Adolescent angst is not just about hormones
December 14, 2009 by Raquel
Filed under DEPRESSION
Puberty is an important stage in a person’s life. It is also a difficult time for both the teen and the adults (especially the parents) around them. Teen problems such as mood swings, depression, and even physical health problems are quiet common. Most of the time, these problems are attributed to growing pains and raging hormones. Alarmists would jump into conclusions and shout “drugs!”
Canadian scientists, however, that these symptoms of angst may be are more than just rites of passage or effects of drug abuse. A person’s experiences as a child may also play a role in his or her behaviour and well being as an adolescent.
Childhood experiences can influence a person’s self-worth later in life, from puberty to adulthood. Thus, “insecure infants grow up to be insecure adolescents, and later, insecure adults.” This insecurity leads to emotional problems such as depression but may even translate into physical symptoms such as abdominal pain, headaches, and joint pain.
But what be the main factor in childhood that determines insecurity? The researchers believe they have identified the cause – interpersonal relationships. According to psychologist Dr. Isabelle Tremblay, a researcher at the Université de Montréal and its affiliated Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center
Co-author Dr. Michael Sullivan, a psychology professor at McGill University adds:
Their findings were based on a study of 382 high school students in Montreal and highlighted the importance of looking at interpersonal relationships starting at childhood in order to understand the root cause of adolescent problems like pain and depression.
Dr. Sullivan continues:
