Category: Adolescence

Abstract

Aim:

To evaluate the self-concept and emotional maturity among the adolescent children of the employed and the unemployed mothers.

Introduction:

Self-concept and emotional maturity play a very important role in society. Currently, the situation has changed and women have started seeking employment outside their homes for their necessities. One of the significant contrast between grown-up psychiatry and kid appraisal help is that in grown-up mental, looking for help is the primary wellspring of the data.

Materials and methods:

A questionnaire was prepared with 20 questions using the Survey Planet about the Self-concept and Emotional Maturity and circulated among the adolescent children of the unemployed and the employed mother. The total sample size is 200 out of which 100 were the adolescent children of the employed mother and 100 were the adolescent children of the unemployed mother. The data was collected and analyzed.

Results and discussion:

CWN refers to the children of the educated women and CNWM refers to the children of the uneducated women. Fig.1 56% of CWM answered yes and 72% of the CNWM answered yes. Fig. 2 69% of CWM answered yes and 47% of CNWM answered yes. Fig. 3 83% of CWM answered yes and 63% of CNWM answered yes. Fig. 4 71% of CWM answered yes and 54% of CNWM answered yes. Fig. 5 56% of CWM answered yes and 67% of CNWM answered yes.

The discoveries in this investigation show a positive connection between emotional maturity and self–concept. The more significant position of authority ought to dissect the various components of emotional maturity, for example, the capacity to give and get love, and the capacity to confront reality and manage it.

Conclusion:

This study shows that the children of the employed mother have the less emotional maturity and self-concept when compared to those of the unemployed mothers. This is because the employed mothers have a dual role to play, taking care of the responsibilities at home as well as occupational responsibilities.

A Comparative study of self-concept and emotional maturity among the adolescent children of the unemployed and employed mother

Introduction:

The youngsters influenced with clefts announced a fundamentally lower worldwide self-idea. They saw themselves as less socially proficient and more much of the time dismal and irate than their friends. It is hypothesized that poor self-idea in elementary school-age youngsters with clefts might be identified with worries with discourse, appearance, differential parental desires, or a blend of these factors (1) . The self-idea is experiencing something of renaissance in contemporary social brain science. Nonetheless, even with this social custom there has been a revitalization of enthusiasm for the self -idea (2). This article gives proof that ladies’ business, regardless of its different advantages, presumably has one vital antagonistic result: a more elevated level of kid mortality than is found among ladies who don’t work. We look at different transitional instruments for this relationship and infer that a lack of time is one of the significant explanations behind this negative connection between maternal work and kid endurance. In any case, even in the region of kid endurance, there is one perspective which is emphatically influenced by female business: the detriment to young ladies in endurance which is normal for South Asia is by all accounts littler among working moms. This is rather the impact of maternal training which may regularly have no unmistakable connection to the sex proportion of youth mortalities despite the fact that supreme degrees of kid mortality is lower for taught moms (3). One of the significant contrast between grown-up psychiatry and kid appraisal help is that in grown-up mental, looking for help is the primary wellspring of the data (4). It is broadly accepted that tension is a typical issue of youth and immaturity, however epidemiological investigations have fluctuated significantly in the predominance rates that they report (5). One of the significant contrast between grown-up psychiatry and youngster psychiatry evaluation help is that in grown-up mental, looking for help is the primary wellspring of data (6). Inspite of huge advances in our comprehension of nervousness in childhood and adolescence, the zone is still in its early stage (7). The maternal employment would be related with an expanding of sex job ideas and distinctive psychological improvement relying upon the sex (8). This examination researched the effect of work meddling with family and family meddling with take a shot at ladies’ authoritative duty (9).

Materials and Methods:

A questionnaire was prepared with 20 questions using survey planet about the self- concept and emotional maturity among the adolescent children of the unemployed and employed mother. Total number of sample size is 200 in which 100 were the adolescent children of the unemployed mother and 100 were the adolescent children of the employed mother.The standard scoring method was not adopted in this survey rather a yes or no question was included.the 10 questions were pertaining to self concept and the other 10 were pertaining to emotional maturityThe results were analysed.

Results and discussion :

10 questions in each topic that is self- concept and emotional maturity was created and a total of 200 students was questioned about the self-concept and the emotional maturity. Under self-concept many questions like “Do you get good marks in college ? , Do you get along well with your parents? , Are you good looking? , Do you get upset easily? , Does your parents understand you ? , Is it very difficult to make friends of your family? . Under emotional maturity questions like “Are you very honest ? ,

FIG 1:

FIG 2:

FIG 3:

FIG 4:

FIG 5:

CWN refers to the children of the educated women and CNWM refers to the children of the uneducated women. Fig .1 56% of the children of the employed mothers told that they get along well with their parents and 72% of the children of the unemployed mothers told that they get along well with their parents . Fig. 2 69% of the children of the employed mothers told that they are able to motivate themselves to do difficult tasks and 47% of the children of the unemployed mothers told that they are able to motivate themselves to do difficult tasks . Fig. 3 83% of the children of the employed mothers told that they usually recognize when they feel stressed and 63% of the children of the unemployed mothers told that they usually recognize when they feel stressed . Fig. 4 71% of the children of the employed mothers told that they can change their frame of mind with consciousness and 54% of the children of the employed mothers told that they can change their frame of mind with consciousness . Fig. 5 56% of the children of the employed mothers told that they realize immediately when they lose their temper and 67% of the children of the employed mothers told that they realize immediately when they lose their temper.

The discoveries in this investigation show a positive connection between emotional maturity and self -concept (10). The more significant position authority ought to dissect the various components of emotional maturity, for example, the capacity to give and get love, the capacity to confront reality and manage it, similarly as keen on giving as getting, the capacity to gain for a fact and the capacity to acknowledge dissatisfaction, and self- concept, for example, acknowledgment of self, others and nature, issue focusing, relational association with others, majority rule character structure, means and closures and innovativeness and additionally do the needful in those measurements, in order to upgrade the self- concept among understudies concentrating in different degrees of foundations (11). As the enthusiasm for examining assumes a crucial job in the emotional maturity, the welfare of the understudies ought to be ensured by the government then just they have pressure free personality which may lead focus on their contemplating (12). This exploration discover the accompanying variables were influencing the emotional maturity and self -concept, for example, genetic elements, development, preparing, wellbeing, insight, family relationship, social condition and authority over feelings, in other hand self- concept are influencing by factors like age, appearance, sexual orientation, culture, conservative states, condition, and guardians training (13). The Emotional maturity and self -concept gets significant in the conduct of people (14). As the understudies are the mainstays of things to come ages their worth example of Emotional Maturity and self- concepts are indispensable (15). Without a doubt, the self-concept in keeping up physical and psychosocial prosperity has been archived by various people; a few variables are parental instruction, nonstop dissatisfaction, misery, and inner self-critic impact on the improvement of one’s self-concept (16).

Conclusion:

This study shows that the children of the employed mother have less emotional maturity and self- concept when compared to those of the unemployed mothers. This is because the employed mothers have a dual role to play, taking care of the responsibilities at home as well as occupational responsibilities.

References:

1. Self-concept of primary-school-age children with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both, Kapp Simon K, The Cleft Palate Journal, 01 Jan 1986, 23(1):24-27, PMID: 3455899.
2. The Self Concept, Annual Review of Sociology, Annu. Rev. Sociol. 1982.8:1-33
3. Women’s economic roles and child survival: the case of India, Alaka Malwade Basu and Kaushik Basu, Health Transition Review, Vol. 1, No. 1 (APRIL 199 pp. 83-103)
4. Women’s economic roles and child survival: the case of INDIA. Basu AM, BASUK Health Transit Rev. 1991 Apr; 1(1): 83-103.
5. Clinical Psychology Review, Volume26, Issue7, November 2006, Pages 817-833.
6. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology December 1999, Volume 34, Issue12, pp657-663
7. Anxiety of childhood and adolescence: challenges and opportunities, S. Cartwright- Hatton, Pages 813-816
8. Gold, D., and Andres,D. (1978). Relations between maternal employment and development of nursery school children. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 10(2), 116-129.
9. Caspa, W.J., Martin, J.A., Buffardi, work-family conflict. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 7(2), 99-108
10. Allen Brad Brake, Emotion and its influences on problem solving, Dissertation Abstract, 1997.
11. Amatora.M. “Self Appraisal in Teacher Personality”, Journal of Educational Psychology, pp.44, 94-110, 1955.
12. Aray A, Emotional Maturity and value of superior children in family. Buch M.N Educational Survey, IV / Vol.II/Pg.1327. 1984.
13. Kanlukukui, Gay, Hinano, Related Emotional Maturity in the study of Psychology Dissertation Abstract. 2000.
14. A Study on Emotional Maturity and Self Concept at Higher Secondary Level, Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, January 2013 DOI: 10.12691/rpbs-1-5-4
15. Varghese, P.J. ‘Affective correlates of Process outcomes in emotional maturity’. Unpublished M.Ed. Dissertation. University of Calicut.1989.
16. Bong, M., & Clark, R.E. (1999). Comparison between self-concept and self-efficacy in academic motivation research, Educational Psychologist, 34 (3), 139-153.

Cannabis or marijuana is one of the most well-known, cheap and easy to get drug substance in the world. Even though this drug is very common, it is very difficult to classify in one category due to the plethora of effects it can have on the human body which can also differ from person to person. Marijuana, for example can act as a depressant which means it can calm down the nerves, a very effective opioid which can relieve pain, a hallucinogen, and also a stimulant. This is why marijuana classified as a depressant with some stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Because marijuana is so popular, it has many common names such as Weed, Pot, Reefer, Grass, Mary Jane, Herb, and Dope, etc. There are many studies done on young adults or adolescents and one of them found that more than 1.3 million American young adults suffer from marijuana addiction problems (Hartzler, et al, 2017). The legal status of marijuana is very complicated most particularly in the United States. Even though possession of marijuana is illegal all across the United States according to federal law, the use of cannabis is legal for both recreational and medical use in states such as California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, and Alaska. On the other states, the legal status of marijuana is either mixed, which means it can be only be used for medical purposes in states such as Maryland and North Dakota or it is still fully illegal to possess marijuana in states such as Alabama and Tennessee. Even though possession usage of marijuana is completely illegal for individuals under 18 all across the country, many cases of it being used and abused are being reported. Legalization of Cannabis for medical purposes only will not increase its usage among adolescents but the data on whether full legalization will drastically increase it is inconsistent and must be monitored more for a better understanding of the situation (Melchior, et al) but it is also important to note that adolescent usage is much lower in places where medical marijuana hasn’t compared to the places it had been legalized.

There are several behavioral effects and patterns associated with the use of Marijuana when it is used by adolescents, there is some potential of it becoming addicting or habit-forming but there is also a potential for it to be used for medical reasons. First, one study suggests that, adolescents who are exposed to marijuana are negatively affected by it due to their brains being particularly vulnerable to the exposure, especially regarding to their neurocognitive operations. Because the human brain goes through massive developmental changes, marijuana use among young adults has been associated with decreased intelligence or IQ decline, reduced memory, poorer attention, and lower verbal ability (Jackson, et al). Regular usage of this substance expose adolescents to the long term effects of cannabis which further proves the previously mentioned effects. Second, even though the addiction potential of marijuana is much less than most other drugs, it has a small chance of acting as a trajectory for young adults to other harmful drugs. According to a United Kingdom study, out of the chosen 5315 adolescents, one fifth of them continued using cannabis and those people were more likely to move on to other drugs(Taylor, et al). Their socio economic backgrounds and prior exposure to cigarettes and alcohol were a major factor in their regular cannabis use and it is also important to note that long term users of cannabis are more likely to be addicted to it. Third, long term and excessive marijuana use can have drastic effects on the human body, especially on young adults. Regular users of marijuana especially adolescents have an increased likelihood of suffering serious consequences which include, short-term impairments in memory, coordination and judgement, and longer-term risk of decreased brain development and also cognitive damages(Hasin, et al). Fourth, as it was mentioned before, marijuana has been legalized in many states in the United States primarily because of its medicinal benefits and continue to be legalized in others. Medical marijuana dispensaries commonly sell marijuana to cancer patients, individuals with physical injuries people with acute anxiety and other mental ailments.

The use of marijuana even for medicinal purposes is engulfed by controversial social issues all over the world and especially in the United States of America. Young adults who face certain types of socio economic situations are more like to be exposed to marijuana which in some cases can also lead to the long term use of this substance and even expose them to even more harmful substances. According to a United Kingdom study, factors such as living in a rented or government subsidized housing, maternal tobacco smoking during childhood. Children from the ages of 10 to 12 exposed to the substance were more likely to be associated with regular marijuana use and also children who use tobacco and alcohol prior to cannabis are also like to go through early-onset occasional cannabis use. It is also important to note that, having older siblings who take cannabis increase the odds of early-onset occasional cannabis use. Being female on the other hand was found to be inversely associated with regular marijuana use. Lower levels of maternal education were also associated with lower odds of late-onset and-early onset occasional cannabis use of the children (Taylor et al). Due to the American social structure, marijuana usage and its effects can have a high societal cost through increased levels of unemployment in poor communities, absenteeism, decreased efficiency, and an increased rate of imprisonment and crimes (Jackson, et al).

Even though there are a few well known harmful effects of long term marijuana use, there also several public misconceptions about this drug which spreads fear and paranoia among the populace. First of all, contrary to popular beliefs, it is near impossible to overdose on marijuana. This is because of the high amount of dosage it will be needed to do so. Second, it is not nearly as addictive as other drugs. According to the previously presented data, most of the people who take marijuana do not become regular users and also unlike other drugs like heroine and cocaine, those who quit marijuana don’t suffer as harsh withdrawal symptoms. Third, the effect of marijuana on our lungs is not as severe as cigarette smoke. Long term smoking of cannabis is known to cause chronic bronchitis and lung infection but unlike the long term effects of cigarette smoking, it can’t cause cancer.

Due to the somewhat mild effects of cannabis comparing with other drugs and the medicinal value it has, making legislation on either banning or legalizing it is very difficult. There are many significant effects of fully legalizing marijuana in the United States such as, the decreased rate of incarceration due to marijuana related crimes, new opportunities in the medicinal marijuana sector opening up which can create new businesses that can generate a large amount wealth that can completely transform poor communities, cannabis is also a better and much less addictive option for patients who suffer pain who can take medicinal marijuana than the more addictive opioid pills and so on. On the other hand, because marijuana usage and the culture surrounding it is so popular, this substance will inevitably fall on the hands of minors which in some cases can be incredibly harmful to their physical health and mental development. The previously mentioned issue of long term usage leading to harder drugs is also an alarming fact. But after weighing both sides I believe that changing legislation and making marijuana illegal again will not help current problems regarding marijuana but only bring back marijuana related crimes and imprisonment problems that ravaged poor communities because of the harsh drug enforcement policies. The fact that marijuana is cheap, popular and easy to produce will always make it widely available and in high demand no matter what approach the authorities take against it and also it is important to note that none of the studies were presented stated that this problem has the potential of turning into a public health crisis no matter the legislative status. I believe legalizing and strongly regulating the marijuana business sector is the most practical way forward.

In conclusion, adolescents using marijuana for recreational purposes is a serious health issue and it is a problem that must be paid more attention to. In my opinion, treating people who are addicted to any drug as patients and not as criminals is the best response to a drug problem.

References

1. Taylor, M., Collin, S. M., Munafò, M. R., MacLeod, J., Hickman, M., & Heron, J. (2017). Patterns of cannabis use during adolescence and their association with harmful substance use behavior: findings from a UK birth cohort. J Epidemiol Community Health, 71(8), 764-770.
2. Melchior, M., Nakamura, A., Bolze, C., Hausfater, F., El Khoury, F., Mary-Krause, M., & Da Silva, M. A. (2019). Does the liberalization of cannabis policy influence levels of use in adolescents and young adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 9(7), e025880.
3. Hartzler, B., Lyon, A. R., Walker, D. D., Matthews, L., King, K. M., & McCollister, K. E. (2017). Implementing teen marijuana check-up in schools—a study protocol. Implementation Science, 12(1), 103.
4. Hasin, D. S., Wall, M., Keyes, K. M., Cerdá, M., Schulenberg, J., O’Malley, P. M., … & Feng, T. (2015). Medical marijuana laws and adolescent marijuana use in the USA from 1991 to 2014: results from annual, repeated cross-sectional surveys. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(7), 601-608.
5. Jackson, N. J., Isen, J. D., Khoddam, R., Irons, D., Tuvblad, C., Iacono, W. G., … & Baker, L. A. (2016). Impact of adolescent marijuana use on intelligence: Results from two longitudinal twin studies .proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(5), E500-E508.
6. Zucker, R. A., & Brown, S. A. (Eds.). (2019). The Oxford Handbook of Adolescent Substance Abuse. Oxford University Press.
7. Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2017). Drugs and Society. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

I did not grow up in a stereotypical family home with loving parents and siblings. At five years old, my parents separated to get divorced. My mother received full custody. We moved to a neighboring city to remain close to my father. Although they were getting divorced, she wanted to ensure that he and I maintained contact for a father-daughter relationship. As I got older weekend visits became more and more infrequent. It was due to schedule conflicts from his odd work hours, my mother’s work hours, and my school schedule. Since I was so young, I realize that it seemed ‘normal’ for me to always be with my mom and only see my father sometimes.

The relationship with my mother was and continues to be toxic due to our differences. Children are believed to be the reflection of their parents, often forgetting their adolescents will grow into their own. My mother often forgot I was my own person, making it difficult for us to connect. She was raised in a strict evangelical home, passing along the same teachings to me. As I grew older, forming my own opinions and decisions became clearer; I stopped going to church because I did not agree with the values it instilled. The rules and regulations of the church were drilled into my head at a very young age. Sadly, it was not something I could follow through the rest of my life. The best decision I have made in my life was leaving the church. The downfall of my decision is the broken relationship I have with my mother because of it.

Before my own separation from the church, she remarried, and I felt betrayed. At six years old, I was able to understand that a stranger was entering my life. I could not understand why our little family needed him. She claimed she got married to have an extra helping hand with me. Both she and I were mistreated in very similar but very different ways by her second husband. After 17 long years, they are divorced, yet somehow, she has hope for another marriage. Witnessing my mother through two failed marriages has discouraged me from pursuing serious romantic relationships in the future.

Romantic relationships are healthy to have if built on a well-balanced foundation, but I cannot picture myself getting married. My mother has been independent before, during, and after her marriage, I wish that she could see that. She does not need a man to validate her. As I came to that conclusion by evaluating her, I came to the same conclusion for myself. I have learned independence and hard work ethic from watching her. I have learned to deal with the stresses of life, but also not to place blame where it did not need to be. I have learned to take care of myself and be responsible for my actions, knowing that whatever the choices may be that I make, I will have to live with the consequences, good or bad.

My mother’s divorce and religious beliefs have affected our relationship. It has affected my adolescence more than any other experience up-to-date; it has changed the way I think and process relationships, and how I view religious practices. During the divorces, I was cognitively aware of what was happening; I was able to see the bad side of divorce, making me wary of romantic relationships. Our arguments about religious beliefs, it has made us wary of believing someone as forgiving and mighty as God would allow many religions to exist, wars, and death. It has taken me a while to appreciate my experiences and appreciate the lessons it has taught me.

The focus of this paper is on the view of romantic relationships, marriage, and relationships between mother-child as well as father-child relationships during and after parental divorce. The environment children grow socially and cognitively greatly influenced the type of person they become in the future. Ideally, a mother is thought to be nurturing and caring, there when her child is in need, and makes everything better. The ideal father is thought to be strong yet kind, who fixes everything if it is broken, and always there to lend a helping hand. Now, place these two ideal parents in a perfect world; mother and father would stay married and live happily ever after with their children.

In the real world, marriages do not always last. About half of the first marriages are expected to end. The age of the child or children involved in divorced families may leave adverse effects on behavior affecting cognitive and identity development. The younger the adolescent, the stronger the sense of abandonment may feel, older adolescents are able to understand and feel less responsible. Children’s sense of security and love from both parents are affected greatly by the separation of the family, which is why children are the greatest victims during this time. Molding of the child traditionally needs a mother and father under one roof. It is looked down upon to break the bond that has been valued for so long. The media’s depiction of divorced families is unhelpful to the stigma it already carries. On TV, divorced families are seen as dysfunctional and unhappy, whereas families that remain together are seen as happy and loved. Adolescents spend a lot of time watching TV programs – watching dysfunctional divorced families on television does not help with coping skills, instead, it furthers the negative connotation of divorce and views it only as bad without any positive effects.

Studies have focused on the emotional well-being of the child under the age of 18 who have witnessed their parents’ divorce. Little research has been done on the ability of adolescents to maintain romantic relationships afterward. There are guidebooks on how to build a ‘perfect’ relationship. The first example of a relationship with a child is the demonstration parents show to one another. This can be explained by two theories written by Risch et al. (2004): attachment theory examines the role of mother-child and father-child relationships, and social learning theory, in summary, is the modeled behavior the child will follow.

Studies have shown strong relationships with the mother to be more beneficial in perceiving an adolescent’s future romantic relationships than with the father; however, both relationships with either parent determine different effects. Daughters and sons look up to the same-sex parent for modeled behavior; daughters also may be more subjected to the effects than males according to Lee (2018). Traditionally, women are the caregivers of the family, the glue that holds everything together. Lee states females are more vulnerable to succumbing to the pressure of maintaining a relationship with a partner due to social stresses; females that come from divorced families also show more characteristics of negative behaviors toward romantic relationships than men. With increased support and involvement, studies show to be correlated with positive future romantic relationships for adolescents.

Multiple researchers deem dating an important emotional developmental skill for the adolescent. Consequently, the experience of dating may be altered by divorce. Fear of being rejected and hurt due to the misinterpretation of the word ‘love’ may prevent a successful relationship. Difficulty resolving conflicts with communication skills and understanding views may prove to be a challenge. The adolescent may also jump full throttle into relationships, one after the other in hopes to find what could be ‘love’. Peers outside of the family home have a role to play as well in the formation of romantic relationships. The quality of future relationships is influenced to be a combination of both peers and parents. Children who feel unwanted and less loved are likely to look for love outside of the family, leading to romantic relationships at a younger age. Parents capable of maintaining an authoritative parenting style may help prevent negative effects. The younger the adolescent is, the more sexually active they are; this leads to earlier pregnancies and marriages (Shulman et al., 2012).

Different cultures and religions come with different sets of values on the topic of marriage. Islam and Christianity religions believe divorce is wrong, once you are married to someone, that someone is your life partner. Buddhists believe marriage is a choice but see no real necessity for it, Mormon elders are known for their views on polygamy, and many more. Divorce is seen as a sin under God and disrespectful since it was seen through him that two people got together. Risch, Jodl, and Eccles (2004) reported on a statistic dated back to 1990 of African-American families having higher divorce rates compared to European-American families. Culturally speaking, this will tell adolescents that African-American kids will have a more positive view of divorce and believe that it is normal for their group to get divorced versus the non-dominant group. It is easy for children to be discouraged from divorce if there is no previous experience with it. The more a child is exposed to a stimulus, in this case, divorce, the more normative it becomes.

When a parent leaves the household, an adolescent may have abandonment symptoms. It is a different type of loss, one that is misunderstood if not handled carefully. Dr. Fracasso of Towson University states in her lectures with video-clip examples explained the best approach that has been studied to tell children about divorce. Parents should seek counseling and an agreed approach to explain the next steps that will take place in their family. Dr. Fracasso also emphasized the need to tell adolescents that it is never their fault; never allow your child to feel blamed for the separation of the adults. Counseling benefits children and divorced parents to help them cope with the change and what can be done to assist with the adjustment.

It is important parents continue a relationship with adolescents after separation. It is believed that all aspects of a family dynamic will have a negative impact due to divorce. Children will view divorce as the answer to an unhappy marriage in the future, unable to resolve using solution skills. Patterns of marriage, divorce, and remarriage transpiring common, it is possible that children will not have a stable father figure and are put in a step-family dynamic. Adolescents may present negative views with the introduction of a step-father, it may feel as if he is a stranger trying to infiltrate the family; the adolescent will be withdrawn and will keep their distance as much as possible. A positive aspect step-parent may have is the outlook on remarriage. Remarriages may change adolescents’ views on divorce. Remarrying a second time may be beneficial for the family overall, and children will be given a second chance to see what love is.

Divorce and adolescents are two words no parent wants to put together. There are many reasons parents do not stay together, however, the most important position parents should take is for the benefit of the child. It is important to let the adolescent know that it is never their fault if the relationship fails. It is important to let the adolescent know that there will be love from both sides to make the new family dynamic work. Respect and love between parents and adolescents is a great way to instill great values for future relationships regardless of the divorce status of the parents. Every family is different, every divorce is different, every outcome is different.

Marijuana which is legally available for adults that have encountered many with many inferences for adolescent substance use (Hoper, 2014). One potential effect that legalization may have is an increase in adolescent use due to increased availability, greater social acceptance, and possibly lower prices. Also, marijuana now comes in various forms, namely, edible or vaporizations which are costly to receive mainly (Hoper, 2014). It is unknown what adolescent consumption patterns will be if marijuana is widely available and marketed in different forms, or what effects different patterns of adolescent use will have on cognition, the development of marijuana use disorders, school performance, and the development of psychotic illnesses. (Hoper, 2014) Also what is unclear is whether adolescent users will be experiencing higher levels of THC compared with previous generations of users due to higher potencies. (Hoper, 2014) There has been many previous studies of what the effects of marijuana use in adolescent which now provides some advice for the accurate guidance and public direction (Hoper, 2014). New studies have been needed that respond to questions in the context of appliance inside of a legal adult society (Hoper, 2014). This now declares that cannabis has medical advantages that creates supplementary challenges for the prevention of adolescent efforts as they difference with communication of its injouriness. (Hoper, 2014).

The Surgeon General’s 1964 report that smoking is harmful was arguably the most important substance abuse intervention in the United States (Holford, Meza, Warner, Meernik, Jeon, Moolgavkar, Levy, 2014). This report and subsequent efforts by anti-smoking groups, physicians, and public health agencies resulted in a shift in public perceptions of smoking and was followed by a steady decline of smoking in the United States resulting in 8 million lives being saved since 1964 due to tobacco control policies (Holford, Meza, Warner, Meernik, Jeon, Moolgavkar, Levy, 2014). Unfortunately, that notion is fast declining because marijuana now comes in different forms and is now vastly accepted (Holford, Meza, Warner, Meernik, Jeon, Moolgavkar, Levy, 2014). Many people are now accepting of Marijuana perhaps, due to the overwhelming advertisement and positive expert opinions sponsored by marijuana makers (Holford, Meza, Warner, Meernik, Jeon, Moolgavkar, Levy, 2014). These opinions are drowning the views and opinions of people on the other side of the spectrum. So nowadays, many people just don’t care much of the side effects that come from the use of this drug. As a result, the use of marijuana has increased not only in adults but sadly in teens. Marijuana is an addictive substance and because it is legalized and readily available, its accessibility is easy. Unfortunately many people abuse and depend on it. To many people, the legalization of marijuana in many states in America is a proof that this drug is now accepted.

According to Gallup, Inc (2019), poll results report that for the first time, a majority of the American population now support marijuana legalization now suggesting that future policy shifts in the United States are likely to move toward increased marijuana legalization (Gallup, Inc). Other characteristics stated by McCormick and Shekhar is how marijuana is still the highest used illicit substance among adolescents, despite the plethora of data citing its potential risks (McCormick, and Shekhar, 2014). Following a decline in usage from the 1990s to the mid-2000s, marijuana use among adolescents is again on the rise as of 2013, with 7% of 8th graders, 18% of 10th graders, and roughly 28% of 12th graders self-reporting marijuana use in the past month. (McCormick, and Shekhar, 2014) The results in 2008 were roughly 6%, 14%, and 19% respectively. (McCormick, and Shekhar, 2014)

Reports show that marijuana has some positive effect, because it is used to treat pain, like headaches, nerve pain or diseases such as cancer or aids. However, reports have also recently noted two deaths linked to marijuana edibles, apparently resulting from severe intoxication (Rittman, 2014). Additionally, people believe that the number of adults and teens who now depend and abuse this drug has increased as a result of the its legalization. Also, their concern also is that marijuana’s use is detrimental to the sight (Rittman, 2014).

Substance Abuse can also be called drug abuse. This can be defined as usage harmful substances. The individual either uses a significant amount of the substance or uses harmful methods to ingest the substance. These substances are usually heroin, cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and other tobacco products. In today’s society many adolescences fall prey to substance abuse. A teenager who suffers with substance abuse would have frequent changes in behaviour such as failure to attend school, a decrease in their grades, unable to concentrate or focus on their studies and depression. It is harder to recognize drug abuse in teenagers than adults. Most teenagers are very secretive towards their parents as well as dishonest therefore, they require closer observations to tell if they are using drugs or not. Monitoring their grades as well as behaviours at home can be more helpful. If they become withdrawn from family as well as friends or experience sudden outbursts, this can be as a sign of substance abuse. Some teenagers also turn to drug abuse because they live in a toxic household.

Substance abuse social workers work with individuals work with individuals’ mental conditions and/or addictions. Social workers are knowledgeable of human systems are therefore they would be able to help someone who is suffering from substance abuse. Trained social workers provide therapy for the teenager as well as become a case manager. They uncover problems that the individual may want to erase and fix them with effective solutions. Sometimes adolescence’s addiction goes unnoticed in populations that are unaware of the dangers of substance abuse or uneducated when deciphering what is wrong from right. However, social work can be a part of the solution and a road to recovery because they would be able to easily detect the teen’s disorder as they were trained to do so. When dealing with teenagers, the social worker must be actively involved in their life because without long-term intervention a relapse would most definitely occur, and this would diminish any progress that was made.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to involvement in substance abuse due to the underdeveloped state of their brain, which can lead to the inability to make proper decisions on their own. Understanding the causes of adolescent substance use is vital for successful prevention and intervention programs. There are many contributing factors as to why adolescence would partake in drugs or alcohol. Many teenagers use drugs simply because their friends are doing. Some willingly use drugs or alcohol while others are pressured to do so and are seen as uncool if they refuse to do so. Others do it to get a good feeling about themselves. When an individual uses drugs it reacts with the neurochemistry of the brain to produce feelings of pleasure. The intensity of this pleasure differs by the type of drug and how it is used. Teenagers who suffer from depression, anxiety disorders use drugs in order to help them feel better. The drug would uplift their mood or help them become calm whenever they feel anxious or stressed. Stress plays a significant role in the continuation of drugs as well as having a relapse.

Adolescence who enrolled in school sometimes fall prey to substance abuse. We live in a very competitive society, so some students feel pressured to be successful. Some adolescents turn to certain drugs that are illegal or stimulants because they think those substances will help them perform better in exams. After using drugs for a period of time to study they are often unable to continue their studies without drugs. At a certain age, an adolescent also feels the need to experiment and they often believe drugs to be an exciting or a daring experience. A very common cause is genetic predisposition. A family who has a history of substance abuse or alcoholism increases the risk of influencing teenagers as they think it is okay to use drugs because they saw their older relatives doing so. Neglect or other childhood trauma can also cause and teenager to use harmful substances. If they experienced any type of abuse or was abandoned at a very young age they turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with their emotional pain and grief.

These harmful substances have devastating affects on the teenager as well as their family. The affects of substance abuse can either be long-term or short-term, depending on how often the individual uses the drug. Homes that were once calm can quickly become a strain on every individual in the house due to substance abuse. Parents who are aware of their child’s an addiction become very concerned about their physical and mental health. When teens use drugs, they become very withdrawn from their family and friends, they sometimes steal money from their parents to purchase drugs and alcohol. If the constantly use drugs they become consumed by it which would eventually lead to them losing interest in school, sports and any other activities that they previously enjoyed. Teenagers who use drugs do not see the damage and hurt they are causing others. The whole family is affected. It hurts the family and interferes with the stability of the household. Relationships between parents and the individual also becomes strained as teens become rebellious and defiant. Parents can also become ill from stress and grief because they are constantly worrying for their child’s safety.

Substance abuse also affect the body and brain. The effects of substances on the body also depends on how the drug is delivered. Drugs that are injected has an immediate effect because it enters the bloodstream unlike those that are ingested. Misuse of substances causes large amounts of dopamine (a neurotransmitter which helps regulate our emotions) to flood the brain which results the individual to feel “high”. Eventually, with long-term use, the drugs start affecting the brain which causes a sudden change in behaviour. It interferes with the ability to make decisions as well as causes craving and compulsive drug use. Sooner or later they are unable to function with the drug. Their health becomes compromised because their immune system is weakened leaving them vulnerable to illnesses, there is an increased strained on the liver, some experience heart conditions as well as seizures, stroke and brain damage. If substance abuse is not treated it would eventually lead to death because of the damage done to the body.

Jessica’s drug use began at the age of 15. She resided in a low-income city and drug abuse was rampant in her community and school. Jessica did not have a strong support system. Her father left her and her mother when she was only 2 years old. Her mother became the breadwinner of their family and she had a difficult time keeping a “roof over their head”. She had three younger siblings to take care of as her mother was rarely around due to her numerous jobs. Jessica felt as though she had nobody who genuinely cared for causing her to become depressed. She was encouraged by her peers to trying using heroin to help her feel better about herself. When she used it for the first time she was not sure if she liked it or not because she did not feel any different. She was again encouraged by her peers to try it again. This time she felt the full effect of the drug and decided that she liked the way she felt. Jessica began stealing from her mother in order to purchase more drugs. When her mother found out what she did she threw Jessica out. She was now 17 years and homeless.

She turned to prostitution in order for her to purchase more heroin. She could not afford a home, so she lived under the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. One day a terrible thing happened to her. She passed out while walking down the street. Luckily, a passer-by was able to see that Jessica needed help and called the 911. Jessica’s life was saved by 3 paramedics. Besides the ventilator, Jessica had two chest tubes in place to pleurovac drainage. The chest tubes remained in place for around 4 days. During her stay at the hospital Jessica befriended a nurse who often tended to her. The nurse encouraged her to get help as she was young . She told Jessica she had a bright future ahead but that would only be possible if she got the necessary help she needed. Jessica decided to take the nurse’s advice. She was later transferred to a facility for substance use treatment and rehabilitation. However, it had been noted that Jessica had a significant mitral valve heart murmur (rapid heartbeat causing backflow of blood). Over a course of 5 years, Jessica eventually weaned off of heroin and had the mitral valve replaced. She remains healthy and drug free and became a voice for adolescence who suffer from substance abuse.

Erik Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experiences on an individual. Society can determine the psychological development of an individual. The developmental issues for early adolescence are rapid physical growth, self-image focused on appearance, and intense conformity to peers in order to gain acceptance. Therefore, in order to fit in with their peers, teenagers feel the need to do whatever their friends are involved in. In this case, Jessica took the advice of her friends and started using drugs because she trusted them when they told her she would feel better after doing so. Erikson discussed that the developmental tasks of adolescence as identity vs. role confusion. They often ask themselves “Who am I?” and many are unable to answer that question which leaves them to allow their peers to make that decision for them. Adolescents need environments in which they are allowed to test out their new thinking skills, receive positive feedback and benefittingconsequences.

If they are in a system where their education, family and health are compromised the development of the middle-age adolescent will be impacted. For example, Jessica’s father leaving her can be seen as him abandoning her. This would have contributed to her feeling unwanted and lonely. Her mother on the other hand was rarely around to have any involvement in her daughter’s life, this would have contributed to her depression. Jessica had no one to guide her and help her make right decisions. Probably if her mother kept a closer eye on Jessica she would have been able to tell whether or not she was using drugs. The community in which she resided in also had a part to play in Jessica’s addiction. It was a norm to use drugs so she would not have seen herself doing anything wrong, or jeopardizing her health. They also experience the experimental stage. The experimental stage involves curiosity and taking risks. The primary focus is rights of passage with peers. Jessica’s friends were already using drugs and they pressured her into using them even after she realised she disliked them.

Macro strategies involve intervention and advocacy on a large-scale whereas micro strategies are where social workers involve families and friends to solve problems. Micro strategies that can be used for substance abuse in adolescence are parental monitoring, as well as disclosure on their whereabouts, positive communication between parents and the child. Families can also educate their children about the dangers of using harmful substances. Macro strategies that can be used for substance abuse in adolescence are introducing courses on substance abuse at schools in order for children to be aware of the dangers. Governments also prohibits these drugs in order for there to be reduced cases of substance abuse in adolescents. Prices of these drugs can also be raised in order for adolescence to be unable to afford it. I believe that governments should also pay close attention to communities that has a lot of involvement with drug use.

References

1. Abuse, N. I. (2014, January). Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide. Retrieved from National Institute on Drug Abuse: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/frequently-asked-questions/why-do-adolescents-take-drugs
2. Hernandez, L., Rodriguez, A., & Spirito, A. (205, April 20). Brief Family Based Intervention for Substance Abusing Adolescents. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4475574/
3. Pacula RL, C. (2001, December). The effects of macro-level interventions on addictive behavior. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11795584
4. Segal, B. M., & Stewart, J. C. (1996, June). Substance use and abuse in adolescence: An overview. Retrieved from Springer Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02353237
5. Whitesell, M., Bachand, A., Peele, J., & Brown, M. (2013, March 20). Familial, Social, and Individual Factors Contributing to Risk for Adolescent Substance Use. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4008086/

Of late an issue has happened with youngster smoking. The number of youngsters who smoke has drastically risen over the past for a long time. This can be an issue since smoking causes enormous wellbeing dangers that lead to issues and infections that can kill you. Youngsters are smoking when there’s supervision. It, as a rule, happens within the parks, beneath bridges, and in town absent from their guardians. They are more often than not They’re doing it from peer weight and think it’s great. What are the reasons why smoking is bad, and why, where, and where they do it.

One of my plans to quit smoking is by educating teens and their guardians.Schools seem to have classes after school which say the smoking risks.Just how awful smoking is to the well-being inside the groups they may be talking about.In addition, a few illustrations can show to the guardians how smoking ages your skin and yellows your teeth.They may as well be in the schools

My moment arrangement on how to halt smoking is by halting the media that bolsters smoking. To begin with, we might halt magazine advertisements. I think ceasing magazine advertisements would be a great thought since youngsters are continuously having to bargain with peer weight. So, on the of chance that it isn’t on the advertisement or in stores, high schoolers will not think of it as being “ cool ”.At long last, we might end publicizing smoking on tv and in movement pictures. One reason why you need to stop having actors/actress promote smoking since youths see up to them and ought to be like them. As well, kids and tall schoolers are ceaselessly watching tv and movement pictures. That would be my minute step in ending adolescent smoking.

On the off chance that I was having to start nowadays with ceasing smoking by youngsters, I would start by ceasing the media that bolsters smoking. One reason why I think this can be the most excellent thought is since youngsters or kids are continuously seeing these promotions. In case high schoolers or kids are not seeing the notices they need to think it is so “cool“. On the off chance that celebrated or wealthy individuals are seen smoking in notices, teenagers are likely to think that smoking is a portion of that lifestyle.

Since high schoolers see up to these individuals, they think if they smoke they will be cool like warm, actors/actresses who do. You continuously see the huge bulletins with the garish pictures of the with cigarettes in their hands or hanging out of their mouths. Too you continuously see the enormous company names shown all over the gas stations and in numerous other places such as Camel, Marlboro, pall shopping center, coral Winston who are continuously saying smoking will make you are feeling great around yourself and it’ll make you cool. It does the inverse. The media does not show pictures of the wellbeing issues that smoking causes. That’s why I think getting free of the media is the most excellent arrangement of the issue.

Something can be done. The activity can be taken to begin to illuminate this issue. To begin with, everyone has to go out and conversation to the companies and persuade them to require down any pictures with cigarettes and signs of the company names that advance smoking. You’ll moreover conversation to those people who offer assistance make the laws for our state and nation. Furthermore, we got to the conversation to the companies to conclusion clothing lines that have pictures or words on them that advance smoking and boycott tv and movies that have any sort of smoking or cigarette in them., those are the ways that I think we might unravel this issue so we will put a conclusion to adolescent smoking.

Self-image refers to the way an individual views themselves and how they feel they are portrayed within society. The more positive self-image a person has, the more confident they are and the higher their self-esteem will be. The way an individual views themselves is crucial because it can have an effect on their behaviours and how they interact with other people in different environments. As a result, there has been a lot of research into self-image as looking at factors which affect it can help us understand and explain why people behave in different ways.

Having a positive self-image is significant as it has been found to correlate with good mental health and wellbeing (Fahim et al. 2016). Therefore, this area of research is important because if someone has a negative self-image, it could be a risk factor for poor mental health. Consequently, if we can establish factors which contribute to positive self-image, we could potentially develop interventions to prevent mental health issues by trying to increase the way an individual views themselves.

Research suggests that there’s a relationship between self-image and environmentally friendly behaviours. Binder et al. 2017, underlined that green behaviour- the term used to describe those who care about the environment and portray this through behaviours such as recycling and cleaning etc- has been found to positively correlate with life satisfaction. This means that those individuals who present more pro-environmental behaviour are more likely to be content with their life and self-satisfied. Thus, this suggests that there is a relationship between those who display behaviours such as cleaning and the level of self-image that they have. However, as only a correlation was found, there is no evidence within this research for causation meaning we cannot assume that cleaning increases a person’s self-image.

To add to this, further research has found that engaging in environmentally friendly behaviour can affect a person’s self-image and how they view themselves. A study found that this is specially seen in those individuals who engage in such behaviour voluntarily.

An investigation into whether sex differences may contribute to positive self-image was explored by Rosenberg et al. (1975) who found that overall, girls are more self-conscious about how they look, behave and act; whereas boys are less concerned with this. They also found that girls are more sociable while boys, were more focused on achievements. This research underlines that there is a clear sex difference in self-consciousness and self-image. As girls are more concerned with self-consciousness, it suggests that they are likely to have a higher positive self-image. However, a major limitation to this study is that all participants were children. Hence, the sample is not generalisable to the whole population because there could be differences between a child/teenager’s self-image and a grown adult’s self-image which hasn’t been addressed within this research. This has resulted in a gap within psychological literature because while, we can establish that there is a sex difference in self-image amongst adolescents, there isn’t any supporting evidence to suggest that this carries on into adulthood.

As a result, an observation was conducted looking at sex differences in cleaning up after yourself in a public setting amongst adults from 18 years old onwards and the reasoning behind this was to clarify the issues in regard to the gaps in the literature. If it can be established that the state of self-image as an adolescent is likely to carry on into adulthood, then interventions can occur early to promote positive self-image and prevent poor well-being. The observation examined whether or not individuals cleaned up after they had eaten in a public café area. Furthermore, the observation looked to see which sex would clean up more in order to be able to infer which sex has a positive self-image. It was felt that within the observation, the sex that was more self-conscious would clean up after themselves more as they would be wary of how they would appear if they didn’t clean up. As the previous research suggested that females were more self-conscious, it was predicted that there will be sex difference in tidying up within in a public setting.

We live in a 21st-century world, a world of technological advancement. We don’t have enough time to sit down and eat with a family member. Everyone is working at a fast pace and a compact schedule. Therefore, the food we eat is also not nourishing and healthy. We lean to easy fast foods, pre-packaged foods which nutrient content not comparable to the food we cook from scratch with fresh vegetables, legumes, and grains. Our body needs nourishment and energy and we get that from the food we eat. Choosing a healthy well-balanced diet from the beginning of life is important and beneficial to maintain a good healthy life. Unhealthy poor eating habits lead to many problems in life such as the risk for hypertension from consuming a diet with high sodium, and cardiovascular problems from consumption of high fat intake and obesity and Diabetes. Therefore, establishing a healthy habit of well nutritious and balanced eating habit from early childhood can lead to a healthier life in the future and prevent lots of health problems in the long run.

This study was conducted in Iran in 2014, the purpose of this study is to find out the effect of education based on Pender’s health promotion model on nutrition behavior of adolescent student females. The study was done on 128 adolescent of Omidiyeh. City Khuzestan province, Iran. These 128 adolescent females were divided into two groups of 64-student female chosen for the control group and the rest of 64-student female for the intervention group. The sampling of all these female students was done by random gathering from three female schools from Omidiyeh, one of the high schools was for the experimental group and other two female schools for the control group, the classes were selected randomly. The mean age group in the experimental group was 14.9±0.7 and in the control group 15.2±0.7. The mean body mass index was 20.8 ±3.5 in the experimental group and 20.2±2.8 in the control group. All consent from parents; students and teacher were obtained before the study. The initial sample size was 175 female, a total of 75 in each group. Students who did not continuously participate in the educational session were excluded. Therefore, a total of 128 students was the final study.

The instruments used to measure the health behavior were questionnaires, group discussions, education sessions, t and chi tests to analyze data. The questionnaires designed were based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model structures such as healthy nutrition behavior, perceived benefits of behavior, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and interpersonal influences. It consists of a student’s demographics, information about age, BMI, parent’s background of education and job and income. Health-promoting behavior section had used 4 questions to assess compliance to healthy eating behaviors options like any day of the week, 6- 7 days a week, scores ranging from 4 (highest level of respect for healthy nutrition) to 20 (lowest level of respect for healthy nutrition). For perceived barriers and self-efficacy, 8 questions based on Likert Scale from 1 to 5 points, 1 meaning strongly agree and 5 meaning strongly disagree. For perceived benefits section of the questionnaire, 7 questions scores were ranging from 7 to 35 points and 2 questions on interpersonal norms. The first face of data collection was the questionnaires were distributed among female student and provided sufficient time to finish questionnaires. The second phase was given 4 educational sessions for the samples and 4 educational sessions for mothers. Based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model, students were provided teaching on eating a healthy diet and choosing nutritious foods and obtaining healthy behaviors and educated on the risk of health problems of unhealthy. Moreover research and scientific sources, group discussions were used.

As per Bastable, 2019; Pender’s Health Promotion Model, “emphasis on actualizing health potential and increasing the level of well-being using approach behaviors rather than avoidance of disease behaviors distinguish this model as focusing on health promotion rather than disease prevention.” (pg. 237) The outcome of this study using Pender’s Health promotion Model increased in the teens healthy eating behaviors with emphasizing on self-efficacy perceived benefits and reducing barriers to following a healthy diet. Prior to the education intervention there were not many differences in the control group and experimental group for healthy nutrition behavior, but after education intervention implemented the average healthy behavior increased and also there was a significant increased in self-efficacy in the experimental group which can lead them into changes in feeding behavior, and positive interpersonal norms and decrease in perceived barriers. Therefore, the theory of Pender’s Health promotion model expressed that if proper education and knowledge are given, can make a big difference and make these adolescent girls increase in their self believe willingness and make them feel competent to accomplishment in healthy eating habit and behavior which can lead them to a healthier life in future. Decreased in perceived barriers suggests that adolescent female will have the capabilities to overcome the obstacles and will commit more to follow a healthy diet. Therefore, Pender’s Theory emphasizes that with positive modeling, support from family, teachers, and friends can make a big difference promoting healthy nutrition behaviors in these young girls.

According to U.S Department of Health and Human Services, ‘Typical American diets exceed the recommended intake levels or limits in four categories: calories from solid fats and added sugars; refined grains; sodium; and saturated fat. Americans eat less than the recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, dairy products, and oils. About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet. Since the 1970s, the number of fast-food restaurants has more than doubled. Prevalence of obesity for children ages 12 to 19 years – tripled.’ The prevention measures like healthy eating behavior and habit, daily exercises and engaging in physical activity can prevent a lot of chronic health problems such as obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Lifestyle modification should be done in early age with the help and support from family, schoolteacher so that we don’t enter into the epidemic of America children with obesity and Diabetes.

The study done with adolescent’s girls in Iran roved that Health Promotion theories and Model such as Pender’s can bring a positive change in health-promoting behavior and habit. As health care professionals we can promote awareness on health-promoting behavior like encouraging children and family member choosing healthy eating habit, encouraged children to eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, advised on voiding carbonated beverages, sugary drinks, a limit on fast foods. Emphasize the importance of physically active by exercising at least 30 minutes a day, family members and teacher can motivate children to pick sports they like so children can stay active and avoid all screen time.

References

1. Naserpoor, F., Alavijeh, F. Z., Shahri, P., & Malehi, A. S. (2018). Effect of education based on Pender’s health promotion model on nutrition behavior of adolescent girls. Journal of Research & Health, vol. 8, no. 5, 2018, pp. 394–402.
2. Bastable, S. (2019). Nurse as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
3. HHS Office, & Council on Sports. (2017, January 26). Facts & Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html.

Over the years, smoking tobacco has remained one of the main factors in the increased levels of premature deaths and diseases. As many people know, smoking tobacco is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States. Many of these diseases include respiratory problems and vascular illnesses, which are caused by the many carcinogens found in the smoking of tobacco. Smoking cigarettes can stimulate anxiety on the smoker that is caused by the nicotine it contains. Because these health consequences are not immediate concerns, tobacco smokers are less willing to quit even though there have been efforts to increase public awareness of the dangers of tobacco smoking such as higher taxes and advertisements. Recently, electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) gradually seeped into our lives and have become very popular among the younger generations. These are devices that utilize heat to vaporize substances for inhalation. Although considered a healthy alternative to tobacco cigarettes, the negative health effects of smoking ECIGs are being studied. Some results have shown that ECIGs are associated with increased inflammatory cytokines in epithelial cells and endothelial cell dysfunction. Regardless of the potential benefits of smoking either tobacco or ECIGs, the negative health consequences play a major role in the decreased life expectancy of smokers, leading to the fact that smoking cessation should be heavily implemented. ECIGs are becoming more common among the adolescents because it is so easy to obtain, the variety of the flavors, and the belief that they are safer than traditional cigarettes. The effects that this product has on the brain are caused by the nicotine that the liquid contains. Nicotine stimulates the adrenal glands to release epinephrine hormone. Even if adolescents vape non nicotine products, the chemical that the liquid contains can irritate and damage the lungs. Since vaping is still a new product, the long term effects are not known yet. Also, whenever adolescents start with vape, they are susceptible to start doing other drugs such as marijuana and cigarettes. Although ECIGs are designed for long time smokers, adolescents are buying this product; therefore, adolescents are starting to smoke. Smoking tobacco or vape can also affect you if you play sports. Cigarettes does not only contain nicotine but also other chemical substance that will directly affect your body; therefore, your sports performance. One of the problems you will suffer if you smoke and do sports is that your maximum performance will be diminished. The alveoli that the body has will stop functioning. This means that your body will not be receiving the correct amount of oxygen it requires, which is an essential factor if doing sports. At this time, banning the use of cigarettes and vaping products should be prioritized to avoid teenagers go to the wrong path of doing drugs. Smokers are not the only ones that are affected. Passive smokers also suffer the same consequences of a smoker by being around smokers. Banning these products will also improve the health of both long time smokers and teenagers that are starting to smoke; therefore, reducing the percentage of death that are caused by smoking.

Tobacco is one of the most easily obtained legal addictive drugs and, unfortunately, its consumption has become a daily thing in our society. Although it is true that many smokers know certain negative effects that tobacco can have on their physical health, few can relate their addiction to anxiety. Anxiety is an emotion that puts us on alert, activates us, physiologically and behaviorally, given the possibility that in a given situation we obtain a negative or unwanted result. This results cause people to smoke cigarettes believing that it will “relax” them. It is stated that smokers are more anxious than nonsmoker. This is because it is produced by the nicotine that the cigarettes contain which produces smoking cessation. Panic attacks are also linked by the consumption of tobacco. Smokers are two to four times more likely to suffer from panic attacks than people who have never smoked or who have quit smoking. And people with lung diseases are at an even greater risk. They suffer six times more panic attacks than non-smokers. Lung damage caused from smoking can activate neural pathways in the nervous system induce anxiety and panic attacks. One way to avoid having anxiety and panic attacks is to stop smoking. Banning tobacco products will improve the health of smokers by lessening the chance of having cancer that can produce in the trachea, bronchus, and lungs and reducing anxiety, stress and panic attacks. Recently, an alternative product was created with the purpose for long-term smokers to use instead of cigarettes.

Although vaping is considered a healthier alternative, most of the teens from this generation are starting to vape. Teenage vaping is a bad decision since smoking nicotine can get you addicted to the product, leading you to buy more frequently and potentially make the teen become a drug addict. Vaping can open doors to other drugs such as cigarettes and marijuana. Daily use of ECIGS can lead teens to experiment what smoking marijuana both in its raw form and through other ECIGS devices, as has been common recently with the outbreak of vaping related illness. Teens that start smoking ECIGS will also be tempted to start smoking cigarettes because of the nicotine it contains leading teens to start having anxiety and panic attacks. Although this is an alternative product for smokers, this is an extremely dangerous product for teenagers who are nonsmokers. ECIGS should be banned in order to prevent lung diseases and teenagers to try other drugs. It has already been stated that there were 31 deaths and more than 1000 lung injuries because of the use of ECIGS. Most of the patients that have lung injuries caused by vaping were related to shortness of breath which resembles to pneumonia.

By the simple fact that ECIGs are new, teenagers believe that the ECIGs have no side effect on their body. When it first came out, they announced that there is a sweet flavor in the e-juice (liquid that is vaporized in the electronic cigarettes) such as mango, crème brulee, tropical fruit, and many more. This led adolescents to buy and try this product. The first product that became so popular was the Juul. Teenagers wanted to try this new sensation and since it does not leave an odor they will usually take it to school. Since the product was still new, there was not any law or age restriction for the purchase of the product. For example, in Panama, most of the students around 9th to 12th grade already possess a Juul. One friend of mine has difficulty of breathing because he was vaping since he was little, yet he cannot stop vaping because he got addicted to the product. Everyone was vaping mango pods and will spend 20$ for each packet of pods. And because they started vaping, some started smoking cigarettes and marijuana. The Juul was created to become an alternative product for daily smokers but people took it the wrong way. As a result, teenagers started smoking at a small age.

The action on the brain would be produced by electronic cigarettes that have nicotine in the liquid from the vaping container. The same applies to traditional cigarettes since it also contains nicotine. The nicotine enters the body through cigarettes or vape and activates normal brain structures, known as receptors. When the receptors are activated, they release a chemical called dopamine, which causes a feeling of well-being. The pleasure a person feels in response to dopamine is one of the major components of the nicotine addiction process. Over time, the person that continues to smoke, the amount of nicotine receptors increases in the brain. Addicted smokers have billions more of these receptors than non-smokers; however, not all smokers have the same high level of receptors, and that is why some customary smokers can quit without much difficulty. With nicotine as one of the major components of vape and cigarettes, it makes it difficult for smoker to stop smoking. This chemical also urges the smoker to smoke making it seem as if nicotine is already part of their body. Many people need to resort to some medical treatment to overcome nicotine addiction and cope well with withdrawal symptoms.

Tobacco smoke and vape particularly affects the lungs, which is where the smoke enters. Lesions are seen at different levels of the respiratory system: Increased secretions in the trachea and bronchial tubes, which leads to chronic cough and habitual expectoration. The increase in secretions is associated with an increased risk of infections that are caused by viruses and bacteria associated with chronic bronchitis. Destruction of the surface of the alveoli that produces a decrease in the passage of air. Tobacco use damages the lung since smoking begins. Smoking teenagers already have mild airway obstruction and decreased lung function growth. Women seem to be more susceptible to this than men. Like tobacco, the electronic cigarette produces alterations in lung function. The changes found in respiratory function, such as bronchoconstriction, are smaller than those produced by cigarettes. There is some study that shows that it causes asthma in children, as well as irritation to the eyes, throat and airways. There are no long-term safety data. This new way of smoking also causes pneumonia. Some cases have been described in large consumers, related to glycerol (chemical the e-juice contain) deposition in the lung. There is also a case where an 18 year old woman that vaped for only 3 weeks, producing hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an inflammation of the lungs due to an allergic reaction to chemicals.

Smoking is associated with lower athletic performance since the lungs have lower capacity. As we know, smoking either cigarettes or vape can cause damage to lungs. This lung damages prevent the athletes to make their upmost performance during their matches. It will prevent the body to receive enough oxygen and will make the athletes be tired faster. Stamina is an essential factor for athletes since most of the sports require them to run long distances for a long period of time. For example, my high school friend that started vaping not so long ago was in the soccer team. As he vaped more, his performance began to lower and he could not run as long as he was used to. Tobacco is also a big factor; it causes a decrease in muscle strength and a decrease in muscle flexibility. As you well know, an athlete needs good flexibility and muscular strength to improve their performance. But if tobacco is causing these problems, then the athlete will have it complicated to overcome his results. Smoking marijuana can also affect an athlete’s results. Marijuana can cause an increase in heart rate, even at rest, meaning, it can be a symptom of a small decrease in athletic performance. Many athletes smoke marijuana with the aim of being able to relax. Stress and tension often prevents athletes from relaxing and resting as they should. Based on this, we can say that athletes should not smoke in order to prevent a decrease in their performance.

Tobacco smoke in the environment causes diseases and premature death in not only on teenagers but also in adults that do not smoke and children. Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke irritates the respiratory tract and has immediate harmful effects on the person’s heart and blood vessels. Children and teenagers exposed to tobacco smoke in the environment are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, colds, pneumonia and bronchitis.

In conclusion, because there are so many negative effects on by smoking tobacco and electronic cigarettes, banning the sales of tobacco and electronic cigarettes on teenagers should be prioritized. It will reduce the number of panic attacks and anxiety that are caused by smoking, saves the money spent on cigarettes or electronic cigarettes, improve athlete’s performance during their matches, and prevent teenagers to start doing drugs, and the health issues of many people, even those who does not smoke.

Music therapy and other music-based interventions in paediatric health care

Music therapy can be considered a safe and generally well-accepted intervention in paediatric health care to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. None of the included systematic reviews reported adverse effects of music-based interventions for children and adolescents. This is in line with the findings of a study on the acceptance of specific complementary and alternative medicine modalities, where acceptance was highest for music therapy (Thomas, Monika, Eva Phan, Hannah & Monika, 2019).

Music therapy with relaxation technique

Stress occurs as any unpleasant reaction of people have to undue pressure. Excessive stress has been shown to cause psychosocial health problems, reduced self-worth, academic performance, and healthy self-development. Stress has also been seen as the cause of major health challenges. This study suggested that the efficacy of music therapy with relaxation technique for improving the students’ stress management can be consistent at follow-up. Hence, music therapists, counsellors and psychotherapists should continue to investigate the beneficial effects of music therapy with relaxation on stress management among university students in every part of the world (Medecines, 2019)

Who can benefits from music therapy?

Music therapy can benefit many individuals. The diverse nature of music means it can be applied in the treatment of concerns both physical and psychological. In some instances, the therapeutic use of music has been able to help people in ways that other forms of therapy have not, as it can sometimes elicit responses that may not appear through more traditional forms of treatment. When people find it difficult to express themselves verbally, they may display a greater degree of interest and engagement in music therapy than they would in a more traditional form of therapy. No background in music is required for a person to benefit from this approach. Because music can evoke positive emotions and stimulate reward centers in the brain, music therapy is often able to alleviate symptoms of mental health. This fact, combined with the engaging nature of music and the diversity of music forms, makes music uniquely effective in the treatment of a wide array of physical and mental problems, including depression, anxiety, and hypertension (Good Therapy, 2015).

Influence of music on dance

Song can be portrayed through dance just further enhancing the relationship they share. A song in itself can evoke so many emotions through its lyrics, but when combined with dance the impact it leaves can last a lifetime. There have been many such instances where I have seen dances that will remember for the rest of our life and the most important reason why is because of the music choice. When dramatic music is conjoined with intricate movement, the aesthetic qualities and awe inspiring way it is depicted is one of the best things I have had the privilege to watch. The movements go in sync with the speed of the music and the melody combined with the footwork can definitely be classified as a work of art (The Essence of Dance, 2015).

The psychological functions of music listening

Empirical studies suggest grouping musical functions according to four dimensions: cognitive, emotional, social/cultural, and physiological/arousal-related functions. This raises the question of how our three-dimensional result might be reconciled with the earlier work. We propose that there is a rather straightforward interpretation that allows the four-dimensional perspective to be understood within our three-dimensional result. Cognitive functions are captured by the first dimension (self-awareness); social/cultural functions are captured by the second dimensions (social relatedness); physiological/arousal-related functions are captured by the third dimension (arousal and mood regulation); and emotional functions are captured by the first and third dimensions (self-awareness + arousal and mood regulation) (Thomas S., Peter S., Christine S., & David H. 2013).

Reviewing the effectiveness of music interventions in treating depression

Depression often reduces participation in social activities. Most of us know what kind of music or song “can cheer us up.” It also has an impact on reliability or stamina at daily work and may even result in a greater susceptibility to diseases. Music can be considered an emerging treatment option for mood disorders that has not yet been explored to its full potential (Daniel L., & Thilo H. 2017).

Song therapy for adolescents

Song therapy is used with youngster, it describes how song writing is viewed as a technique that engages children and adolescents in addressing feelings through singing out their creation through familiar music in individual or group counselling. Songs in their diverse forms can be used in social work and counselling practices to help clients find meanings in life (Holmes & Cheung 2014).

The use of music therapy to influence the self confidence

Music Therapy as a Therapeutic Treatment Modality From a review of recent writings, music appears to be effective for therapeutic interactions with adolescents. ‘Music is viewed positively by teenagers since it is an important focus of the adolescent sub-culture. The nature of music as therapy is therefore non-threatening as compared to other forms of treatment’ (Kivland, 1986, p. 9). Kivland sees the need for further exploration of music therapy to increase self-esteem in various adolescent populations. In her study, music therapy was an effective tool for increasing self-esteem in adolescents diagnosed as conduct disordered. Michel and Farrell (1973) investigated whether or not the learning of simple musical performance skills would affect self-esteem in fourteen elementary school-aged black students who were identified as having poor self-esteem determined that skill development in music may be important in increasing self-esteem for the disadvantaged student who has problems (Joy C. 1993).

Discussion of theories

Music is an important component for all people and also plays more than significant in our lives especially for the adolescent behaviour. Music provide sound that composed in a certain rhythms for people to express feelings or to change their mood also dance is a part of this physical movement and also used to express joy or other intense feelings for adolescents lives. Music therapy is certainly has a place in today’s generation. Music so far has a special place in the hearts of people especially in the adolescents around the world and has been proven that this stimulate the brain in a multitude of ways, whether it be through just listening to music, playing an instrument and singing. London Smith (2019) state that Music therapy also helps patients with memory disorders, anxiety, and depression, all through the use of something that is already accessible in everyday life. While regular therapy has similar benefits, there are a lot of people who are not willing to open up about their problems consistently, and would rather find an outlet through music, with music therapy being the perfect opportunity for them.

Overall, this analysis suggest that the principal goals or interventions can be designed to promote wellness, manage stress, reduce pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, and promote physical health.