"When I tell parents the way their 28-year-old is behaving can be put be down to adolescence, they literally fall off their chairs. It's the same way we talk about eight-year-olds," said Dr. Darryl Cross, an expert in adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Cross believes that research from Great Britain has found that adolescence can start at age eight and extend all the way to age 28 years-old, instead of the previous believed age range of 12 to 21 years old.
"It is related to earlier physical changes with the younger kids and social changes such as staying at home longer with the older kids," said Dr. Cross. "Parents have just not come up with the fact that changes are occurring and how to deal with them."
He and others believe that parents need to set boundaries both earlier and later in their children's lives than previously recommended.
Labels: psychiatry, adolescents
Posted By: Aspen/CRC