Addressing high-risk behaviors among adolescents – Need of the hour; mental health perspective

Adolescence is the developmental period between childhood and adulthood. It involves biological, cognitive, socio, and emotional changes and typically spans from 12 to 18 years of age. High-risk behavior is defined as acts that increase the chance of illness or injury, which may result in mortality, disability or social issues. The present article is written based on clinical experience, real incidents reported in newspapers, and a review of the literature to understand the high-risk behaviors among adolescents and subsequently suggest possible psychoeducational interventions to minimize the high-risk behaviors among adolescents by psychiatric social workers.