According to the Oxford English Dictionary, adolescence is “the period following the onset of puberty during which a young person develops from a child into an adult (2021). This review looks specifically at adolescent students, ages 12-18, although some of the literature defines adolescence as lasting through the age of 24.
Defayette et al. (2021), cite that depression is a serious mental health concern that impacts approximately 13% of adolescents ages 12-17 in the United States. Depression, posits the authors, can have widely reaching impacts on adolescent academic performance, meaningful relationships with friends and family members, and physical health. Additionally, depression can lead to more severe psychological concerns, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors, substance use, and additional trauma. The article cites ER as a key factor in determining mental health and a factor against the development of depression.
James Gross, a psychologist and professor, studied ER stemming back to the 1920’s and defines ER as “a set of processes that contribute to the ability to use emotion regulation strategies and accomplish a goal, and include recognition, understanding, and acceptance of emotions as well as controlling impulses (1998).” This definition is still relevant today.
Ahmed, Bittencourt-Hewitt, & Sebastian (2015), examine brain development during adolescent years, specifically how ER is established neurobiologically. The authors present that the adolescent brain is undergoing structural development in the limbic system and pre-frontal cortex, the places that are linked to regulation. Due to such developmental stresses, adolescents are left with greater challenges for regulation of emotion. This is also a result of heightened academic and social pressures during this time. Building off of Gross’ definition, emotional regulation is broadly defined as “the monitoring, evaluation and modifying of emotional reactions in order to accomplish goals.” The authors suggest that this key developmental phase can be important in teaching emotional regulatory strategies that can have long term benefits for overall mental health.
Siegel (2015) adds that adolescents also show an increase in activity of the neural circuits that utilize dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for the “reward” function in the brain. During this time, the brain produces lower levels of dopamine. The release in response to experiences, however, is higher. Siegel attributes this to greater impulsivity with faster and more intense reaction to stimuli (CITE BRAINSTORM). Developing skills to foster reflection and self-awareness can be important in helping to address impulsive and reactionary behavior.
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