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6: Adolescence

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    384782
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    Chapter Overview

    Adolescence is a period of significant physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development marked by increasing independence and identity exploration. In this chapter, you will examine the changes associated with puberty, brain development, sleep, sexuality, and health-related challenges such as eating disorders and risk-taking behaviors. You will explore advances in thinking and reasoning, the role of education and work, and the factors that influence adolescent identity, self-esteem, and relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners. The chapter also considers contemporary issues affecting adolescents, including driving safety and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, education, and daily life.

    Thumbnail: Teenagers laughing at their phone. (Unsplash License; Lesli Whitecotton via Unsplash)


    This page titled 6: Adolescence was last modified on Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:20:30 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Martha Lally & Suzanne Valentine-French via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.