YPOTS

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Background

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Adolescence is a period during which, a child matures into an adult, which normally begins at the start of puberty and ends at about 25 years.

 

During adolescence, immature ways of thinking and understanding the world expand, and thoughts. feelings and behaviours develop complexity.

 

Relationships with friends become important during adolescence as building a social network and a social identity in the world outside the family home is often a priority

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Unsurprisingly, social approval is a strong motivator during adolescence and either perceived or actual social rejection can result in behavioural change (sometimes extreme) in order to fit in.

 

The pressure of conforming to, often unrealistic, appearance 'ideals' from social media and across social networks results in appearance-based changes and over-investment in body image.

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Female adolescents are more likely to develop an eating disorder than males. However, a rising number of male adolescents are being diagnosed with an eating disorder.

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Oxytocin is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and also affects social behaviour, such as empathy, memory for and recognition of faces. Oxytocin is involved with the formation of social and romantic relationships.

 

Supportive friendships during adolescence are important protective buffers that help  and individual's developing identity to find validation from a peer social group, bringing with it a sense of belonging and psychological 'safety'.

 

Healthy peer friendships reflect someone's ability to understand social signals, and fear-driven behaviour. They also reduce the risk of developing an eating disorder. 

 

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