Name three common mental health problems that may start in adolescence.

• A. Anxiety, depression, substance use.
• B. Schizophrenia, dementia, OCD.
• C. PTSD, bipolar, ADHD.
• D. Phobias, addictions, insomnia.

Answer: (A)

During adolescence, a lot of change is happening in brains and lives—hormones, increased independence, academic and social pressures. This makes certain mental health problems more likely to begin in this period. Anxiety and depression are particularly common to start in adolescence because worries, mood changes, and stress can become persistent and affect daily functioning. Substance use often begins in adolescence as experimentation with alcohol or drugs; when use becomes problematic, it fits as a mental health concern.

Other options mix conditions that typically don’t arise for the first time during adolescence. For example, schizophrenia often starts in late adolescence to early adulthood, and dementia is usually associated with older age. Some conditions like OCD can appear in adolescence, but they are not among the most common trio that first emerge in this developmental stage.