Question

Preventing Problems. You have heard about many things that can go “wrong” in adolescent development and result in emotional and behavioral problems that can affect both individuals and those around them.

Knowing what you know ,

1) what steps do you think could be taken to PREVENT problems from developing in the first place? Obviously, it’s not possible to address genetic issues, so keep your responses to preventive efforts that are actually within the realm of possibility. In your response, consider ONE of these major disorders: major depressive disorder, conduct disorder, eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia). When thinking about preventive measures, consider in particular what schools and/or families could do to lessen the possibility of developing one of these disorders.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. (I recommend that you add content from your textbook or class work to support the answer if necessary.)

(Answer) For the sake of the study, let us assume that the problem to be prevented is an eating disorder. The major traits in people with eating disorders are:

Low self-esteem

Depression

Low confidence

Easily influenced mind.

If we consider the psychological implications of an eating disorder, it takes place when the individual does not possess a formidable mental state. A fragile mind is a symptom of often virulent circumstances that the individual may have been exposed to as a child.

If a child grows up in a house where people are constantly subscribing to beauty magazines and watching reality TV, it may already sow the seeds of issues with body-image. Furthermore, if the child lives in an environment where appearance is praised and valued more than actions, it would have an effect on the child’s subconscious mind.

As the child grows up, they too may value aesthetics more than health and a certain type of body more than the individual physical traits that they are endowed with. To avoid this occurrence, the child should be rewarded and praised each time they decide to share their toy or help out at home. People at home should avoid being too involved in aesthetics. Furthermore, the child should be engrained with stories, television and online content that would inculcate courage and boldness. This would enable them to be courageous about their flaws and bold about them. These are the child who perhaps would grow up to hide their flaws less and even present themselves unapologetically, even if society tells them that they are flawed.