be psychological, physiological, or both. This perception of stress is significant in several ways; however, one of the most important is the recognition that it is not the actual harmfulness of a stressor that is the only way in which a stressor can cause damage. The perception of harmfulness can also cause damage.
Relationships between adolescents and their parents frequently are characterized by conflict and disharmony. High levels of disharmony in relationships within families reflect the unmet needs of the family members--both the adolescents and the parents.
The problems involved in disharmonious relationships between adolescents and their parents frequently are complex in character. A failure by adolescents, parents, and social support professionals to both recognize and support existing bonds during periods of family stress represents an important unmet need of families that include adolescents (Nickman and Lewis, 1994, pp. 753-755). A failure of both parents and social support professionals to provide appropriate psychotherapy for both the adolescents and the parents reflects a second unmet need of families that included adopted adolescents.
Anxiety is a factor identified in the literature as a major problem among adolescents that is associated with the stresses of family environments (Dixon, Heppner, & Anderson, 1991, pp. 51-56). Socialization has been found to aid subjects in the anxiety coping process (Jorgensen & Dusek, 1990, pp. 503-513). Socialization, however, is often a daunting prospect for some adolescent. Among the many effects that may be associated with a failure to cope with anxiety by adolescents are decreased cognitive performance, loss of control, serious social problems and anxieties, and a variety of psychological problems, including depression (Dixon, 1991, pp. 51-56).
Depression stems from a variety of factors, including isolation, loneliness, despair, boredom, separation from loved...