The Prefrontal Cortex: Teenage Brain Development

Every parent of a teenager has found themselves wondering from time to time, “What were they thinking?” after doing or saying something peculiar or misguided. 

Teen brain development can limit how an adolescent sees a situation and how they react to it. Parents can learn the signals so they can determine if their child is going through regular growing pains or if they might be struggling with poor mental health. 

Horizon Recovery treats teenagers aged 13 to 17 who need help learning to manage a mental illness and make wiser choices. We offer inpatient residential and outpatient levels of care that help teens minimize their symptoms of poor mental health and embrace successful futures. 

Learn more about our adolescent mental health treatment programs in Arizona or verify your insurance today.

The Prefrontal Cortex

Brains don’t work the exact same way for everyone at every age in life. Teen brain development is an important time in an adolescent’s life. 

The prefrontal cortex has not yet fully formed by the time a person turns 13. In fact, most people do not experience a fully developed prefrontal cortex until they are in their mid-20s. 

This means sometimes a young person acts out in ways that seem ill-advised, inappropriate, dangerous, or baffling to adults. This is because the prefrontal cortex is responsible for how the person thinks, reasons, judges, and controls their impulses. Without full development, questionable and downright bad decisions are made. 

The brain also includes a region called the amygdala that causes reactions, including fear and acts of aggression. This region develops earlier than the prefrontal cortex, which means the ability to make adult choices won’t come until the prefrontal cortex matures, too. 

In fact, it’s often poor decision-making done during the teenage years that leads to an adult in their 20s and older knowing how to make better choices because of the results of what they did as young people. Many parents find themselves baffled by why their child did something without taking into account that their child’s brain has not yet fully developed.

How Can the Teenage Brain Be Impacted?

Because teen brain development means a person has not yet fully developed their brain, this fact often surfaces in questionable or risky behavior. For example, a teenager might steal a car and go joyriding because they don’t have the full-fledged ability to understand that the results may be an accident, injury, death, or being arrested. They might also binge drink alcohol or use drugs without understanding the potentially dangerous results that can happen. 

Teenagers want their parents to think they are smart and trustworthy, but a parent sometimes needs to step in with their thoughts to try to help their child navigate wiser paths. As well, parents can let them experience the consequences of their choices, such as disciplinary action taken for cheating on a test or skipping school. A teenager is less likely to repeat questionable behavior if they suffer the consequences.

Tips for Talking to Your Teenager

Pick a time when conflict isn’t going on and talk to your teenager to gain a better understanding of what’s going on in their world. Discuss problem-solving skills and ask them for examples of how they have solved past dilemmas. If they have a current struggle going on, walk through their options with them, while making sure you don’t automatically insist on telling them what they have to do.

Let your child know that you are always there to talk to when a challenging situation comes up or the seas of teenage life get rough overall. Sometimes they want someone to offer help, while other times they just need a safe person who will listen to them vent and feel cared for and validated. 

How to Tell If Your Teenager Has a Mental Health Disorder

Every teenager goes through periods of depression or stress, but when emotional or behavioral distress becomes their default setting, it’s time to speak to a professional. 

A mental healthcare clinician can talk to the parents about the symptoms their child exhibits and also talk candidly with the teenager about how they feel, think, and act. The therapist will be able to determine if the child is experiencing normal teen brain development or if they have a diagnosable mental health disorder. 

Treatment for Teen Mental Illnesses

Teenagers with mental illnesses tend to make more progress when their treatment is aimed at their age group. Teens have specific needs and require a safe place to speak openly with therapists. Common types of therapies used to help them ease their symptoms and learn to cope in healthy ways include:

• Clinical therapies
• Holistic therapies
• Family therapy
• Education services
• Independent living skills training
• Neurofeedback therapy
• Medication management

Begin Treatment for Mental Health Disorders for Adolescents in Arizona

Do you suspect your teenager may be suffering from a mental health disorder that influences how they think, act, and feel? 

Horizon Recovery offers an assessment to help determine if a child has a mental illness, which one it is, and which types of therapy will help them improve their symptoms. 

Our licensed facility offers both inpatient residential and outpatient options that include access to multiple types of therapy. Our clinicians also discuss options for prescription medications that help ease your teenager’s symptoms. 

‍Contact us now to discuss how we target a teen’s poor mental health and teach them healthy coping skills that allow them to do well at home and in school, and prepare for a bright future.