pediatrics
Adolescent Development
Emotional Development in Adolescents
During adolescence, the regions of the brain that control emotions develop and mature. This phase is characterized by seemingly spontaneous outbursts that can be challenging for parents and teachers who often receive the brunt. Adolescents gradually learn to suppress inappropriate thoughts and actions and replace them with goal-oriented behaviors. The emotional aspect of growth is most trying, often taxing the patience of parents, teachers, and clinicians. Emotional lability is a direct result of neurologic development during this period, as the parts of the brain that control emotions mature. Frustration may also arise from growth in multiple domains. A major area of conflict arises from the adolescent’s desire for more freedom, which clashes with the parents’ strong instincts to protect their children from harm. Parents may need help in renegotiating their role and slowly allowing their adolescents more privileges as well as expecting them to accept greater responsibility for themselves and within the family. Communication within even stable families can be difficult and is worsened when families are divided or parents have emotional problems of their own. Clinicians can be of great help by offering adolescents and parents sensible, practical, concrete, supportive help while facilitating communication within the family. 