News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

A study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found adults arent the only ones stressed-out by the economy and performance expectations. Kids are feeling the pressure, too -- but many parents aren't aware of the degree to which stress is affecting their children..

An APA press release that announced the study's findings included the following details:

• Teens and tweens were more likely than parents to say that their stress had increased in the last year.
  
• Nearly half (45 percent) of teens ages 13-17 said that they worried more this year, but only 28 percent of parents think their teen's stress increased.
• While a quarter (26 percent) of tweens ages 8-12 said they worried more this year, only 17 percent of parents believed their tween's stress had increased.
• Similarly, only 2-5 percent of parents rate their child's stress as extreme (an 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale) when 14 percent of tweens and 28 percent of teens say they worry a lot or a great deal.
  

"It's clear that parents do not fully appreciate the impact that stress is having on their kids," says psychologist Katherine C. Nordal, PhD, APA's executive director for professional practice, said in the release. "What we're seeing with stress is in line with existing research about parents' perception of their kids' engagement in risky behaviors. Parents often under report drug use, depression and sexual activity in their children. Now it appears the same may be true for stress."

Labels: stress, parental-involvement, awareness

Posted By: Aspen/CRC