About 1 in 7 10-19 year olds struggle with a mental disorder. Because many teens struggle with mental health symptoms, many people may wonder if puberty causes mental illness.

While puberty can not directly cause a mental health disorder, there are a variety of factors, from changing stressors to bullying, hormonal changes, and more, that can impact a teen’s likelihood of struggling with a mental health condition.

Embrace U is a Brentwood IOP for teens and adolescents designed to help as many children and teens as possible effectively manage their mental illness symptoms. We offer a wide range of mental health treatment services so you can receive the proper care to help you lead a healthier, happier life. Contact us today to learn more about how you can better manage your mental illness. 

Does Pubery Cause Mental Illness?

When teens experience puberty, they go through many biological changes, along with social changes in their lives, that can impact their mental health and well-being. It’s no secret that the teenage years can sometimes be a challenging time to navigate for many. From adapting to body changes to changes in friends and peer dynamics in school, all these challenges can impact a teen’s mental health and well-being. While puberty can not directly cause a mental health disorder, this is a time in many children’s lives when the onset of symptoms related to mental health conditions may appear.

5 Changes During Adolescence That Can Impact Mental Health

While puberty does not cause mental illness, there are several potential physical, emotional, and social changes a teen may endure that can impact their mental health.  

Hormonal Changes 

Significant hormonal changes occur during adolescence, which can inevitably impact an individual’s mood and behavior. Many teens may experience fluctuating hormones that can lead to fluctuating moods that can inevitably impact their mood for better or for worse. 

New Stressors

From stresses in school to perform well and figure out plans for the future, to navigating relationships, the time in which puberty occurs in one’s life can bring about many new stressors. Without the right coping strategies in place, this stress can be difficult to manage and can negatively impact your child’s mental health. 

Peer Pressure

Fitting in and being liked by their peers is a primary concern among many teens; therefore, many teens may fall victim to peer pressure to try and be liked by others. This can lead to engaging in dangerous activities, such as abusing drugs, that can have a destructive impact on their mental health. 

Bullying 

Bullying is, unfortunately, another common change that occurs during the teenage years. As kids are transitioning into their adolescence, there is more and more pressure to fit in and be liked by peers. If a teen is experiencing bullying, this can significantly hurt a teen’s mental health and well-being. Depending on the severity of the bullying, it can lead to developing a mental health disorder.

Body Changes & Concerns

As teens go through puberty, they inevitably experience body changes, such as height and weight gain, which can potentially lead to stress or concerns surrounding one’s physical appearance. For example, many teens, especially teenage girls, experience body image issues and may develop a mental condition surrounding their body image issues. This not only harms one’s mental well-being but can physically be damaging if the teen, for example, takes drastic measures like extreme dieting to lose the weight they gained during puberty. 

Top-Rated Adolescent Mental Health Care 

While many adolescents struggle with their mental health during their developmental years, puberty does not cause mental illness. That being said, as a teen develops from a child into adolescence, they experience various physical, social, and psychological changes that can impact their mental health and well-being.At Embrace U, we are committed to helping children and teens struggling with mental health. We know how isolating symptoms related to mental health can be. If you are struggling with a mental health condition, it’s critical you seek treatment to safely manage your symptoms and take back control of your life for the better. Ready to start your road to recovery? Contact us today!