Problem 1: The physical, cognitive and psychosocial changes that occur in adolescence are all factors in the health concerns that teens may have. After reading the WHO report on Adolescent and Young Adult Health identify two of the health issues in the report that stand out to you and that you think others should know about. Imagine you are talking to someone you know, and explain the global facts about each of the issues you selected, and why you chose each to focus on (why did it stand out). Discuss the recommendations that are presented to resolve each problem and what else you think could be done, especially here in the US and connect them to what you have learned about adolescent development
Problem 2: Sleep is critical for overall health across the lifespan, and is a challenging issue during adolescence. Using the information from the two resources on adolescent sleep along with what you've learned from the other resources, discuss why sleep is so very important during adolescence, and what can get in the way of adequate sleep for teens.
At the end of the article there are 6 (+ a couple more) tips for getting more sleep and improving sleep - choose two to explore. Explain them and why they are important (follow the links in the article) and expand to describe how a person should go about implementing the tips you've chosen.
Problem 3: There are critical developments going on in the adolescent brain that help us understand some of the cognitive abilities and limitations of adolescents. Respond to these prompts after reading the infographics and watching the videos in the resources: Explain the key brain development processes that are taking place in adolescence and the timing of those developments. How does this information help explain the impulsivity of teens? What does it tell you about their ability to 'read' people and anticipate reactions? How might you explain this to parents or others (think of your future as a nurse, a teacher, a psychologist, or just one parent talking to another)?
Problem 4: Explain the following models of teenage thinking/reasoning: Piaget's formal operational stage; and Elkind's adolescent egocentrism, along with the personal fable and imaginary audience. Provide clear, strong, specific and original examples of these ways of thinking - from your own experience or what you have seen in others.
Problem 5: Explain Marcia's model of identity development and each of the identity statuses that he describes. Keeping in mind that these are not stages, but are statuses, so you could be in one or more at any given time (I discuss this in the topic talk). Now, discuss your own path with these identity statuses - give examples of your age, your decisions, behavior, ways of thinking about yourself, and relationships with others that illustrate any and all of the statuses you have experienced.
Problem 6: Discuss the challenges of autonomy that arise for both teens and parents. The push for autonomy happens as the social connections of peer groups become more important to teens. Incorporate explanations of the complexities of peer/friend influences in your answer. How can parents facilitate autonomy, while also making sure that teens are safe? The TEDx talk by psychologist Lisa Damour will help you think about this.
Problem 7: After watching the NIMH video on youth mental health, explain/discuss what you learned about brain development and mental health, suicide rates among youth, uses and effect of social media, the pandemic, and how we can identify teens who need support and how to support them. Integrate information from the topic talk on psychosocial development into your discussion - make connections. Include any thoughts you have on how we can help teens reach adulthood in good psychological health.