Adolescent Development Notes

Reminders/Updates

  • Reading for today: Pages 284-291 and 321-334
  • Observation 4 due: April 8
  • Exam 4 date: April 10

Adolescent Sleep

  • Implications of Sleep:

    • Vast implications on health, development, and daily functioning of adolescents.
    • Majority of teens are not getting adequate sleep.

  • School Night Hours of Sleep by Age:

    • Data shows a significant drop in sleep hours as adolescents age:
    • Age 6-11: 69% get adequate sleep
    • Age 12-14: 56%
    • Age 15-17: Only 10%

  • Why are Teens Sleep Deprived?

    • Delayed Sleep Rhythms:
    • Biological changes that alter sleep patterns, making teens stay up later.
    • Melatonin Production:
    • Shift in melatonin production causing sleepiness to occur later at night.
    • Social Pressures:
    • Influences from peers, academic workload, and extracurricular activities.

  • "The Perfect Storm" (Crowley et al., 2018)

    • Adolescents face a combination of:
    • Bioregulatory sleep pressure, circadian phase delay, and psychosocial pressure.
    • Factors include school start times, societal pressure, and increased screen time.

  • School Start Time Interventions:

    • Over 90% of US high schools start before 8:30 AM.
    • Changes in start times linked to:
    • Increased sleep for students.
    • Improved academic outcomes.
    • Decrease in car accidents.
    • Lower rates of depression and suicide.
    • Enhanced positive relationships among peers.

Adolescent Sexuality

  • Adolescent Sexuality Overview:

    • Period characterized by exploration and the development of sexual identity.
    • Notable trend towards decreased sexual activity among teens historically.

  • Sexual Health and Knowledge:

    • Despite declines in teen pregnancy, the US has the highest rates in the industrialized world.
    • Many adolescents do not use contraception effectively.
    • Emphasis on comprehensive sex education can reduce risks associated with teen pregnancy and STIs.

  • Myths in Sex Education:

    • Focus on myth-busting around sexual health.
    • Research suggests that education emphasizing contraceptive knowledge does not increase sexual intercourse likelihood but reduces pregnancy and STI risks.

Substance Use

  • Adolescent Substance Use Trends:

    • High rates of drug and alcohol use in the US, noting a disparity between perception and reality.
    • Approximately 37% of teens have never consumed alcohol.
    • 70% of college students report not binge drinking in the past month.

  • Figures:

    • Various figures show trends in lifetime prevalence for grades 8, 10, and 12 concerning various substances like marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol, and vaping.

  • Dangers of Substance Use:

    • Adolescent substance use may impact rapid neurological development.
    • Persistent marijuana use linked with lower IQ and structural brain differences.
    • Ongoing research such as the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study focuses on long-term impacts.

Emerging Adulthood

  • Definition:

    • Emerging adulthood spans ages 18-25, recognizing a new developmental stage influenced by sociocultural changes.

  • Characteristics of Emerging Adulthood:

    • Self-focus, identity exploration, instability, and a sense of being 'in-between' adolescence and full adulthood.

  • Health in Emerging Adulthood:

    • Negative health habits peak; behaviors include:
    • Irregular meals, increased smoking/drinking, lack of exercise, insufficient sleep, and risky sexual behaviors.
    • Mortality rates in this age group are twice those of adolescents, emphasizing the need for awareness and intervention.