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1. The brain reaches its biggest size in early adolescence.

2. The brain continues to mature even after it is done growing.

3. The teen brain is ready to learn and adapt.

4. Many mental disorders may begin to appear during adolescence.

5. Teen brains may be more vulnerable to stress.

6. Teens need more sleep than children and adults.

7. The teen brain is resilient.

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Did you know that big and important changes are happening in the brain during adolescence? Here are 7 things to know about the teen brain:
For girls, the brain reaches its biggest size around 11 years old. For boys, the brain reaches its biggest size around age 14. But this difference does not mean either boys or girls are smarter than one another!
Though the brain may be done growing in size, it does not finish developing and maturing until the mid- to late 20s. The front part of the brain, called the prefrontal cortex, is one of the last brain regions to mature. This area is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and controlling impulses. Because these skills are still developing, teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors without considering the potential results of their decisions.
The teen brain has lots of plasticity, which means it can change, adapt, and respond to its environment. Challenging academics or mental activities, exercise, and creative activities such as art can help the brain mature and learn.
Ongoing changes in the brain, along with physical, emotional, and social changes, can make teens vulnerable to mental health problems. All the big changes the brain is experiencing may explain why adolescence is a time when many mental disorders—such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders—can emerge.
Because the teen brain is still developing, teens may respond to stress differently than adults, which could lead to stress-related mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Mindfulness, which is a psychological process of actively paying attention to the present moment, may help teens cope with and reduce stress. More information on managing stress is available in the National Institute of Mental Health’s fact sheet, I'm So Stressed Out .
Research shows that melatonin (the “sleep hormone”) levels in the blood are naturally higher later at night and drop later in the morning in teens than in most children and adults. This difference may explain why many teens stay up late and struggle with getting up in the morning. Teens should get about 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night, but most teens do not get enough sleep. A lack of sleep can make it difficult to pay attention, may increase impulsivity, and may increase the risk for irritability or depression.
Although adolescence is a vulnerable time for the brain and for teenagers in general, most teens go on to become healthy adults. Some changes in the brain during this important phase of development actually may help protect against long-term mental disorders.
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help .
Communicating well with your doctor or other health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Find tips to help prepare and get the most out of your visit .
If you are in immediate distress or are thinking about hurting yourself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1‑800‑273‑TALK (8255). You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741) or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
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The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Aug 31, 2022
by Eeman Chowdhury

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If you’re the parent of a teenager, you’ve probably wondered whether your teen is displaying signs of a mental health disorder or whether the behaviors you’ve noticed are just typical of that age.
The teenage years are fraught with growing personalities, friendship drama, dating troubles, hormonal changes and severe shifts in mood. It’s no surprise that your child’s emotional health has fluctuated with all the stress and changes that happen during this period of life.
As a parent, you’re looking for clear information to help your child, and this article can guide you through this sensitive process. Here, we’ll look at the most common teen mental health issues and how to recognize the difference between normal teenage behavior and clinically significant concerns.
A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with 10,123 participants between the ages of 13 and 18 set out to determine the prevalence of mental health disorders (diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ), their co-occurring disorders and factors that were linked to each disorder.
Moreover, within these categories the survey collected data on those whose conditions caused severe impairment. Between 20 and 25 percent of youth are affected by a mental health disorder that will cause significant functional impairments during the course of their lifetime.
If you think your teen is struggling with a mental health condition, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what condition you think your child may be afflicted by. You can read an overview of the most common psychological disorders by the National Alliance on Mental Illness here .
Each mental health disorder has unique diagnostic criteria, meaning there’s no single method or test you can use to determine if your teen has a mental health disorder in general. Only a personalized evaluation by a trained professional can tell you if a teen mental health issue is present, and which one.
However, here are some signs of teen mental health issues that can alert you it’s time to make an appointment.
Your child’s doctor or therapist is qualified to make a diagnosis based on presenting behaviors and observations. Don’t worry about trying to make a verdict on your own. A professional opinion is the most accurate and safe choice.
The above symptoms of teen mental health issues may still seem too vague to say for certain whether a disorder is at play. Additionally, it can seem like many of them are present even in teens without mental health conditions. How can a parent know the difference?
The first response to that question is that you’re not supposed to know the difference, and you shouldn’t diagnose your teen. However, you’ll still want to know how to tell if intervention is necessary. The key is to gauge whether the above signs have disrupted normal, daily functioning for your teen.
Has a depressed mood kept your son from attending soccer games? Or does poor concentration keep your daughter from performing at her ability level in school? If your teen is capable of completing normal tasks in school, relationships or daily life but is impeded by mental health symptoms, it’s time to make an appointment with a mental health professional.
The Light Program can provide a mental health diagnosis for the teen in your life. With therapeutic programs specifically designed for adolescents, you’ll find the compassionate and professional care you’ve been looking for at the right age level.
With teletherapy and in-person options available, your teen can find hope and healing. Call now to schedule an appointment.
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Parenting a teenager is never easy. You may feel exhausted from lying awake at night worrying about where your child is, who they’re with, and what they’re doing. You may despair over failed attempts to communicate, the endless fights, and the open defiance—not to mention the moodiness, the intense emotions, and the impulsive and reckless conduct.
Sometimes it may be hard to believe, but no, your teenager is not an alien being from a distant planet. But they are wired differently. A teenager’s brain is still actively developing, therefore processes information differently than a mature adult’s brain. The frontal cortex—the part of the brain used to manage emotions, make decisions, reason, and control inhibitions—is restructured during the teenage years, forming new synapses at an incredible rate, while the whole brain does not reach full maturity until about the mid-20’s.
Your teen may be taller than you and seem mature in some respects, but often they are simply unable to think things through on an adult level. Hormones produced during the physical changes of adolescence can further complicate things. Now, these biological differences don’t excuse teens’ poor behavior or absolve them from accountability for their actions, but they may help explain why teens behave so impulsively or frustrate parents and teachers with their poor decisions, social anxiety, and rebelliousness. Understanding adolescent development can help you find ways to stay connected to your teen and overcome problems together.
It’s also important to remember that while teenagers are individuals with unique personalities and their own likes and dislikes, some traits are universal. No matter how much your teen seems to withdraw from you emotionally, no matter how independent your teen appears, or how troubled your teen becomes, they still need your attention and to feel loved by you.
Teens differ from adults in their ability to read and understand emotions in the faces of others. Adults use the prefrontal cortex to read emotional cues, but teenagers rely on the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotional reactions. Research shows that teens often misread facial expressions; when shown pictures of adult faces expressing different emotions, teens most often interpreted them as being angry.
As teenagers begin to assert their independence and find their own identity, many experience behavioral changes that can seem bizarre and unpredictable to parents. Your sweet, obedient child who once couldn’t bear to be separated from you now won’t be seen within 20 yards of you, and greets everything you say with a roll of the eyes or the slam of a door. As difficult as this can be for parents to endure, they are the actions of a normal teenager.
A troubled teen, on the other hand, exhibits behavioral, emotional, or learning problems beyond typical teenage issues. They may repeatedly practice at-risk behaviors including drinking, drug use, sex, violence, skipping school, self-harming, shoplifting, or other criminal acts. Or they may exhibit symptoms of mental health problems such as depression , anxiety , or eating disorders . While any negative behavior repeated over and over can be a sign of underlying trouble, it’s important for parents to understand which behaviors are normal during adolescent development, and which can point to more serious problems.
If you identify red flag behaviors in your teen, consult a doctor, counselor, therapist , or other mental health professional for help finding appropriate treatment.
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Even when you seek professional help, though, that doesn’t mean that your job is done—it’s just begun. As detailed below, there are many actions you can take at home to help your teen and improve the relationship between you. And you don’t need to wait for a diagnosis to start putting them into practice.
Keep in mind that whatever problems your teen is experiencing, it is not a sign that you’ve somehow failed as a parent. Instead of trying to assign blame for the situation, focus on your teen’s cur
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