High levels of stress are also
detected in this life stage, which in turn are associated with psychopathology.In addition, variability in
mental illness severity was found among youths in relation to age and gender. Overall, compared to late adolescence (age
15e19), early adolescence (age 12e14) is characterized by substantive developmental transitions, such as change from elementary to middle school, different peer expectations, and novel roles and relationships
within the family and other life contexts. These transitions account for higher mean levels of stress, anxiety and
depression among early than late adolescents. Moreover, irrespective of age, girls generally fare worse than boys