Adolescence, should we turn it into a disease?

Address for correspondence: O. REVOL, Pierre Wertheimer Neurological Hospital, 56 Boulevard Pinel, 69677 Bron Cedex. olivier.revol@chu.lyon.fr

Abstract

The increasing number of questions posed by problems arising from the behavior of teenagers make it logical for us to ask whether or not we should consider adolescence to be a disease. The answer is obvious: of course not! And we can affirm that response with empirical evidence. Most adolescents we see in consultation do well without having any need for psychiatric assistance, an observation confirmed by a French Ministry of Health 2002 study that found only one out of eight adolescents suffered from mental disorders. This, of course, clearly implies that seven out of eight enjoy good mental health.

If adolescence is not a disease, it could become one if friends and families of teenagers fail to understand the profound changes these young people are passing through or misinterpret the manifestations of this crucial life stage.