Adolescence Case Study

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In the critical incident described above, the main culture to take into consideration is the culture of adolescence. During the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, known as adolescence, many vital milestones must be met in order to ensure academic and personal success and wellbeing. Morbidity data allows for assessment of many conditions and non-fatal diseases that develop during adolescence. The top five causes of morbidity in adolescence between the ages of 10-14 include; unipolar depressive disorder, iron deficiency anemia, asthma, back pain, and anxiety disorders. Mortality rates of adolescence have been shown to decline in the past decade. The leading causes of death among the adolescent age group include; road injuries, suicide, lower respiratory infections, HIV, and interpersonal violence. It is estimated that 1.3 million adolescents died in 2012, and the mortality rate is 111 per 100,000. In regards to poverty, there are currently nine million adolescents who live in low-income households and there are four million adolescents who live in households that are at or below the federal poverty level (Adolescent health epidemiology, 2017). The primary student in this critical incident scenario is fourteen years of age, is a …show more content…

The events may pile up, as the student may not know how to externally or internally handle the situation. If the adolescent does not have a healthy way of managing the stressors, than he/she may turn to self-destructive behaviors. These behaviors may include alcohol and personal drug use, prolonged crying and sadness, running away from home, and impulsivity or recklessness. In today’s society, adolescents may turn to the use of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco because these substances provide an opportunity to demonstrate autonomy, challenge authority, or simply relieve the stress of growing up (Wilson, Hockenberry, & Wong, 2015, p.

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