ADOLESCENCE: A PERIOD OF STRESS AND STRAIN DR. SUVARNA SEN,Faculty Member, ICFAI Business School Kolkata, India. dr_suvarna@ibsindia.

org Citation: Sen, S. (2006) Adolescence: a period of stress and strain. Mental Health Reviews, Accessed from <http://www.psyplexus.com/mhr/adolescence_stress.html> on ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr.Suvarna Sen has completed her PhD in Psychology from Calcutta University. She has 15 years of teaching experience and is presently associated with ICFAI Business School Kolkata, (IBS-K) as a faculty member. Suvarna has participated in various Seminars and Workshops across the country, including institutions like NIMHANS (Bangalore), ITM (Mumbai), The Eastern Zonal Psychological Association (Kolkata), NIRMA (Ahmedabad) and so on. She regularly conducts various Management Development Programmes for Indian Institute of Coal Management, Alstom India Ltd., and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She is also associated with Sikkim Manipal University as a visiting faculty. She also lends her services as a Consultant Psychologist, Joint Secretary of the Eastern Zonal Psychological Association and as an active Member of the Social Development Sub-Committee of Confederation of Indian Industry. Her key knowledge areas are OB, HRM, LSCM and Soft Skills. ABSTRACT The adolescent period is considered to be difficult and critical. It is so because of the numerous qualitative shifts that take place, at this time, which at times assume the character of a radical break with the previous properties, interests, and the relationships of the child. Moreover, the changes that take place are often accompanied, on the other hand, by the manifestation in the adolescent him/herself of significantly subjective difficulties of various orders. The adolescent begins to have a sharpened sense of his/her own dignity, he/she sees himself as someone who may not be browbeaten, humiliated and deprived of the right to independence. The type of relationship with adults that existed during childhood becomes unacceptable to him/her as not corresponding to his/her assessment of the level of his/her own maturity. At that stage, the life of an adolescent contains many contradictions. They strive for recognition; but do not get it! Consequently they cling to their own age group peers play the most important role in their lives! They suffer from an identity crisis! What am I? What will I be? are the questions that bother them. To minimize this crisis, we should sit down with them, give them a patient hearing and suggest things in way acceptable to them. Lest, we might lead them the wrong way.

Ill be fifteen, And soon a man! The very thought of its delights me But even now none dares to slight me To look with scorn at me, none can Treat me disdainfully or lightly Im no pink-cheeked smiling laddie Ive sprouted a moustache already A gaffers mien is mine, its proud My voice is gruff and also loud And for a fight Im always ready -Alexander Pushkin
Todays adolescents little resemble this famous literary figure, perhaps because they mature earlier. The formula no longer a child-not yet an adult vividly expresses the transitional character of adolescent life. It is a state in which the person has already broken with the happy age of childhood, but has not yet found himself in adult life. That is why the adolescents mind is confused. The age of adolescence is marked by psychological manifestations that have caused it to be described as an age of crisis and transition. Some consider adolescents to be merely savage because of their boundless imagination, rashness, craftiness, forgetfulness, inconsistency, explosive temper and lack of cares. Some say an adolescent is a madman in view of his/her inclination towards superstitions, pride and extreme sensitivity concerning ones honor. It has been asserted that an adolescent is a potential criminal in view of his/her fits of rage, crudity, extreme vanity and egoism a tendency towards moral degradation. But why does it so happen? Children must pass through several stages, or take specific steps, on their road to becoming adults. For most people, there are four or five such stages of growth where they learn certain things: infancy (birth to age two), early childhood (ages three to eight years), later childhood (ages nine to 12 years) and adolescence (ages 13 to 18 years).

STAGES OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENTS This is an overview of the developmental tasks involved in the social and emotional development of children and teenagers which continues into adulthood. This is based on the Eight Stages of Development developed by Psychiatrist Erik Erikson in 1956. According to Erikson, the socialization process consists of eight phases - the "eight stages of man." His eight stages of man were formulated not through experimental work, but through wide-ranging experience in psychotherapy, including extensive experience with children and adolescents from low, upper, and middle social classes. Each stage is regarded by Erikson as a "psychosocial crisis," which arises and demands resolution before the next stage can be satisfactorily negotiated. Erikson's Eight Stages of Development 1. Learning Basic Trust Versus Basic Mistrust (Hope) Chronologically, this is the period of infancy through the first one or two years of life. The child, well-handled, nurtured, and loved, develops trust and security and a basic optimism. Badly handled, he/she becomes insecure and mistrustful. 2. Learning Autonomy Versus Shame (Will) The second psychosocial crisis, Erikson believes, occurs during early childhood, probably between about 18 months or two years and 3 to four years of age. The "well-parented" child emerges from this stage sure of ones self, elated with his new found control, and proud rather than ashamed. 3. Learning Initiative Versus Guilt (Purpose) Erikson believes that this third psychosocial crisis occurs during what one calls the "play age," or the later preschool years. During it, the healthily developing child learns: (1) to imagine, to broaden ones skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy (2) to cooperate with others (3) to lead as well as to follow. Immobilized by guilt, one is: (1) fearful (2) hangs on the fringes of groups (3) continues to depend unduly on adults and (4) is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination. 4. Industry Versus Inferiority (Competence) Erikson believes that the fourth psychosocial crisis is handled, for better or worse, during what he calls the "school age," presumably up to and possibly including some of junior high school. Here the child learns to master the more formal skills of life: (1) relating with peers according to rules (2) progressing from free play to play that may be elaborately structured by rules and may demand formal teamwork, such as baseball and (3) mastering social studies, reading, and arithmetic. 5. Learning Identity Versus Identity Diffusion (Fidelity) During the fifth psychosocial crisis (adolescence, from about 13 or 14 to about 20 years of age) the child, now an adolescent, learns how to answer satisfactorily and happily the question of "Who am I?" But even the bestadjusted of adolescents experiences some role identity diffusion: most of them experiment with minor delinquency; rebellion flourishes; self-doubts flood the youngster, and so on. 6. Learning Intimacy Versus Isolation (Love) The successful young adult, for the first time, can experience true intimacy - the sort of intimacy that makes possible good marriage or a genuine and enduring friendship. 7. Learning Generativity Versus Self-Absorption (Care) In adulthood, the psychosocial crisis demands generativity, both in the sense of marriage and parenthood, and in the sense of working productively and creatively. 8. Integrity Versus Despair (Wisdom) If the other seven psychosocial crises have been successfully resolved, the mature adult develops the peak of adjustment and integrity. He/she trusts, is independent and dares the new. He/she works hard, has found a well-defined role in life, and has developed a self-concept with which he/she is happy. He/she can be intimate without strain, guilt, regret, or lack of realism; and he/she is proud of what he/she creates ones children, work, or ones hobbies. If one or more of the earlier psychosocial crises have not been resolved, one may view

ones self and ones life with disgust and despair.

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development Developmental Stage & Behavior, Approximate Age Characteristic

Sensory Motor Period: (0 - 24 months) Reflexive Stage (0-2 months) Primary Circular Reactions (2-4 months) Simple reflex activity such as grasping, sucking. Reflexive behaviors occur in stereotyped repetition such as opening and closing fingers repetitively. Repetition of change actions to reproduce interesting consequences such as kicking one's feet to more a mobile suspended over the crib. Responses become coordinated into more complex sequences. Actions take on an "intentional" character such as the infant reaches behind a screen to obtain a hidden object. Discovery of new ways to produce the same consequence or obtain the same goal such as the infant may pull a pillow toward him in an attempt to get a toy resting on it. Mental Evidence of an internal representational system. Symbolizing the problem-solving sequence before actually responding. Deferred imitation.

Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months)

Coordination of Secondary Reactions (8-12 months)

Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months)

Invention of New Means Combination (18-24 months)

Through

The Preoperational Period (2-7 years) Preoperational Phase (2-4 years) Increased use of verbal representation but speech is egocentric. The beginnings of symbolic rather than simple motor play. Transductive reasoning. Can think about something without the object being present by use of language. Speech becomes more social, less egocentric. The child has an intuitive grasp of logical concepts in some areas. However, there is still a tendency to focus attention on one aspect of an object while ignoring others. Concepts formed are crude and irreversible. Easy to believe in magical increase, decrease, disappearance. Reality not firm. Perceptions dominate judgment. In moral-ethical realm, the child is not able to show principles underlying best behavior. Rules of a game not develop, only uses simple do's and don'ts imposed by authority. Period of Concrete Operations (7-11 years)

Intuitive Phase (4-7 years)

Evidence for organized, logical thought. There is the ability to perform multiple classification tasks, order objects in a logical sequence, and comprehend the principle of conservation. thinking becomes less transductive and less egocentric. The child is capable of concrete problem-solving. Some reversibility now possible (quantities moved can be restored such as in arithmetic: 3+4 = 7 and 7-4 = 3, etc.) Class logic-finding bases to sort unlike objects into logical groups where previously it was on superficial perceived attribute such as color. Categorical labels such as "number" or animal" now available.

Period of Formal Operations (11-15 years) Thought becomes more abstract, incorporating the principles of formal logic. The ability to generate abstract propositions, multiple hypotheses and their possible outcomes is evident. Thinking becomes less tied to concrete reality. Formal logical systems can be acquired. Can handle proportions, algebraic manipulation, other purely abstract processes. If a + b = x then x = a - b. If ma/ca = IQ = 1.00 then MA = CA. Prepositional logic, as-if and if-then steps. Can use aids such as axioms to transcend human limits on comprehension

ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXTS Peer relations are extremely important for the teen in that they experience a whole new realm of reality unique to themselves. Teens are more self-disclosing to peers about things like dating, views on sexuality, personal experiences, common perspectives, interests, and doubts. Teens tend to spend more time with peers outside of the classroom (approximately 20 hours per week). The frequency of time spent with peers increases as the time spent with parents and family decreases throughout the course of adolescence (Savin-Williams and Berndt, 1990). Family Functions The roles of the family established during childhood have helped the family unit to keep a system of equilibrium. During adolescence, teens are looking for a different kind of support from their family and this may be a stressful time for the family until a new system of equilibrium is established. Here is a list of changes you can expect to see in the family system: There will be a shift from the parents providing nurturance, protection, and socialization for the child to providing support and direction for the teen. Acceptance, active understanding, and parental expressions of individuality and connectedness can help the teen to mature without feeling left out or alienated from his/her family. PARENT-ADOLESCENT RELATIONS Adolescence is marked by disagreements, bickering, emotional tensions, and minor conflicts with parents over the everyday details of family life, such as doing the chores, feeding the pets, doing schoolwork, and getting along with siblings. Characteristics of parents and adolescents As adolescents usually spend more time with mothers than fathers, conflict (although minor) is more common. This conflict increases between the ages of 10 and 15 and then decreases. Conflict is considered temporary and necessary to reorganize the parent-adolescent relationships.

Parent-adolescent interaction styles: Parents' beliefs on adolescence may influence their interactions with the adolescent. Less effective management techniques include monitoring, discipline, reinforcement of positive behavior More effective management techniques include exercising reasonable control along with being flexible and encouraging independence (authoritative)

As a child begins to enter adolescence, there appears to be a rise in conflict between the adolescent and parents. The amount of conflict differs from family to family and is dependent on many factors. It is mainly due to the changing characteristics and growing of the adolescent and the way in which the rest of the family adjusts to these changes. Here are some concepts of conflict and some areas to look out for -

What is considered as normal conflict? Conflict between parents and adolescents usually revolves around common daily events that take place within the family. This day-to-day conflict includes things like: Keeping a bedroom clean, Dressing neatly, Being home at a certain time, Talking long on the phone, and Not doing chores.

It is not usual that conflict will involve major difficulties such as drugs and delinquency, but when the conflict begins to disrupt the family it becomes problematic (Santrock, 1992). When does conflict become problematic? Conflict has a tendency to increase during early adolescence (around ages 12-14), even out during midadolescence (approximately ages 14 - 17), and decrease during late adolescence (ages 17-20). Anger is the major emotion associated with conflict. This anger is accompanied by anxiety, frustration, or guilt. Five criteria for problematic anger that is associated with parent-adolescent conflict are: Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger becomes too frequent becomes too intense is long lasting leads to aggression disturbs work or relationships

Who is at risk? When conflict tends to be problematic in early adolescence, it tends to be problematic in later adolescence. Adolescents and parents are more at risk for conflict if: There is marital conflict or divorce taking place within the family Adolescents are in the situation of having to adjust to a new step family, and The family itself is unstable, i.e. parents being inconsistent with the adolescent (Steinberg & Belsky, 1991).

What are some coping techniques? Depression, according to the National Institutes of Health, occurs with greater frequency among teenagers today than in the past. Because many adolescents behaviors are attributed to "normal adjustments", they are often not identified as troubled and do not get the help they need. Many teens, who believe their problems to be unsolvable, become so despairing that they attempt suicide, and many succeed. Although other causes of teen suicide and violence exist, depression is a major factor. Adolescents often "act out", obscuring depression with aggression, elopement, or antisocial acts. Manic-depressive disorder also begins in post-puberty and may be manifested by impulsive episodes, irritability and loss of control alternating with periods of withdrawal and excessive sleeping. If these behavioral signs are considered by parents and professionals as natural to adolescence, the disorders go unrecognized and untreated. Whether homicide or suicide, violence among adolescents has forcibly brought these problems to the forefront of our attention, while other, less sensational yet far more frequent adolescent dramas occur among our youth on a daily basis. The Warning Signs of Depression Chronically depressed mood occurring for most of the day, more days than not. Showing or describing their mood as sad (This may be shown as irritability rather than depression) Poor appetite or overeating. Insomnia or hypersomnia. Low energy or fatigue. Low self-esteem. Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions. Feelings of hopelessness. Low interest.

Self-criticism, with the self-concepts of being uninteresting, incapable, or ineffective.

The Warning Signs of Violence Serious drug or alcohol use. Gang membership or strong desire to be in a gang. Access to or fascination with weapons, especially guns. Threatening others regularly. Trouble controlling feelings like anger. Withdrawal from friends and usual activities. Feeling rejected or alone. Having been a victim of bullying. Poor school performance. History of discipline problems or frequent run-ins with authority. Feeling constantly disrespected. Failing to acknowledge the feelings or rights of others.

The claims of the adolescent to new rights apply first and foremost to the entire sphere of relationships with adults. The adolescent begins to resist requirements which he/she previously carried out willingly; he/she is offended and protests when a limit is placed on his/her independence and when he/she is treated like a Youngster and protected, guided, controlled, told to be obedient or punished, and when his/her interests, relationships and opinions are not taken with consideration. The adolescent begins to have a sharpened sense of his/her own dignity, he/she sees himself as someone who may not be browbeaten, humiliated and deprived of the right to independence. At that stage, the life of an adolescent contains many contradictions. They strive for recognition; but do not get it! Consequently they cling to their own age group peers play the most important role in their lives! Every adolescent needs to have certain very good friends, a friendly home and a friendly parental figure in school. This is the age that weaves the thread for their future! Each step they take can take them to either destiny or destruction! To help them take themselves to that Promised Land where sunshine and bliss awaits them-one should be kind and considerate with them. Their age can be compared to electronic goods - if one wants it to work, he/she has to handle with care! Neither should they be spoilt or pampered nor should they be beaten or scolded unnecessarily. No such behavior should be showered on them that forces them to maintain a low profile. They should be open to exposures. No doubt they should be criticized, but the criticism has to be constructive. If one fails in one aspect, he/she should be provided with the opportunity to prove him/herself in one other. The adolescents suffer from an identity crisis! What am I? What will I be? are the questions that bother them. To minimize this crisis, we should sit down with them, give them a patient hearing and suggest things in way acceptable to them. Lest, we might lead them the wrong way. We should not misunderstand their resentment, indifference and hostility but rather they should be helped to establish self identity and meaningful standards of conduct to follow. But this does not so happen always and there starts conflicts of generations! Adolescents are then misunderstood, their problems not cared for and their aspirations thwarted. It gives rise to tension and frustration, thus leading to abnormalities and mental disorders. The adolescent period is considered to be difficult and critical. The reasons for which are, in the first place, the numerous qualitative shifts that take place, at this time, which at times assume the character of a radical break with the previous properties, interests, and the relationships of the child. This can take place over a relatively short period of time and often it is unexpected, imparting to the process of development of an uneven, turbulent character. Secondly, the changes that take place are often accompanied, on the other hand, by the manifestation in the adolescent him/herself of significantly subjective difficulties of various orders, and by difficulties in ones upbringing; the adolescent does yield the influence of adults, various forms of disobedience appear, as well as resistance and protest (stubbornness, rudeness, negativism, and secrecy). of the child in the the level of ones claims respect for rights with adults,

The type of relationship with adults that existed during childhood (reflecting the unequal position world of adults) becomes unacceptable to oneself as not corresponding to ones assessment of own maturity. The adolescent, at this point, limits the right of adults, while expanding ones own, ones personality and human merits, trust and increased independence; i.e., a certain equality of and tries to obtain a recognition of this equality by them.

A successful form of transition to the new type of relations is possible if the adult takes the initiative to change ones attitude towards the person. This requires that the adult ceases to regard the adolescent as a child. But, certain, factors, like (a) the unchanged character of the adolescents social position, (b) his material dependence on parents, (c) the retention of ones childish characteristics all these lead the adult to regard the adolescent as being still a child who should conform and obey. Such an attitude by the adults contradicts not only the inclinations of the adolescent, but also makes the task of bringing up children of this age-group, more difficult. If the adult does not have a logical attitude towards the adolescent, the latter becomes the initiator of the

transition to a new type of relationship. The adults opposition merits various types of misconduct and protest on the part of the adolescent. The existence of these opposite tendencies produces collisions that, in a situation in which the attitude of the adult does not change, become systematic while the negativities of the adolescent become more and more persistent. If such a situation persists, the termination of the former relations may extend over the entire adolescent period and take on a form of a never-dying-out conflict. The adolescent breaks the former childish relationships with the adult through various forms of non-compliance and protest, and imposes new type of future (adult) relationships on him. The conflict can continue as long as the adult does not change ones attitude toward the adolescent. Conflict relations are conducive to the development of adaptive forms in the behavior and emancipation of the adolescent. A sense of alienation appears; together with the conviction that adult does not understand the adolescent. This may lead to a conscious refusal to accept the requirements, evaluations and opinions of the adult and the latter may completely lose the possibility of influencing the adolescent during this important period in the shaping of moral and social aspects of the personality. One should establish that degree of independence which corresponds to the capacities of the adolescent in general, to ones social requirements and which establish the adult to guide and influence the adolescent. To help them to be in shape, we should mean good health to them and filter and fiber their blood! We should be extra attentive and conscious about this age because, these years of one life form a part that is larger than the whole and can only be compared to a mathematical paradox. It is at this stage, when an individual is said to be too young for certain things, and too old for the others! It is we, who can make their lives just right for the world to live in!

BIBLIOGRAPHY Arnett, J.J. (1999) Adolescent Storm and Stress, Reconsidered. American Psychologist, 54, 5, 317-326. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (1994) Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Erikson, E.H. (1968) Identity youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton. Havighurst, R.J. (1952) Developmental tasks and education. New York: David McKay. Knapp, S. (1999). Three rules for addressing school violence. The Pennsylvania Psychologist, 1, 7. Piaget, J. (1972) Development and learning. In Lavatelly, C.S., Stendler, F. Reading in child behavior and development. New York: Hartcourt Brace Janovich. Santrock. J.W. (1992) Title Life-span development. Iowa: WC Brown. Sigelman, C.K., & Shaffer, D.R. (1991) Life-span Human development. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Inc. Steinberg, L., & Belsky, J. (1991) Infancy Childhood, & Adolescence. New York: McGraw-Hill

Adolescence-a danger - the golden age Many times, when we speak about adolescence, we call it the dangerous age. But, in the same time it is referred to as the golden age. These two syntagms are only apparently in contradiction with one another. Is adolescence a period of crisis or is it only a more difficult stage of our lives, which can be passed trough very easily if we are well-prepared. Among the dangers of this stage we can mention the difficulties connected not only to a physiological level, but also to a more delicate one, the feelings. Is adolescence a biological, physiological or sociological fact? One thing is for sure: this age is a very complex phenomenon, which contains all these three aspects, which should be studied one by one. Is there any adolescence crisis or not? If there is one, then it is very close connected to the social environment. In this period there are many conflicts, either between generations (socalled generation gap) or between the different age groups. But is it true that these conflicts are more numerous and more powerful than in the other periods of our lives? And if it is, are these conflicts necessary? Is adolescence always the same? The answers are different because there are different points of view. But, irrespective of the answer, there is something that limbs all these points of view: the teenagers of our days greatly defer how teenagers of the last centuries. Is there something characteristic to all the people passing through this stage, or does every person have their own personality? There is no doubt that, up to a certain age, no one and nothing could replace the elementary rubs of education received from the parents, in early childhood. This is the period of time when our personality stands to be built. The effects of this process of building can be seen in time and maybe adolescence is a more stable period when its results can be measured.

Personality is unique, and it makes us different than the others and helps us pass the obstacles of our lives. Some youngsters think that the ones who have a great personality can more easily overcome the problems of adolescence. A survey showed that 80% of the people that were interviewed agree that teenagers do have something in common but they also have characteristics that make each of them unique. All the teenagers of our days have quite the same problems and preoccupations, but they react differently. Some of them dont understand the changes from their life, they are afraid to talk about them and thats why this period is very difficult for them. On the contrary, these are some who express their feelings, their problems, try to find out more about these things and so, this period has nothing special for them. But this age can raise problems not only for children, but also for some parents. The point is that, with a little understanding, things go right. Adolescence cannot be regarded as dough if you know how to overcome its obstacles. This age represents the most beautiful years of our lives and it would be a pity not to live them properly because of some problems that the adults dont understand us. Adolescence is nothing but a normal and beautiful stage of our live that we should not be afraid of. With its ups and downs, is still the golden age that each of us would like to return.