Why is puberty prone to psychological syndromes?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Truong Thanh Tam - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

1. Causes of psychophysiological disorders in puberty

Puberty is the age that undergoes the most complex physical, psychological and physiological changes. Psychological crisis in puberty is much more common than in other ages of people's life. Therefore, psychological syndromes of puberty are also likely to occur.
When entering puberty, a child's external appearance changes greatly: the body develops very differently from before, and sexual desire appears. Girls will grow in size, have menstrual cycles ... Boys will break their voices, start growing mustaches...
The main cause is believed to be the cause of the psychological crisis of puberty. Due to the rapid development of sex hormones, sexism begins to form, causing sensitive emotional states to appear. If the people around, especially parents and teachers, do not clearly understand the children's feelings, but also strongly influence those issues, it will easily make the child feel disrespected, prone to conflicts, leading to conflicts. to emotional disturbances.

For peers, children who show signs of puberty first will be easily misunderstood, teased and discriminated against by their peers. Puberty children who develop a lot of pimples and acne often encounter bad words or criticism about their appearance. The change in height during puberty can also be confusing.
At the age of transition from a child to an adult, children become very sensitive, very easily shocked by the teasing of friends, if not relieved and directed by adults, they will The more easily shocked and confused, in the long run will put more and more burden on the psyche, causing the children to suffer from puberty psychological syndromes such as behavioral disorders, emotional disorders and mental disorders. God.

2. Problems with puberty psychophysiology

2.1 Emotional disorders Children at puberty are often more sensitive, their emotions are more volatile. Emotional disturbance occurs when there is a brain disorder, causing mental instability such as quickly switching from excitement to inhibition or vice versa, sad and happy.
Physical manifestations of emotional disorders are loss of appetite, insomnia, weight loss, slow activity, frequent distraction, forgetfulness... Children are easily shocked by teasing and often make negative assumptions. extreme...

2.2 Stress and depression Puberty is also a time when there is a lot of pressure from study, family, friends... Even many children have formed negative thoughts about their body shape or about their qualifications. themselves, forming desires beyond the ability of themselves and their families... in the long run, lead to stress.
When falling into a state of stress, children will often be tired, stressed, worried, have headaches, or think viciously, have trouble sleeping... compared to you.
Depression can be a psychological syndrome of puberty, this is a mental disorder that is easily acquired due to hormonal changes in the body, due to pressure from the surroundings, studying, pressure from parents, teachers, friends or from stimulants that children practice learning about... Symptoms of pubertal depression are: sadness, disinterest in everything around, easy fatigue, sleep disturbances, feelings Feeling pessimistic, living a secluded life, afraid to communicate with friends and relatives...
Children with depression often isolate themselves from the outside world, many of them only care and live forever in the "virtual" world, dangerous Worse yet, the stress and depression of puberty can also lead to suicidal behavior. Therefore, these can be considered as psychological crises of puberty that parents should not take lightly.
2.3 Psychological disorders - pubertal behavior Many children form the idea that they are inferior, self-deprecating and lose their temper when entering puberty. The low self-esteem gradually makes children shy, afraid to contact, do not like to reveal and often doubt their own abilities. Low self-esteem will cause children to easily fall into a state of stress, fatigue, overweight... in the long run, they will suffer from other psychological syndromes such as depression, paranoia...

During puberty, it is very easy to be affected by violent books, movies, and depraved cultural products from bad friends, this is the main cause of behavior disorders and serious consequences such as theft, racing. dangerous vehicles, causing injury to others, resisting law enforcement officers, running away from home, messing with adults...
2.4 Eating disorders Children may be obsessed with body image, leading to to the desire to lose weight quickly, seriously affecting health. For example, children are anorexic, avoid eating or some children binge eat.
2.5 Abuse of tobacco and addictive substances Adolescents often love to try smoking, drinking alcohol, even using drugs and stimulants as a "drug to prove themselves" .

3. Advice for parents of children entering puberty

Communicate with your child often, openly and honestly so that your child feels he can always talk to you about anything. Share with your children your own experiences and worries that parents have experienced during puberty, making them feel that they are not alone and have nothing to worry about.

Parents should be equipped with information about the psychophysiological disorders of puberty through talking with doctors, medical professionals, psychologists or teachers, reading through books to get useful information. useful. Pay close attention to your child's behavior as puberty is a time of great transformation and change in children. If a child's changes are severe, dramatic, and sudden, it could be a warning sign of mental health. When seeing that their children have abnormal psychological manifestations, parents should not hide or feel guilty about their children, but should take the child to a psychologist and psychiatrist as soon as possible. The psychophysiological disorders of puberty, although common, can be completely cured if diagnosed early and treated properly. Encourage your child to participate in group activities and social activities. Avoid exposing children to movies, violent games or depraved cultural products... Adequate nutrition for children.

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