Adolescence

Adolescence (from the Latin word adulescere, meaning "to grow") is the time of life between childhood and adulthood. It involves important changes in the body, brain, and social life. Adolescence is usually defined as the period from ages 10 to 25. During this time, people go through many changes that prepare them for adulthood.^[1]

Today, there are 1.8 billion adolescents in the world, making up a quarter of the global population. Most of them (about 90%) live in low- and middle-income countries, where there are more adolescents due to higher birth rates^[2].

During puberty, which happens between ages 10 and 13, young people rely more on their parents. As they grow older, from 14 to 25, they gain more independence but may also experience emotional and social challenges^[3]. Research shows that the brain keeps developing until about age 25, forming new connections. This has helped scientists better understand adolescent growth^[4].

Many things can affect how the brain grows during adolescence. These include genetic and environmental factors, health during pregnancy, nutrition, sleep, medications, and surgeries. Stress, substance use (like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol), and sex hormones (such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) also play a role in how the brain develops^[5].

1. ↑ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering; Division, Health and Medicine; Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and; Board on Children, Youth; Applications, Committee on the Neurobiological and Socio-behavioral Science of Adolescent Development and Its; Backes, Emily P.; Bonnie, Richard J. (2019-05-16), "Adolescent Development", The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth, National Academies Press (US), retrieved 2024-10-23
2. ↑ Sawyer, Susan M; Afifi, Rima A; Bearinger, Linda H; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne; Dick, Bruce; Ezeh, Alex C; Patton, George C (2012-04-28). "Adolescence: a foundation for future health". The Lancet. 379 (9826): 1630–1640. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60072-5. ISSN 0140-6736.
3. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC548185/
4. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3621648/#:=It%20is%20well%20established%20that,approximately%2025%20years%20of%20age.&text=This%20discovery%20has%20enhanced%20our,late%20adolescence%20and%20early%20adulthood.
5. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3621648/