Psychosocial development of adolescents with and without deviations

Abstract

The neuropsychological changes that occur during adolescent development have become better understood over the past decade. The limbic system of the brain matures faster than the prefrontal cortex. This reward center maturation may translate into ongoing harmful behaviors, or deviations from normal development, if the stimulus to continue a behavior, and thus receive a reward, is great enough. Deviations from normal psychosocial development include, but are not limited to, mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, violence, substance abuse, and risky sexual behavior. Environment and community, family and peer interactions, as well as individual traits are all factors that can contribute to normal adolescent development. Deviations from normal development in one or more of these factors can lead to psychosocial challenges during puberty. For example, the presence of living in a high-risk neighborhood, having low parental monitoring, and engaging with high-risk peers impacts the probability of a youth engaging in risky behaviors. This chapter will discuss the contributions of environment, family, peer, and individual traits on deviations from normal adolescent development.