Overview Of Adolescence

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Human life completes its journey through various stages and one of the most vital stage is adolescence. It is a period of transition from a child to an adult and the individual encounters both physical and psychological changes, therefore there is a demand for new social roles to take place. The adolescents due to these changes often face a number of crises and dilemmas. JB. Patnaik stated, “In this youthful, human resource lies the promise and potential of becoming a healthy, strong and egalitarian society. This however, comes with the onerous responsibility on the part of the state and civil society actors, including parents and guardians, to nurture and harness the energy and potential of these adolescents” (Hindustan Times, 2011).
More than half of all adolescents globally live in Asia. In absolute numbers, South Asia is home to around 340 million adolescents. It is followed by East Asia and Pacific region with around 277 million adolescents (UNICEF, 2016). India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 (Demographics of India, 2016) and India has the largest adolescent population in the world being home to 243 million adolescents …show more content…

The health status of an adolescent determines their health status in adulthood. Many serious diseases in adulthood have their roots in adolescence. The main health issues faced by the adolescents include: Mental Health Problems, Early Pregnancy and Childbirth, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexually Transmitted Infection (HIV/STI) and other infectious diseases, violence, unintentional injuries, malnutrition and substance abuse (Sivagurunathan, 2015). Adolescents’ exploring and experimenting behavior, often propel them towards risk-taking and exposure towards unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other STIs, substance abuse and unintended injury (Nath,

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