Puberty and psychosocial development are the two primary components of adolescence. Puberty refers to the biological and physical changes that the body goes through. It usually begins at around age 12 and ends in the early 20s. The changes that occur include breast development, muscle growth, pheromone changes, pubic hair development and skeletal elongation. Teenagers going through puberty often experience a significant degree of stress, resulting from physiological demands, as well as from psychosocial responses to the changes occurring in the body. Puberty and stress can influence each other negatively in a cyclical manner.
Physical Demands
During puberty, the body goes through major physiological changes. Teenagers endure rapid growth periods and often experience arm and leg bone soreness, known as growing pains. Some parts of the body often develop faster than other parts, sometimes known as the awkward stages of puberty. This may include voice changes, early breast and pubic hair growth, rapid change in shoes sizes and early development of facial hair. As the body tries to accommodate rapid growth and development, it can become overworked, with the resulting stress weakening the immune system. Proper nutrition is especially important during adolescence, as puberty requires increased caloric intake but also a limit on junk food and artificial food additives. In the February 2006 issue of "BMC Immunology," Dr. Rebecca Lamason and associates found that males and females develop gender-specific immunological responses to stress.
Stress and Age of Onset
Early or late onset of puberty can cause a significant amount of stress in an adolescent's life. In addition, childhood stress can influence the age that puberty begins. Girls usually develop earlier than boys, especially in developed countries. When girls develop earlier than their peers, this can cause significant stress, depending on social support. In the May 2008 issue of "Abnormal Child Psychology," Dr. Lisa Sontag and associates found that girls who develop early have significantly higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. The researchers also found that these girls had fewer coping skills for dealing with stressful situations. Preadolescent stress can also play a role in the early onset of puberty. Science Daily, a science and health website, reports that children who grow up in stressful households start puberty at an earlier age. Significant predictors include absent biological fathers and the presence of step-siblings.
Hormones and Stress
The hormones that are released during puberty and into adulthood play a significant role in how we cope with stress. How we learn to cope with stress during puberty plays a significant role in neural conditioning for the remainder of our lives. Several sex hormones are associated with responses to stress and result in gender-specific outcomes. Males have higher levels of testosterone and may react to stress with aggression, while with women, estrogen-related responses to stress more often result in depression. In the March 2007 issue of "Nature Neuroscience," Dr. Sheryl Smith and associates found that during puberty, teenagers experience higher levels of stress and anxiety because of an unconditioned response to hormones. As teenagers become adults, these stress hormones adapt to trigger a calming effect rather than stress and anxiety.
References
- "BMC Immunology"; Sexual Dimorphism in Immune Response Genes as a Function of Puberty; Rebecca Lamason et al; 2006
- "Journal of Abnormal Psychology"; Coping with Social Stress: Implications for Psychopathology in Young Adolescent Girls; Lisa Sontag; May 2008
- Science Daily: Stress Fast Tracks Puberty, Researchers Say
- "Nature Neuroscience"; Reversal of Neurosteroid Effects at Alpha4-Beta2-Delta GABA-A Receptors Triggers Anxiety at Puberty; Sheryl Smith; March 2007
- "Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences"; Puberty, Ovarian Steroids, and Stress; Elizabeth Young and Margaret Altamus; 2004
