Is Adolescence a time of 'storm and stress' (individual development Essay

Is Adolescence a time of 'storm and stress' (individual development module) psychosocial study degree - Essay Example The adolescent is confronted with many different changes and is able to adapt to these changes in a constructive fashion, and in a way that results in developmental advance. Considering the large variety of tasks and problems encountered, adolescence is characterized by impressively effective coping in the majority of young people, a fact that has been widely neglected. Coping is the effort to manage (i.e., master, reduce, minimize) environmental and internal demands and conflicts which tax or exceed a persons resources and this shows that coping is a hypothetical construct that is sufficiently complex to take into account both person-specific and situation-specific aspects. Stressors and social resources are also two important concepts. The significance of coping behavior is evident in resiliency research showing that it is coping that makes the difference in both the adaptational outcome and in research on symptomatology, illustrating that the most reliable predictor for mental health is not so much a lack of symptoms, but the competence with which age-specific developmental tasks are handled (Compas & Hammen 1993) More than any other developmental period, adolescence has been characterized in the psychological and sociological literatures as fraught with struggles that are both intrapersonal and interpersonal in nature. In the intrapersonal domain, adolescence has been described as a period in which identity formation is a central developmental task. Achieving a sense of personal autonomy and an identity that is separate from the family is of utmost importance. Significant interpersonal tasks during adolescence are thought to include increased involvement with the peer group balanced against continued attachment to the family. Adolescence is a period in which relationships outside of the family multiply, take on new meanings, and deepen in intensity. These new bonds broaden and enrich the