Adolescent disorders

Adolescence (10-19 years) is a unique and formative time. Multiple physical, emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems. Promoting psychological well-being and protecting adolescents from adverse experiences and risk factors that may impact their potential to thrive are critical for their well-being during adolescence and for their physical and mental health in adulthood. Child and adolescent psychiatry (or pediatric psychiatry) is a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders in children, adolescents, and their families. It investigates the biopsychosocial factors that influence the development and course of these psychiatric disorders and treatment responses to various interventions. Adolescence disorders can include developmental disorders, autistic spectrum disorder, learning disorders, disorders of attention and behavior, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, psychotic disorders, childhood schizophrenia, mood disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, persistent depressive disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, gender identity disorder. They can be comorbid (for example an adolescent can be diagnosed with both mood and anxiety disorders). The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities during adolescence may vary by race and ethnicity.