Commentary
The following are some behaviors that may be signs of emotional disturbances in adolescents:
- The adolescent is withdrawn for long periods of time and shows no interest in others
- The adolescents has no friends of the same age and is not integrated into a peer group
- The adolescent is docile, never acts independently, never initiates activities
- The adolescent continually runs away
- The adolescent frequently gets into fights, physically abuses others, and shows unrelenting anger over minor irritations
- The adolescent’s emotional state moves from high to low without any intervening or leveling off
- The adolescent is consistently depressed, preoccupied with death, or threatens or attempts suicide
- The adolescent engages in indiscriminate sexual activity with a number of partners
- The adolescent is often drunk or under the influence of drugs
- The adolescent loses a dangerous amount of weight or engages in food binges, frequently vomits after meals, and alternately experiences bouts of excessive eating and starving out of excessive concern for appearance