“Adolescence is a new birth, for the higher and more completely human traits are now born. (G. Stanley Hall). Assessment of the adolescent is a multiplex procedure requiring a comprehensive approach. Assessment of the adolescent entails evaluating an individual’s physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development, highlighting possible issues impacting their well-being (Strang et al., 2018). It also involves gathering information from numerous sources, which include adolescents, parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals. A standardized assessment is used to assess the adolescent’s cognitive abilities, academic performance, and mental health. Appraising the distinctive culture and developmental factors influencing an adolescent’s behavior and attitudes during the assessment process is vital. Thoroughly assessing the adolescent provides valuable insights into their strength and weaknesses guiding the development of effective interventions supporting their growth and development. This paper will explore the contemporary issues that teenagers face today, external stressors associated with the issue, assessment strategies to screen for current and external stressors, and support options for adolescents encountering external stressors.
One of the major contemporary issues teenagers face today is depression. Teenage depression is a mental health issue that makes teenagers feel sad and lose interest in activities. Depression affects one’s feelings, thinking, and behaviors, causing physical emotion and functional problems. Teenage depression is a life-threatening concern today. A report by the World Health Organization indicated that over 350 million teenagers suffered from depression globally in 2015 (Wang et al., 2019), where teenage depression is the leading cause of teenage suicides, where suicide has become the second cause of death in youth aged 10-24 years. There are numerous external stressors that are associated with depression in teenagers. One of the significant stressors is bullying, which has been a growing worry estimated to affect 20-30% of the students in the United States (Dietrich & Cohen, 2021), and for the past few decades, society has evolved more with the rise of the internet, and teenage bullying has changed significantly. Due to the rise of social media usage, bullying has taken a new form, and bullies remain anonymous while hurting their victims without concern. In recent days, more than 80% of teenagers are having social media accounts, cyberbullying has become a peril. A second stressor associated with depression is social networks like social media, friendship and peer influencers. Teenagers often desire to form their own identity with age and stop being dependent on their parents, leading to inner struggle and confusion. As teenagers’ bodies develop, self-esteem kicks in as society depicts idealistic body perfection. The healthcare providers and the relevant authority need to enable teenagers to overcome depression and minimize bullying and social networks like social media and peer influencers, which eventually leads to teenage depression, which can lead to suicide cases.
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