9781422280362

Chapter One

Teens and Mental Health A dolescence is a time of incredible change. Kids transition from dependence on their parents to self-reliance. They seek new experiences, build deeper connections with peers, and experience strong feelings. It’s also a time of physical and emotional upheaval, when overwhelming stress can cause problems with mental health. In some cases, these problems reach the level of a mental disorder. The most common mental disorders among teens come in three types: mood, anxiety, and behavioral. Mood disorders , which include depression and bipolar disorder, affect a person’s general emotional state. Depression is characterized by low mood, or feeling “down,” while bipolar disorder involves unusually intense mood swings. Anxiety disorders are associated with excessive feelings of fear and uncertainty; they include phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Together, mood and anxiety disorders are sometimes called internalizing disorders , because they are primarily experienced inside the individual. People with internalizing disorders may feel anxious or sad, have low self-esteem, and not want to be around other people. On the other hand, behavior disorders , such

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