Common mental illness in adolescence

Adolescence is a creative and unique time. 1 in 6 people are aged 10 to 19. Many adolescents have positive mental health but it is estimated that 49.5% of adolescents may face a psychological disorder at any point in their lives. Emotional, physical, and social changes, such as, exposure to abuse, poverty, or violence, can lead to mental illness in adolescents. Defending adolescents from troubles, promoting psychological well-being and emotional learning, and securing access to mental health care are vital for their overall well-being during adolescence and adulthood.

 

Universally, it is assessed that every 1 in 7 usually 14% individuals of the 10–19 age group experience psychological conditions, yet these conditions remain largely untreated and unrecognized.

 

Adolescents having mental health issues are likely to face stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviors, social exclusion, discrimination, violations of human rights, and poor physical health.

 

In this article we will discuss signs and symptoms of psychological disorders in adolescents, factors and common mental illness among adolescents.

 

Signs and symptoms of psychological issues among adolescents

• Self harming behaviors
• Signs of depression such as lack of interest in daily-life activities, sudden changes in mood, fearfulness
• Aggression
• They have constant physical pain, such as backaches, stomach aches, or
• Sleep problems
• Unusual behavior such as robbery and theft
• Use of over the counter medicines and psychoactive substances
• Change in behavior and school performance
• Loss of weight and according to growth failure of increase in weight

 

Factors that are responsible for mental illness in adolescence

Factors that can lead to poor mental health in adolescence include:

• Pressure to conform with siblings
• Exposure to misery
• Poor lifestyle
• Bad relationships with peers
• Violence such as bullying or sexual violence
• Harsh parenting
• Lack of approach to quality services and support
• Stigma

 

Common mental illness among adolescents

 Following are the common mental illness among adolescents:

 

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorders in adolescents. Usually, one in every eight adolescents face clinical criteria for anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include panic disorders, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

 

Anxiety disorders are medically  significant when they interrupt necessary areas of functioning, which includes work, school, or relationships with peers and family. These are often occur in confluence with  attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depressive disorders and are linked with an increased risk of suicide.

 

Anxiety disorders also cause physical symptoms. These symptoms may include, chronic pelvic pain, low energy levels, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, vomiting,  chest pains, dizziness, nausea, syncope, loss of appetite palpitations, as well as disturbance or changing in sleep patterns.

 

Mood disorders and depression

Generally, 1 in 20 adolescents faces medical standards for mood disorder. Up to every one in four children experience a mood disorder in their late adolescence. Mood disorders usually include major depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and bipolar disorder. Depression is most common among female adolescents than in male adolescents.

 

Adolescents having mood disorders show less vegetative symptoms such as low energy and fatigue. They are more irritable than adults facing mood disorders, often self-medicate with substances such as alcohol, and are at higher risk of suicidal behavior.

 

It is estimated that ⅔ adolescents having a mood disorder also have one or more psychological disorders, like ADHD, conduct disorder anxiety disorders.

 

Adolescents who show symptoms of depression, this can  adversely affect their work, school, or interpersonal relationships. But if they face  these symptoms only during the 7-10 days leading to each menstrual period, they may have premenstrual dysphoric disorder. They should be assessed for anxiety disorders or co-occurring mood disorders.

 

Behavioral disorders

Behavioral disorders are usually more common in younger adolescents than the older adolescents. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by excessive acting and activity without regard to results, difficulty in paying attention.

 

This disorder generally occurs among 3.1 percent of 10-14 year-old and 2.4 percent of 15–19-year-olds. Conduct disorder (including symptoms of challenging or destructive behavior) occurs among 3.6 percent of 10–14-year-olds and 2.4 percent of 15–19-year-olds. Behavioral disorders can impact on the education of  adolescents and conduct disorder usually results in various criminal behavior.

 

Borderline personality disorder

Adolescents having borderline personality disorder lack a stable sense of self. Individuals with borderline personality disorder don’t know how to process emotions. Thus, without a firm identity, people with borderline personality disorder have extreme emotional instability.

 

Adolescents with this disorder are unable to link or connect with others. Consequently, they become isolated. Lacking a clear sense of self, they feel anxious.

 

Eating disorders

Eating disorders include anorexia, binge-eating disorder and bulimia. Anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychological disorder, resulting from suicide, starvation, and metabolic collapse. Therefore, it is considered as one of the most dangerous mental disorders.

 

Hence, adolescents with eating disorders are generally moody,  anxious, and depressed. They are also at higher risk for self-harming behavior and substance abuse.

 

Psychosis

Conditions which include symptoms of psychosis most commonly occur in early adulthood or late adolescence . Symptoms may include delusions or hallucinations. These experiences may impair the ability of an adolescent to participate in education and daily life activities and often lead to human rights violations and stigma.

 

Risk-taking behaviors

Most risk-taking behaviors for our health, such as sexual risk-taking or substance use, usually start during the time of adolescence. Risk-taking behavior can be an awkward strategy to cope with many emotional difficulties and may severely impact the physical and mental well-being of an adolescent.

 

Globally, in 2016, the prevalence of heavy occasional drinking among adolescents in the 15–19 age group was 13.6%, with males most at risk.

 

The use of cannabis and tobacco are additional concerns. Many adult smokers usually start using cigarettes at the age of 18 years. Cannabis is the generally most commonly used drug among adolescents. In 2018, the prevalence of using cannabis in 15-16 years old at least once was about 4.7%.

 

Implementation of violence is also a risk-taking behavior. It can increase the likelihood of injury, low educational achievements, involvement with death and crime. In 2019, Interpersonal violence was rated among the primary causes of death for older adolescent boys.

 

Suicide and self-harm

Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death in adolescents between 15-19 years age group. Risk factors for suicide are complex, and may include:

• Abuse in childhood
• Barriers to accessing care
• Harmful use of alcohol
• Stigma against help-seeking
• Barriers to access care
• Access to means of suicide

Digital media, like other form of media, can play a major role in either weakening or enhancing suicide efforts.

 

School phobia

School phobia is also known as school refusal. It can be defined as an irrational and persistent fear of going to school. It must be different from a minor dislike of school which is related to issues such as a class bully, new teacher, lack of confidence, a difficult examination, or having to be naked for a gym class. The phobic adolescents always show a persistent fear of school and may show remarkable anxiety symptoms when near or in the school.

 

Learning disabilities

Learning disabilities are the combination of neurodevelopmental disorders which can mainly affect the ability of a person to learn new things.  As a result, the individual may have difficulty with tasks such as reading, writing, speaking, paying attention, remembering things, coordinating movements, understanding information, or performing mathematical calculations.

 

Learning disabilities usually develop at a young age and are generally diagnosed during the school years of a person. In the United states, it is estimated that 8%-10% of children below 18 have any type of learning disability.

 

Some adolescents are unable to diagnose until they get a job or attend college, and others adolescents never receive an official diagnosis, so they carry on their life without even knowing why they have too much difficulty with basic daily life activities, work, academics, and relationships.

 

It is necessary to understand that adolescents with learning disabilities commonly have average to superior intelligence and are gifted in many other fields such as fine arts, science, math, and other creative mediums.

 

Summary

 Adolescence is the time of change, changes brain, mind, body, hormones and changes in social environment. Mental health illnesses in adolescence are a common problem.  Many mental health issues, including psychosis, substance use disorder, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, usually appear before the age of 24 years. It is necessary to address the basic needs of adolescents with psychological conditions. We should avoid over-medicalization and institutionalization, prioritize non-pharmacological approaches, and respect the rights of adolescents.