ADOLOSCENT
STRESS
Social relationships
AT2 Folio – Adolescent Stress
214552F
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
• Social relationships can have an impact on
stress both positively and negatively.
• Negative Relationships: Conflict and lack of
support can worsen stress, leading to mental
health issues.
• Positive Relationships: Emotional support and
a sense of belonging reduce stress and
enhance resilience.
STATISTICS
• The CDC reported in 2021 that around 37% of high
school students experienced poor mental health during
the COVID-19 pandemic, with stress as a major
contributor
• Adolescents with strong social support systems,
including friends and family, report 30% lower levels of
chronic stress compared to those with fewer social
connections
• In 2013, APA reported that 31% of teens felt
overwhelmed by stress, which rose to 45% by 2018.
PERSONALISATION
• Balancing School and Social Life: Managing
academic pressure alongside friendships
can be overwhelming,
• Support from Friends and Family: When I
have strong social support, I feel more
grounded and better able to handle stress.
• Importance of Healthy Relationships:
Understanding how social connections
impact my mental well-being.
Short-term health
effects
• Negative or strained relationships can lead to
heightened feelings of anxiety, frustration, and
irritability.
• Stress from social conflicts can disrupt sleep
patterns, causing difficulty falling asleep or
staying asleep.
• Short-term stress can manifest physically as
headaches, muscle tension, or stomach aches.
LONG-TERM HEALTH
• Physical- Blood pressure, heart disease,
EFFECTS
weakened immune function, and
gastrointestinal issues.
• Emotional- Emotional instability, leading to
conditions like chronic anxiety, depression, and
emotional burnout.
• Mental- Disorders such as depression, anxiety
disorders, and increased vulnerability to
cognitive decline later in life.
• Social- Withdrawal, isolation, and difficulties
forming or maintaining healthy, supportive
relationships, further exacerbating stress and
loneliness.
Health determinants
• Social Environment: The quality and
nature of an individual's relationships
whether supportive or strained—
greatly affect stress levels
• Socioeconomic Status: Socioeconomic
factors influence access to resources
like mental health care, social support
networks, and stress-reducing
activities.
HEALTH
PROMOTION
STRATEGIES
Headspace (Australia’s National Youth
Mental Health Foundation)
• Headspace offers mental health support
for young people aged 12-25
• Provides accessible, free or low-cost
mental health services
• Early support is provided before mental
health issues escalate, helping to reduce
long-term consequences of chronic stress.
Individual
strategies
• Mindfulness and
Meditation.
• Physical exercises.
• Time management.
conclusion
• Both positive and negative social
interactions influence stress levels,
leading to short-term and long-term
problems.
• Programs like Headspace help
manage stress by providing support.
• Expanding access to culturally
sensitive support systems is crucial.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357.
[Link]
Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan, C. A., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to
stress: From neurobiology to clinical practice. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(5), 35–40.
New CDC data illuminate youth mental health threats during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022) Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: [Link]
[Link]#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20new%20data,hopeless%20during%20the%20past%20year.
(Accessed: 15 September 2024).
Yu, X., Kong, X., Cao, Z., Chen, Z., Zhang, L. and Yu, B. (2022) Social Support and Family Functioning during Adolescence: A
Two-Wave Cross-Lagged Study, International journal of environmental research and public health. U.S. National Library of
Medicine. Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 15 September 2024).
(2018). Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 15 September 2024).
Stress in AmericaTM 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis (no date) American Psychological Association. American
Psychological Association. Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 15
September 2024).
(2019). Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 15 September 2024).
McEwen, B. S. (2007) Physiological Reviews, 87(3), pp. 873–904. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00041.2006.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Gouin, J.-P., & Hantsoo, L. (2010). Close relationships, inflammation, and health. Neuroscience &
Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 33-38.
Umberson, D. and Karas Montez, J. (2010) Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1_suppl). doi:
10.1177/0022146510383501.
Thomas, P. A., Liu, H. and Umberson, D. (no date) Family Relationships and Well-Being, Innovation in aging. U.S. National
Library of Medicine. Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 15 September 2024).
Reiss, F., Meyrose, A.-K., Otto, C., Lampert, T., Klasen, F. and Ravens-Sieberer, U. (2019) Socioeconomic status, stressful life
situations and mental health problems in children and adolescents: Results of the German BELLA cohort-study, PloS one. U.S.
National Library of Medicine. Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 15 September
2024).
Thank you!