In order to provide the best support possible to grieving youth it is important to understand how bereavement impacts adolescent development and how adolescent development impacts bereavement. In this article, prominent youth bereavement author, David Balk, explores these two key components focusing on cognitive, behavioral, and affective…

This article summarizes what is known about stress, stress reactions, and coping among adolescents. Throughout, it focuses on typical developmental patterns by highlighting the emerging experiences of adolescents and how they differ from children and adults. It also briefly discusses differences between individuals, boys and girls, and…

Using an ecological model as a guiding framework, this article reviews key factors which put adolescent survivors of sexual abuse at risk for negative outcomes, as well as resources which might enhance positive outcomes and recovery. Throughout the article, quotes from women who experienced sexual abuse during their youth highlight opportunities…

Adolescents possess numerous strengths and vulnerabilities based on their unique stage of development. When youth experience a disaster, whether natural or human-caused, there are certain considerations to be taken into account when providing them with support. This article describes common adolescent reactions to the impact phase of disasters as…

Bereavement researchers have made some significant advances in the understanding of the dynamics and the processes of managing grief. In this article, the author presents three of these advances that are central to a discussion of adolescent grief and of preventive interventions: (1) Increasingly, both clinical and research evidence indicate that…

The teenage years can be particularly challenging due to the multitude of developmental and environmental changes that occur in tandem. It is a crucial time for mental health intervention because several behavioral and emotional difficulties increase from childhood to adolescence. The mental health of adolescents depends heavily on the ways they…