Why are Teenagers More Susceptible to Changing Emotions?

Most parents of teens understand that dealing with mood swings is a natural part of teenage development. Teens might be more irrational, impulsive, or sensitive than other age groups due to the sensitive nature of their developing brains. 

Due to a rise in hormones, biological changes in the brain, and identity exploration—teens are often more susceptible to changing emotions. Especially if they lack effective coping skills to manage stress, communicate how they are feeling, or overcome their emotional episodes in a positive way. 

It’s important for parents to understand why their teens are more vulnerable to experiencing heightened emotions and how to help them manage stress, reduce the risk of mental health problems, and ensure their success in adulthood. 

Teens and Their Context 

Understanding the context of teens is helpful for parents and any adult who works with teens to better understand their experience and provide them with effective support. Teens are at a particularly higher risk than other age demographics for developing anxiety, depression, or mood disorders. These can be triggered by a combination of biological development, hormones, outside influences, and if they lack healthy skills to manage these feelings. 

Teens are exploring who they are, and their place in the world. They are also experiencing several emotions for the first time in their lives and without the proper education, may lack the tools to identify and express these emotions. 

Teens today are also growing up in a changing digital landscape, marked by social media, hypersexualization, economic instability, and the threat of climate problems. These societal influences can all play a role in how teens perceive the world and their emotional responses.  

The Daily Life of A Teen 

Adults often brush off the thought that their teen has anything to worry about. However, this vulnerable period is filled with its own set of stress. School plays a large role in the mental health and emotional development of teens, with many teens reporting academics as the number one trigger of their anxiety.  

As teens explore their identities, gain independence and new responsibilities, this can also cause shifting emotions. Teens may question relationships with friends & family, question their purpose, passions, values, and ruminate on the future of adulthood. This increase in cognitive awareness can be overwhelming, leading to emotional outbursts or mood swings we typically associate with teens. 

Puberty and Mental Health 

Puberty is a time when teens begin to mature physically, sexually, and emotionally. Puberty may look different for each teen, often starting earlier in girls. This time can increase the risk of developing underlying mental health problems, especially if that teen is genetically susceptible, comes from an unstable home environment, or has experienced trauma in childhood. 

Hormones play a critical role in puberty and influence neurotransmitters in the brain that control mood & emotions. Testosterone in boys is associated with higher rates of aggression. This can make them more angry, violent, and prone to getting into fights. In teen girls, the hormone estrogen increases, which can cause sadness, irritability and heighten overall emotional responses. The teenage body may respond to outside stressors by activating certain hormones and increasing activity in the nervous system. 

Other than hormones, the brain is also going through structural changes and forming new neural connections that can impact mood & emotions. There is a disconnect in the teen brain between the limbic system and the pre-frontal cortex. These tend to develop at different speeds. 

The limbic system is the area of the brain that controls emotions, reward, and motivation. The amygdala plays a large role in this region and can make teens react more emotionally than logically. The pre-frontal cortex, which tends to develop in the later parts of teen puberty, is what balances this overactive amygdala. The PFC is responsible for logical decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.    

What Factors Affect Your Teens’ Mood 

Other than the underlying biological changes that are happening in your teen’s brain, several outside influences can affect their mood. These can be environmental and psychological factors that trigger certain emotional responses in teens depending on the situation. Some common factors that affect your teens’ mood include: 

• Self-esteem
• Identity exploration
• Unstable relationships with parents, family, or peers
• Trauma
• Being a victim of bullying or gossip 
• Lack of sleep 
• Academic pressure
• Performance pressure in sports or extracurriculars 
• Pressure to conform to societal standards 
• Social media 
• Exposure to challenges or stress 
• Feeling misunderstood, unheard, or invalidated 
• Everyday stress 

What Can We Do As Parents 

Parents often know their teens the best and play the most influential role in healthy emotional development. As a parent, you can help your teen thrive by modeling emotionally healthy behaviors in the home and helping them build the skills to process & express how they are feeling. These may include: 

• Value your teens’ identity and give them the space to explore who they are and who they want to be 
• Teach your teen to identify emotions and how to communicate them 
• Promote healthy coping skills for stress reduction (journaling, mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises) 
• Validate their feelings and avoid judging them for having emotional outbursts 
• Ensure they are getting enough sleep and eating properly 
• Don’t engage during times of high emotions. Allow them to cool off before returning to the conversation 
• Manage your anger and model healthy self-care habits 

Texas IOP for Teens 

If you identify warning signs of emotional problems in your teen, reach out for professional support to help them navigate these challenging times. Our intensive outpatient program offers flexible counseling services & evidence-based therapies such as CBT to help teens address the root of mental health issues. IOP will help your teen set goals for long-term recovery, develop healthy habits, and build the life skills for future success. 

At Clearfork Academy our team of compassionate, licensed therapists understands the complex nature of mental health disorders in teens. Reach out to our Admissions team to learn more. 

Sources

Nedjat S. Academic Stress and Adolescents Mental Health. National Library of Medicine. 

Nagel BJ. The effects of age, sex, and hormones on emotional conflict-related brain response during adolescence. National Library of Medicine. 

Hare TA. The Adolescent Brain. National Library of Medicine.