A new study led by Patrick Hill, a postdoctoral research associate in psychology, suggests that feeling invulnerable to depression, low self esteem and other issues safeguards young people’s emotional health during the turbulent years of adolescence and perhaps into adulthood.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. A sense of invulnerability isn't a hallmark of youth as many adults may believe nor is it necessarily detrimental, a new study suggests. However, feeling immune to the problems and threats that affect others can be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether people believe they're exempt from psychological risks or physical harm. While feeling invulnerable to physical danger can lead adolescents into risky behavior and negative outcomes such as substance abuse, perceiving themselves as impervious to self-doubt, depression and other mental and emotional difficulties that affect their peers has positive implications - promoting well-being, healthy adjustment and coping during the turbulent years of adolescence and perhaps across the lifespan, the study authors said. Using the Adolescent Invulnerability Scale, nearly 250 seventh and eighth graders rated how susceptible they felt to physical risks and psychological or personal distress. Participants also were assessed on depressive symptoms, delinquent behavior and their alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The study provides "a nuanced look at invulnerability," confirming that it confers benefits - in addition to posing risks - for early adolescents, said Patrick Hill , a postdoctoral researcher in psychology at the University of Illinois and the lead author of the study, which appears in the August edition of the Journal of Early Adolescence.
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