New research helps explain how stressful events make teens vulnerable to anxiety and depression—and points to ways to help them cope better.
Adolescence is a stressful time in life. Teens have to navigate increased independence from their parents, new and more complicated peer relationships, and more demanding academics, all while managing radical changes in their brains and bodies. Not only that, the current COVID-19 pandemic has created additional hardships for them.
No wonder they may be more vulnerable to anxiety and depression! If teens don’t know how to deal with these stressors in effective ways, they are bound to be at risk for suffering psychologically.
That’s where Katie McLaughlin’s research comes in. McLaughlin, a research psychologist at Harvard University, is conducting studies with teens to find out what’s happening in their brains, bodies, and behavior in response to stressful events. By finding the connection between stressors and poorer mental health, she hopes to provide guidance for parents and teens on how to manage the challenges of adolescence.
There is a large body of research pointing out that stressful events are a risk factor for teen mental health issues. The question McLaughlin is trying to answer is why some teens seem to be able to cope better and do not develop serious mental illness.
To read more of Jill Suttie's article, please click here.
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