Historically, adolescence was thought of as a period of upheaval, emotional turmoil, and “storm and stress” (A. Freud, 1958; Hall, 1904). According to Anna Freud, it was the teenager who did not experience this turmoil who was abnormal. Contemporary research supports a balanced view of the psychological problems occurring during adolescence. On the one hand, epidemiological studies confirm that the majority of individuals pass through adolescence without marked disorder, and only about 20% experience some form of diagnosable disturbance (e.g., Kashani et al., 1987; McGee et al., 1990; Offord et al., 1987; Whitaker et al., 1990). At the same time, studies examining the developmental patterns of certain syndromes (e.g., depression and dysthymia, drug and alcohol abuse, and anorexia and bulimia nervosa) and symptoms (e.g., dysphoria, anxiety, self-deprecation, suicidal ideation, and negative body image) confirm their increased prevalence during the adolescent years, indicating that adolescence is indeed a time of heightened emotional discomfort and negative affectivity.

Perhaps more striking than the increased prevalence of certain specific psychopathologies and emotional distress symptoms is the shift in gender distribution that occurs with adolescence. Before adolescence, it is boys who experience more psychopathology. During adolescence, this gender distribution reverses, with girls showing higher rates of disorder. This reversal can be accounted for by girls' increased risk for a number of specific disorders, including unipolar depression and dysthymia, anxiety disorders, and anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (see, for example, Kashani et al., 1987; Kashani & Orvashel, 1988; Lewinsohn, Hops, Roberts, Seeley, & Andrews, 1993; McGee et al., 1990; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1987; Whitaker et al., 1990). Studies of self-reported problems and symptoms show a similar pattern of gender distribution.