, known to block cells from receiving cortisol. (The drug is commonly known as the
abortion pill.)
All symptoms subsided. RU486 has also been studied in a clinical trial of people with
difficult-to-treat psychotic depression, showing some benefits. The mice swam longer, they
were less hyper and their dopamine levels normalized, Sawa says.
To shed light on how and why the mice got better, Sawa and his team studied the gene
tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) and found that environmentally induced epigenetic changes limit
the genes ability to do its job which is to create an enzyme that regulates dopamine
levels. Without a fully functioning Th, dopamine levels are abnormally low.
Scientists have long studied gene mutations permanent DNA changes that can tweak the
normal function of a particular gene. Epigenetic alterations by contrast do not change the
actual letters of the DNA sequence. Instead, they add a chemical group like methyl that can
affect the function of the DNA.

These changes can be transient, whereas genetic mutations are permanent.

Sawa said the new study points to the need to think about better preventive care in
teenagers who have mental illness in their families, including efforts to protect them from
social stressors, such as neglect.
Meanwhile, by understanding the cascade of events that occurs when cortisol levels are
elevated, researchers may be able to develop new compounds to target tough-to-treat
psychiatric disorders with fewer side effects than RU486 has.
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Shifting the Lens
A focus on stress and coping among East Baltimore African American adolescents
Very little research focuses on how urban, African American teens view stress.
Shifting the Lens was developed to add the youth perspective on how teens perceive
and handle stress in their lives. The purpose of this project was to involve youth as
the leaders in starting a dialogue on the topic of stress within their community.
We collected data from teens (ages 14-15 years), primary caregivers, and youth
service providers on the topic of teen stress. Teens completed questionnaires,
month-long tape-recorded journals of their daily stress experiences, activities in
which they sorted stress by frequency and level of worry, and diagrams of where
they turn for support. Primary caregivers participated in focus groups and
completed questionnaires. Youth service providers also were interviewed.
The five most frequently experienced
sources of stress in the lives of
participating youth are: school work
(78%), parents (68%), romantic
relationships (64%), friends problems
(64%), and younger siblings (64%).
The five sources of stress that cause the
most worry in the lives of participating
youth are: school work (68%), parents

(56%), friends problems (52%),

romantic relationships (48%), and drugs
in the neighborhood (48%).
From a list of 16 stressors identified by teens:
Page 4

Confronting Teen Stress

About the Study

What Teens Said
On average, boys report more frequent use of avoidance and distraction coping
strategies than girls, while girls indicate more frequent use of support seeking and active
coping. Avoidance strategies involve not dealing with the stress at all. Distraction
involves temporarily getting ones mind off the stress. Support seeking includes
getting help. Active coping entails taking action to reduce or remove the stress.
Source: confronting Teen Stress: Meeting the Challenge in Baltimore City

Teens in Distress Series

Adolescent Stress and Depression
Joyce Walker
4-H Youth Development

Copyright 2002 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Adults commonly tell young people that the teenage years are the "best years of your life."
The rosy remembrance highlights happy groups of high school students energetically
involved at a dance or sporting event, and a bright-eyed couple holding hands or sipping
sodas at a local restaurant. This is only part of the picture. Life for many young people is a
painful tug of war filled with mixed messages and conflicting demands from parents,

teachers, coaches, employers, friends and oneself. Growing upnegotiating a path between
independence and reliance on othersis a tough business. It creates stress, and it can
create serious depression for young people ill-equipped to cope, communicate and solve
problems.
A study and a survey conducted recently in Minnesota provide information about the
prevalence of adolescent stress and depression. The study and survey point out some of the
stressful events young people experience, describe how young people deal with stress, and
indicate the risk factors for young people most vulnerable to stress, depression and self
destructive behavior. This major research project provides data on adolescent stress,
depression and suicide collected from nearly 4300 high school students in 52 rural
Minnesota counties. (Garfinkel, et al., 1986).
Adults need to be familiar with the family, biological and personality factors that predispose
a young person to depression. They can learn to recognize the kinds of psychological,
behavioral and social events that most often signal trouble. Awareness of the way these risk
factors "pile up" helps any adult living and working with adolescents to be sensitive when
stress and depression are imminent.

Stress and Depression Are Real

Stress and depression are serious problems for many teenagers, as the 1986 study of
Minnesota high school students reveals. Although 61 percent of the students are not
depressed and seem to handle their problems in constructive ways, 39 percent suffer from
mild to severe depression. These young people often rely on passive or negative behaviors
in their attempts to deal with problems.

Stress is characterized by feelings of tension, frustration, worry, sadness and withdrawal

that commonly last from a few hours to a few days. Depression is both more severe and
longer lasting. Depression is characterized by more extreme feelings of hopelessness,
sadness, isolation, worry, withdrawal and worthlessness that last for two weeks or more. The
finding that 9 percent of high school students are severely depressed is important since
depression is the most important risk factor for suicide. The Minnesota Study found that 88
percent of the youth who reported making suicide attempts were depressed. Approximately
6 percent of the students reported suicide attempts in the previous six months.

Common Causes and Responses to Stress

Young people become stressed for many reasons. The Minnesota study presented students
with a list of 47 common life events and asked them to identify those they had experienced
in the last six months that they considered to be "bad." The responses indicated that they
had experienced an average of two negative life events in the last six months. The most
common of these were:
1.

Break up with boy/girl friend

2.

Increased arguments with parents

3.

Trouble with brother or sister

4.

Increased arguments between parents

5.

Change in parents' financial status

6.

Serious illness or injury of family member

7.

Trouble with classmates

8.

Trouble with parents

These events are centered in the two most important domains of a teenager's life: home and
school. They relate to issues of conflict and loss. Loss can reflect the real or perceived loss of
something concrete such as a friend or money, and it can mean the loss of such intrinsic
things as self-worth, respect, friendship or love.
In a more informal survey of 60 young people (Walker, 1985), the primary sources of tension
and trouble for teens and their friends were: relationships with friends and family; the
pressure of expectations from self and others; pressure at school from teachers, coaches,
grades and homework; financial pressures; and tragedy in the lives of family and friends
(described as death, divorce, cancer).
Most teenagers respond to stressful events in their lives by doing something relaxing, trying
positive and self-reliant problem-solving, or seeking friendship and support from others.
Common examples include listening to music, trying to make their own decisions,
daydreaming, trying to figure out solutions, keeping up friendships, watching television and
being close to people they care about. These behaviors are appropriate for adolescents who
are trying to become independent, take responsibility for themselves, and draw on friends
and family for support.

Troubled Youth Respond Differently

The majority of young people face the stress of negative life events, find internal or external
resources to cope. and move on. But for others, the events pile up and the stressors are too
great. In the Minnesota study teens who reported that they had made a suicide attempt had
five additional "bad" events on their list: parents' divorce, loss of a close friend, change to a
new school, failing grades and personal illness or injury. It is significant that the young
people who showed high degrees of depression and who had made suicide attempts

reported over five of these "bad" events in the past six months, more than twice as many as
the rest of the group.
The actions in response to stress were also different for those who reported serious
depression or a suicide attempt. Young people who are depressed are at much greater risk of
attempting suicide than non-depressed youthalthough not all youth who attempt suicide
are depressed. These young people report exhibiting much more anger and ventilation;
avoidance and passivity; and aggressive, antisocial behavior. They describe yelling. fighting
and complaining; drinking, smoking and using doctor-prescribed drugs more frequently; and
sleeping, riding around in cars and crying more often. They are less inclined to do things
with their family or to go along with parents' rules and requests.

A Closer Look At High Risk Youth

It is important not to overreact to isolated incidents. Young people will have problems and
will learn, at their own rate, to struggle and deal with them. But it is critical for parents and
helping adults to be aware of the factors that put a youth at particular risk, especially when
stressful events begin to accumulate for these vulnerable individuals. A good starting point
for identifying and intervening with highly troubled and depressed young people is the
careful study of suicidal adolescents.
Family history and biology can create a predisposition for dealing poorly with stress. These
factors make a person susceptible to depression and self-destructive behavior.

History of depression and/or suicide in the family

Alcoholism or drug use in the family

Sexual or physical abuse patterns in the family

Chronic illness in oneself or family

Family or individual history of psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders,

schizophrenia, manic-depressive disorder, conduct disorders, delinquency

Death or serious loss in the family

Learning disabilities or mental/physical disabilities

Absent or divorced parents; inadequate bonding in adoptive families

Family conflict; poor parent/child relationships

Personality traits, especially when they change dramatically, can signal serious trouble.
These traits include:

Impulsive behaviors, obsessions and unreal fears

Aggressive and antisocial behavior

Withdrawal and isolation; detachment

Poor social skills resulting in feelings of humiliation, poor self-worth, blame and
feeling ugly

Over-achieving and extreme pressure to perform

Problems with sleeping and/or eating

Psychological and social events contribute to the accumulation of problems and stressors.

Loss experience such as a death or suicide of a friend or family member; broken

romance, loss of a close friendship or a family move

Unmet personal or parental expectation such as failure to achieve a goal, poor

grades, social rejection

Unresolved conflict with family members, peers, teachers, coaches that results in
anger, frustration, rejection

Humiliating experience resulting in loss of self-esteem or rejection

Unexpected events such as pregnancy or financial problems

Predispositions, stressors and behaviors weave together to form a composite picture of a

youth at high risk for depression and self-destructive behavior. Symptoms such as personal
drug and alcohol use, running away from home, prolonged sadness and crying, unusual
impulsivity or recklessness or dramatic changes in personal habits are intertwined with the
family and personal history, the individual personality and the emotional/social events
taking place in a person's life.
It is not always easy for one person to see the "whole picture." That's why it is essential that
people who have "hunches" that something is wrong take the lead to gather perspectives
from other friends, family members and professionals who know the young person. It is all
too often true that the survivors of an adolescent suicide only "put the pieces together" after
the fact, when they sit together and try to figure out what happened. How fortunate a
troubled young person is to have a caring adult take the initiative to look more closely
before something serious happens!
The University of Minnesota Extension Service has two additional publications that can be
helpful:

Supporting Distressed Young People (FS-02786), by Ron Pitzer

Helping Friends in Trouble (FS-02787), by Joyce Walker

Several common themes run through these two. First, young people must learn and practice
coping skills to get them through an immediate conflict or problem. Coping strategies must
emphasize self-responsibility to find positive, non-destructive ways to find relief. Second,
communication skills are important. This involves being able to talk and selecting a good
listener. It is important to express feelings, vent emotions, and talk about the problems and
issues. Peers are good sympathizers, but it often takes an adult perspective to begin to plan

how to make changes for the better. Third, young people need help to learn problem-solving
skills. Sorting out the issues, setting goals and making plans to move forward are skills that
can be taught and practiced.
Ultimately, most young people will develop and assume the responsibility for their own
protection and peace of mind. But during the years of learning and practice, parents,
teachers and helping adults need to be aware of the signs and patterns that signal danger.
Awareness of adolescent stress and depression opens the door for adults to begin
constructive interventions and stimulate emotional development.

References

Garfinkel, B. Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents. Manuscript submitted for

publication, 1985.

Garfinkel, B., Hoberman, H., Parsons, J., and Walker, J. Adolescent Stress, Depression
and Suicide: Minnesota study. Unpublished raw data, 1986.

Fairfax County Public Schools. The Adolescent Suicide Prevention Program: A Guide
for Schools and Communities. Fairfax, VA: Department of Student Services and Special
Education, 1985.

Lewinsohn, P., and Teri, L. The Selection of Depressed and Non-depressed Subjects on
the Basis of Self-report Data. Extended version of article in Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, 1982,50, 590-591.

Teri, L. The Use of the Beck Depression Inventory with Adolescents. Journal of
Abnormal Child Psychology, 1982,10, 227-284.

Select Committee on Aging, House of Representatives. Suicide and Suicide

Prevention (Comm. Pub. No. 98497). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office,
1985.

Walker, J. Identification of Adolescent Stressors. Unpublished raw data, 1985.