DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES OF ADOLESCENCE: A PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH

DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES OF ADOLESCENCE: A PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH

            The case of Jason and the development impacts of his disease will be assessed first by looking at the stage as a physical growth and developmental challenge also called as a growth spurt and second, by looking at this stage using the psychosocial lens of Erik Erikson.

Physical Development: The Growth Spurt

            Jason is a young adolescent. At this stage the young adult is an awkward individual experiencing a lot of changes in his physical development. Adolescence is a period where an individual experiences a rapid growth and physical development, increase in height, in weight and bone mass, the deepening of voice in males, and appearance of facial and genital hairs among others. The physical development of a young adolescent or teen is a major concern among themselves because at this stage they also want to fit in with their peers (Ruffin, 2009).

            Accompanying the physical growth and development is the emotional and psychological issues that the adolescent will have to face. Adolescence is an important period for an individual to transition from a child to an adult seeking to fulfill his personal goals and his future role in the larger community.

            Adolescence is also a stage of continuous brain development. The brain according to research suggests that it has not reached its full development until late adolescence. This explains why adolescents are impulsive and are not able to control their emotions because the neurons that influence and affect the physical, mental and emotional abilities are not yet fully complete. (Straunch as cited by Ruffin, 2009). Clearly Jason who is diagnosed with diabetes is suffering from a serious physical challenge which if left unattended will leave a deleterious impact on his long-term physical and cognitive development.

Psychosocial Development

            Jason is at the fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development. This is the stage where the individual copes up with the challenges of identity versus role confusion. In this stage the teen is very conscious about his appearance.  In the case of Jason, being a diabetic patient will impact on his confidence and self-esteem especially that the disease hinders him from reaching the optimum potential of his physical development, thereby challenging his search for a real identity.

            The main psychosocial question that Jason asks in this particular stage is “Who am I and where am I going?” Will Jason think of himself as Jason that he wants to be? Or will he think of himself as “Jason weak with diabetes”. The way that Jason will cope up with the challenges of his disease will have a consequent impact on the next stage as he develops intimacy.

            In this stage, the young adolescent also tries to establish himself as a self-governing individual as he tries to build his own identity by forging relationships with others, becoming emotionally independent from parents and making his own decisions. Jason’s disease makes him dependent on his parents not only with his physical and medical needs but also emotional. The strict medical attention demanded by the disease keeps Jason away from one of the most socialization agent in this stage – his peers. The peers are important for Jason to practice the next stage which is the establishment of intimacy. That is why it is important for Jason to become comfortable with his sexuality which will be greatly helped by sex education in school, and aided by the proper guidance of parents, the exploration with peers, and the moral guidance of the church and the community. A sense of achievement is also an important objective for any adolescent as they see the relationship between their current abilities and the future vocational plans that they desire. It is very possible that Jason’s disease and his obvious dependence on his parents and limited socialization will have an effect on his sexual identity and sense of achievement.

            The ego quality expected during this stage is fidelity. What is critical for Jason in this stage is that, this is a period where what the person’s does is more important than what others has done (Harder, 2002). However, since Jason has a special disability, what he can do is a challenge. Thus he needs very critically the support of his parents for Jason to develop a sense of independence, control and sense of self. (Cherry, n.d.)

How does Jason’s disease affect him developmentally?

            A normal teen responds to the developmental challenges of adolescence by spending more time with peers, spending more time with himself, being elusive and do not want to be seen with parents and being argumentative. So where is Jason in this? Since he is partly disabled the natural responses of Jason towards adolescence will be tempered. This will determine whether Jason conquers his identity crisis and develops his individual identity or is unable to master the challenges and becomes confused with his role as an individual.

 

REFERENCES

Cherry, K., n.d. Stages of Psychosocial Development. [online] Available at:< http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial_2.htm> [Accessed 25 May 2011].

Harder, A.F., 2002. The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson. [online] Available at: http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm> [Accessed 25 May 2011].

Ruffin, N., 2009. Adolescent Growth and Development. [online] Available at:< http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/350/350-850/350-850.html> [Accessed 25 May 2011].

Wikipedia, n.d. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. [online] Available at:< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development> [Accessed 25 May 2011].

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