Summary: Adolescence is a time of enormous change and growth. We will take a closer look at the unique developmental tasks of adolescence and explore what we know so far about the way the adolescent brain changes. When all goes well, children leave adolescence as adults. However, when mental illness creates a barrier, development can go off course. We will look at the ways that teens experience mental illness and substance use disorders that are distinct to this time in one’s life. Finally, we will explore various diagnostic interventions that can help with accurate diagnosis and the appropriate choice of treatment intervention to restore hope.
