Adolescent psychosocial growth and development.

This discussion has dealt with the nature of adolescence in the context of our culture. The stages of early adolescence (10 to 13 years), middle adolescence (14 to 17 years), and late adolescence (over 17 years) were examined separately and in some detail. Other characteristics of adolescence in general were examined, as were some of the factors influencing adult-adolescent interactions as well as the relationship between the adolescent and the society. Lastly, some of the ways in which this knowledge can be useful clinically were discussed, along with approaches to working successfully with teenagers and making their care a most enjoyable and rewarding part of clinical practice.