Adolescent Psychology. The teenage years are very difficult since they are among the rapidly changing stages of human growth, and the journey for most of them is complicated. For many adolescents, the period of adolescence changes several things, including their thinking, feeling, and relationship with others. The changes also affect their desire to become independent. When I began this class, I expected to learn about adolescents’ unique characteristics, developmental stages, and cognitive and socio-emotional changes. I wanted to learn about the cultural and social factors that affect their development and behavior. I expected to learn how to develop scientific reasoning and problem-solving. I anticipated learning about research methods and their applicability in this course. Additionally, I expected to analyze real-life case studies to help understand the key theories and concepts. Therefore, through this adolescent psychology course, I will be able to develop a deeper understanding of the opportunities and issues of adolescence and equip me with the knowledge to better support teenagers in my current life and future career.
The course covered all my expectations and I anticipated getting everything covered. The class would be interesting since it would cover common mental health issues teens experience, such as anxiety and depression, besides exploring different treatment alternatives. Learning about adolescents’ mental issues is fascinating and offers an understanding of the most effective approaches to dealing with them. Previously, I could not easily comprehend these issues among my fellows, but after studying this topic from the course, I can detect someone with mental issues and help them deal with them. This has helped me develop deep insight into mental issues and other externalizing disorders among teenage. Dealing with the issues in time helps prevent them from worsening and helps achieve better mental health outcomes. Additionally, improving teens’ mental health conditions generally affect their happiness, adulthood success, and overall health. Thus, studying this topic as part of this course is significant in helping teens improve their general well-being, including their families.
The most interesting topic covered was adolescents’’ mental health issues. This topic is very informative and has helped me understand the life of adolescence and how to deal with these issues. Mental health problems in teens are a significant issue, relatively common, and amenable to intervention or treatment. As adolescents experience the different phases of puberty, they become emotionally confused about different occurrences. Mental health problems among teenagers lead to different reactions among them. The information about the stigmatization of teens when dealing with mental issues is very useful since it is applicable in helping them deal with their issues and making them free to share their issues. The top three adolescent mental health issues include anxiety, depression, and suicide. Depressive and anxiety disorders can intensely affect their schoolwork and daily activities. They tend to feel isolated and withdrawn because of their condition. Therefore psychologists and other mental health care professionals should manage the condition and support them.
The most difficult aspect of this course was studying the theories related to adolescents’ development. Despite the theories offering a deeper insight into how teens develop and their changes during this time, I needed help comprehending them. I found it challenging to measure psychological constructs such as emotions and cognitive and personality abilities in adolescents. Therefore, I have needed help to apply the different psychology theories accurately. Adolescent Psychology
At the beginning of this course, I expected to have a deeper understanding of adolescents and the challenges they experience during their transition from childhood to adulthood. Actively engaging in the class by participating in class discussions, group work, asking questions, and actively taking notes helped me stay focused on the course and retain information. Group discussions and collaboration have helped me gain different perspectives on the course since we exchange ideas. I have always prioritized my coursework, and I managed to create a personal study schedule during this course. I have managed to stick to my deadlines. During this course, we always did a lot of discussion posts, and I managed to help critical thinking skills that have helped me analyze and evaluate the course material. Focusing on the topics and aspects of this course has helped me develop a deep insight into adolescent psychology.
This course is fundamental for my future career. It has provided me with a foundational understanding of adolescent development, mental health problems, and effective treatment interventions. The course provides a broad understanding of the emotional, cognitive, and physical changes that teen experience. Understanding adolescents’ changes are crucial in developing effective strategies for adolescent clients. The most interesting topic in this class was mental health issues among adolescents. Teens experience various mental health conditions, such as substance use, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, studying teens will help me gain the skill to identify and diagnose these issues. Adolescent Psychology
Additionally, studying this course will help me identify adolescent mental health issues besides developing effective treatment interventions. I have learned how to interact with adolescents and build rapport to engage with them and help address the issues related to self-esteem and identity. Teens always experience family and community challenges that affect their well-being since they tend to feel stigmatized. This course has helped me understand their changes and advocate for their needs within and outside the counseling section. Therefore, through the skills I have obtained during this class, I will be able to help adolescent clients.
