Teens deal with constant pressure from their parents, their peers, their teachers, the media and themselves. They're trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. They're continually compared to their peers and siblings. Teens get bombarded by the media on how they should look, what they should wear and how they should act. It's difficult to be an adolescent.
Genetics and Parenting
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that genetics play a role in anxiety and anxiety disorders. Some children are born with tendencies to be more shy or anxious. Also, teens learn how to cope with anxiety from watching their parents. If a teen's parent is more likely to respond to stress and anxiety in negative ways, such as by turning to alcohol, they're more likely to deal with anxiety in negative ways, which can lead to further anxiety.
Separation
Some children develop separation anxiety when they have to be separated from their parents. Some of those children learn how to cope with the anxiety and move on, but others continue to have anxiety well into adolescence. They might not tell anyone their fears about being separated from their parents, but it's evident with teens who don't want to spend the night away from their parents and don't start developing independent habits.
School Issues
Another major cause of stress for teens is issues with school. This could range from having to change schools because of moving to a new state to being bullied. Teens that have stress related to school might start to receive poor grades, have trouble concentrating, skip school or develop an anxiety disorder or depression. Some adolescents become stressed when they don't perform as well as they wished at school. They may feel pressure to get into a highly ranked college in order to secure a good job.
Peer Issues
The most important group of people in a teen's life is her peers and friends. A teen is constantly seeking the approval of her peers and can experience significant stress and anxiety when she doesn't receive it. Teens often feel pressure to fit in. They might feel that they have to wear short skirts, drink alcohol or sneak out late at night to be accepted. These behaviors can lead to the teen feeling bad about herself or getting into trouble which causes more stress for the teen.
Issues at Home
Many teens experience stress when things at home change or worsen. For example, an adolescent may feel stress because his parents are getting a divorce, his mom gets diagnosed with breast cancer or his father physically abuses his mother. Issues at home can cause the teen to act out in school or develop a mental health issue such as depression or anxiety.
