Adolescence: Contemporary Issues and Resources

Research the range of contemporary issues teenagers face today. **Choose one issue (besides teen pregnancy) and discuss its effect on adolescent *behavior and overall *well-being. ***Include the following in your submission:
(1). *DESCRIBE the contemporary issue and *EXPLAIN what *external stressors are associated with this issue.
2. OUTLINE assessment strategies to *screen for this issue and *external stressors during an assessment for an adolescent patient. *DESCRIBE what *additional assessment questions you would need to ask and DEFINE the *ethical parameters regarding what you CAN and CANNOT share with the parent or guardian.
3. DISCUSS *support options for adolescents encountering external stressors. INCLUDE *specific support options for the contemporary issue you presented.
– APA 7th Edition, no abstraction. *All format references are correct.
– *Sources are authoritative, completely & correctly documented, as *appropriate to assignment & style, and *format is free of error. *All format element are correct. SOURCES NOT MORE THAN 5 YEARS. ALL SOURCES WITHIN US.
– Choose a relevant issue facing adolescents (BESIDES TEEN PREGNACY); An explanation of external stressors associated with this issue; Insight into adolescent issues & external stressors is demonstrated.
– Well described HIGHLY RELEVANT STRATEGIES to screen for the chosen issue & external stressors during an assessment for an adolescent. Additional assessment questions to ask are presented & relevant. The ethical parameters regarding what cannot be disclosed to the parent or guardian are clearly presented. The strategies demonstrate insight into assessment development for adolescent screening for the issue & external stressors. Additional assessment questions to ask are presented & relevant. The ethical parameters regarding what cannot be disclosed to the parent/guardian are clearly presented. The strategies demonstrate insight into assessment for adolescent issues.
– Support options for adolescents encountering external stressors are thoroughly discussed. Specific support options for the contemporary issue are described in detailed. The support options are relevant for addressing the external stressors , including those specific to the contemporary issue. The options are well-supported by *evidence and rationale.

SAMPLE PAPER

Adolescence: Contemporary Issues and Resources

Adolescents today encounter many issues, among them being body image. Issue of body image may encompass desiring to be slender, taller, more muscular, fair skin and so on. Body image concerns how individuals feel and think about their own body. Body image relates to an individual’s feelings, perceptions and thoughts concerning their body and is conceptualized as encompassing body size and shape estimation, emotions related to body shape, and evaluation of attractiveness (Borzekowski, & Bayer, 2005). Teenagers are especially prone to body image dissatisfaction because of the psychological, social and physiological changes they face as they enter puberty and transition to adulthood (Gupta, et al. 2018). Today’s media, social media, television, magazine and internet have become the platform for promoting ideal body image. Teens are bombarded with mass media messages and ads that describe what an idea body shape and size looks like. Body image is highly associated with a person’s self-esteem and self-concept. Teens who register body dissatisfaction are at risk for developing eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.  

External Stressors

            The social and body changes that occur during puberty can greatly influence adolescents’ body image.  Some teens may feel too skinny, too fat, too short or too tall. This feeling makes them to be dissatisfied with their own body. Strong cultural and social forces dictate body image in adolescents. The effect of media on body image is profound. The heavy presence of teens on the internet and TV and their reliance on social media platforms play key role in influencing their perceptions and attitudes of body image (Gupta, et al. 2018). Billboards, TV, movies, internet, magazines, music toys and computer games are notorious for conveying images of ideal body image, beauty, attractiveness, size, shape, weight and strength (Borzekowski, & Bayer, 2005).

The family is a primary socialization agent and is involved in conveying messages to adolescents. Familial pressures and concerns may lead to body image issues and increased dissatisfaction own body size and shape. Socialization encourages females to strive to make their own bodies attractive and more beautiful, while males are encouraged to become more developed and stronger. Parents and adults tend to be more critical concerning the children’s appearance, physical activity and eating behavior as they enter puberty and progress to adulthood. Teens receive criticism and teasing concerning their appearance, forcing many to embark on changing their appearance (Borzekowski, & Bayer, 2005). Mothers sometimes act as role models, reinforncers and transmitters of social messages concerning body image for their adolescents.

Peer influence is another culprit in the formation of body dissatisfaction. Adolescence is a period in which young people spend more time with friends than parents. Here, body image and attractiveness play much influence in peer relationships whereby adolescent girls compare their appearances with their peers. Appearance-focused adolescents can influence others to change their body shapes and sizes in order to fit in and for approval and acceptance. Adolescent girls think that being slender makes them healthier, happier and more attractive.

Body dissatisfaction increases the chances that teens engage in unhealthy body changing strategies like excessive exercising and dieting.  A study conducted in America found that 53% of 13-year old girls report feeling dissatisfied with their bodies and more than 80% of 10-year old girls fear being fat (Gallivan, n.d). 30% of adolescents aged 10 to 14 are actively dieting while 46% of adolescents aged 9 and 11 are sometimes on diet (Gallivan, n.d).  

Assessment Strategies

Various strategies can be used to gather information on teen body image concern. Some of these strategies include observation, physical examination, and interviewing. Observation is one of the strategies used to assess teen body image problem and stressors. The examiner should watch for signs of distress based on both verbal and non-verbal cues.

Examination involves assessing the areas of concern. Because examination triggers anxiety, the examiner begins by establishing relationship and rapport with the adolescent. To initiate effective relationship, the examiner must like adolescents and be comfortable interacting with them and to provide friendly responses (World Health Organization, 2009). The examiner also needs to respect teens as individuals by relating to them in more non-judgmental way. It is also important to explain procedures step by step.

Examiner must display genuine concern. The examiner also needs to establish limits of confidentiality with the adolescent and the parent. The examiner must see the adolescent patient alone unless and other the examiner deems something to be of risk to the adolescent or other to warrant sharing the information with the parent. The adolescent patient must be seen alone during physical examination and history unless the patient chooses to have a parent or someone else present (WHO, 2009). The examiner must also discuss and agree with the patient what to share with the parent concerning diagnosis and treatment. The health professional can help normalize body image concerns during physical exam.  

Interviewing adolescents requires one to have knowledge of adolescent and developmental changes that occur in this stage. The interview between the examiner and patient must be open, friendly, caring and non-judgmental and conducted in a quiet environment. To gather information about the patient’s chief complain, the examiner may start by initiating small talk pertinent to the adolescent’s interests such as about school, hobbies, interests and activities as to reduce anxiety (WHO, 2009). It is best for the examiner to ask open-ended, simple, direct questions about sexual history, psychosocial history, nutritional history, body image concerns. The HEEADSSS interview can be a helpful screening to employ to gather information and aid engagement. It captures history of eating and exercise as it related to body shape and weight, recent changes, dieting and eating habits.

Adolescents are modest and thus autonomy and privacy are of paramount importance. Provide examination or drape that covers genital areas and trunk. Allow the patient to uncover the area needing to be exposed for examination. Because the adolescent is concerned with normality and development, inquire what the patient’s concerns are.    

Parents must watch for strange eating habits and act accordingly. They must also address weird body related comments and keep communication lines open. They must also encourage their children to embrace healthy eating habits without targeting at weight loss.

Support Options

Adolescents need help in order to experience and understand that health body image is a norm. Providing accurate information concerning healthy eating, the impacts of peers, society and media on body image could help parents and adolescents appreciate and promote healthy body image. Right from childhood, children and adolescents need to know that human bodies come in several different shapes and sizes. The health providers and particularly the examiner need to emphasize that everyone is different, that varied body sizes and shapes are normal. Additionally, the examiner needs to explain the emotional and physical changes experienced in puberty so that adolescent are aware that their development and physiological changes are normal.

Adolescents need to hone skills to assist them deal with the messages and ads they see and hear associated with body image, eating and appearance in order to develop a healthy body image. Health practitioners should work closely with parents to assist them encourage adolescents to be healthy in ways that promote healthy and normal body image development.

They need to promote healthy body image by discussing changes that take place during and after adolescence. The examiner can discuss and explain normal variation in body shapes and sizes among teens. The examiner can also educate parents and coaches about healthy eating and realistic body weight so that they can demonstrate them to their children. 

References

Borzekowski, D., & Angela M. Bayer, A.M. (2005). Body Image and Media Use Among Adolescents. Adolescent Medicine, 16 (2005) 289 – 313   

Gallivan, H. R. (n.d). Teens, Social MediaAnd Body Image. Park Nicollet Melrose Center. https://www.macmh.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/18_Gallivan_Teens-social-media-body-image-presentation-H-Gallivan-Spring-2014.pdf

Gupta, N. et al.  (2018). Assessment of Body Image and Self-Esteem among Young Adolescents. Medical Science, 5(6), 490-491  

World Health Organization. (2009). World Health Organization: Adolescent Job Aid. World Health Organization.