The Affects on Mental Health
Puberty is a time of development and growth that marks the transition from childhood to adolescence. While it affects you physically, it also plays a significant role in your mental and emotional well-being.
Puberty is caused by a small part of your brain called the hypothalamus, which produces gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH). The release of GnRH triggers the pituitary gland to release luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. These hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce and release estrogen in females, which are responsible for secondary sexual characteristics. The significant hormonal changes and physical transformations influence brain development and increase vulnerability to behavioral problems and emotional dysregulation, such as anxiety, depression, and, eating disorders.
Body Image
Physical changes during puberty can significantly affect body image. Teenagers may be dissatisfied with their changing bodies, leading to concerns and negative self-perceptions about body image. The increased self-consciousness can contribute to the development of eating disorders. Common eating disorders seen in teenagers are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating.
Anorexia Nervosa is when a person has intense fear of weight gain or being fat so they self starve to a point where they are lower than their expected weight. Bulimia Nervosa is when an individual loses control of what they eat in one sitting, and uses unhealthy behaviors to get rid of calories, such as fasting, vomiting, weight-loss supplements, and heavy exercises. Binge eating is recurring compulsive eating in one sitting. Individuals lose control over what they eat and consume large amounts of food until they are physically uncomfortable. After binge eating, individuals often feel distress, disgust, and depression.
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This is a video from Stanford Medicine Children's Health that talks about eating disorders and treatments to help.
Healthy Diet:
The 2020 MyPlate model is a visual representation of a plate that highlights the recommended proportions of five main food groups (fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy) for a healthy diet.
Vegetables provide nutrients that work together to provide energy, hydration, and digestion and help recovery. Grains provide energy for you and proteins help rebuild and repair muscle tissues in your body. Dairy products serve as a good source for rehydration and muscle growth. They are not only high in calcium, but they also have large amounts of protein.
Easy training:
-On an easy training day, athletes should have a balanced intake of of each food group
Moderate training (1-2 hours a day):
-During moderate training, athletes should increase carbohydrate intake through fruits and grains to support the additional energy needed for training and competitions.
Intense training (2+ hours per day):
-On intense training days, athletes should have additional total energy intake to support higher rates of energy. It is recommended that they consume carbohydrates before, during, and after training to replenish glycogen stores that were used as energy. By consuming more carbohydrates, athletes can effectively recover from being tired.
Mood Swings
During puberty, mood swings are very common. It is caused by brain remodeling where some neural connections are stronger while others are weakened. Brain remodeling begins at the back of the brain and gradually progresses toward the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, planning, problem-solving etc. Since it is the last part of the brain to change, teenagers will often be impulsive and uncontrollable .
Ways to help yourself:
-Better sleep
-Healthy diet
-Exercise regularly
-Meditation
To parents:
During puberty, it is normal for you and your child to argue more since they are looking for independence and may not want to listen to what you say even if it is for their good.
What you can do:
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Emotional awareness: Encourage your child to recognize and accept their emotions. Help them understand that it is normal to experience these ranges of emotions and it is okay to express it healthily.
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Active listening: Make time to listen to your child even when you don’t share a point of view. This helps them feel understood and supported.
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Anger and conflict management: Help your child develop a healthy coping mechanism for managing anger and stress.
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Healthdirect Australia. “Emotional Changes in Puberty.” Www.healthdirect.gov.au, 6 July 2021, www.healthdirect.gov.au/emotional-changes-puberty.
Kerska, Katerina. “MyPlate: Understanding the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” National Center for Health Research, 15 Mar. 2021, www.center4research.org/my-plate-dietary-guidelines/.
Legler, Nicole, and Sabine Zempleni. “Teen Athletes: Eating to Fuel before Thinking about Supplements.” Pressbooks.nebraska.edu, 1 Jan. 2020, pressbooks.nebraska.edu/nutr251/chapter/teen-athletes/.
Zempleni, Sabine, and Sydney Christensen. “Puberty, Body Image, and Eating Disorders.” Pressbooks.nebraska.edu, 1 Jan. 2020, pressbooks.nebraska.edu/nutr251/chapter/puberty-body-image-and-eating-disorders/#:~:text=The%20hormonal%20surge%20during%20puberty.
Blanton, R. E., et al. “Pubertal Stage and Brain Anatomy in Girls.” Neuroscience, vol. 217, 16 Aug. 2012, pp. 105–112, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452212004216?casa_token=daQQArNPpg4AAAAA:rfkE8v7V57YMF50BzXu6O36XkH52NlErwYkIAsblhkRv38NP55KgUdNBlxABDONmRJZAZjFB, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.059. Accessed 28 May 2020.
Mentally Healthy Schools. “Puberty: Mentally Healthy Schools.” Mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk, mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/risks-and-protective-factors/lifestyle-factors/puberty/#:~:text=Young%20people%20may%20experience%20higher.
EuroSchool. “What Are Teen Mood Swings? Causes of Teenage Mood Swings.” EuroSchool, 11 June 2023, www.euroschoolindia.com/blogs/mood-swings-meaning-causes/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
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owen.pham. “Adolescents’ Mood Swings and Conflicts with Parents.” Wondrium Daily, 20 Oct. 2020, www.wondriumdaily.com/adolescents-mood-swings-and-conflicts-with-parents/.
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“Mental Health and Puberty | Coitopedia.” Www.coitopedia.com, www.coitopedia.com/mental-health-porn-and-puberty. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
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“The Adolescent Brain.” FutureLearn, www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/depression-young-people/0/steps/36818.
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​Stanford Medicine Children's Health. “Bulimia and Binge Eating in Teens: What We Know and What to Do.” Www.youtube.com, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUEN6pR8qp4. Accessed 17 Mar. 2023.
