Teenagers today are talking about their mental health more openly than ever. At the same time, rates of reported anxiety, depression and other mental health problems have risen. So are today’s teenagers really in the midst of a mental health crisis, and what’s driving it?

In the final episode of Coming of Age: The Science of Adolescence, psychologists Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews look beyond the headlines to explore what the research actually tells us about teenage mental health.

They unpack the role of social media and smartphones, academic pressure, poverty and the lasting effects of Covid, as well as a more complicated question: could greater mental health awareness itself be changing how teenagers understand and describe ordinary distress?

Lucy and Jack also explore self-diagnosis, the influence of friends and social media, and why greater openness around mental health can bring both benefits and unintended consequences. Plus, they share practical advice for parents on when to be concerned, what changes in a teenager’s behaviour to look out for and how best to offer support.

Research discussed in this episode:

• Rising rates of mental health problems in children and young people: NHS England, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023
• The role of mental health awareness in rising reported mental health problems: Foulkes & Andrews (2023), The Prevalence Inflation Hypothesis
• The relationship between social media use and adolescent mental health: Fassi et al. (2024), JAMA Pediatrics
• The two-way relationship between problematic social media use and emotional symptoms: Remondi et al. (2026), Journal of Adolescence
• How lockdown affected young people’s happiness and wellbeing: Soneson et al. (2023), European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• How mental health awareness can influence self-diagnosis: Sandra et al. (2025), Psychological Medicine

Why do teenagers do things that seem completely reckless, even when they know the risks? In this episode of Coming of Age: The Science of Adolescence, psychologists Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews explore what’s really happening when teenagers drink too much, break rules, take risks online or make decisions that leave parents wondering, “What were they thinking?” They reveal why risk-taking can be a surprisingly important part of growing up, and why friends can dramatically change the way a teenage brain responds to risk.

They also explore the risks teenagers are actually more cautious about, from embarrassment and rejection to doing something that could threaten their place in a friendship group. Plus, Lucy and Jack share practical advice for parents on when to draw a firm line, when to allow teenagers room to experiment, and why understanding the psychology behind seemingly “stupid” decisions can help us respond differently.

Get in touch at [email protected]

Research mentioned in this episode:

• Andrews, J. L., Foulkes, L. E., Bone, J. K. & Blakemore, S. J. (2020). Amplified concern for social risk in adolescence: Development and validation of a new measure. Brain Sciences, 10(6), 397.
• Chein, J., Albert, D., O'Brien, L., Uckert, K. & Steinberg, L. (2011). Peers increase adolescent risk taking by enhancing activity in the brain's reward circuitry. Developmental Science, 14(2), F1–F10.
• Ellis, B. J., Del Giudice, M., Dishion, T. J., et al. (2012). The evolutionary basis of risky adolescent behavior: Implications for science, policy, and practice. Developmental Psychology, 48(3), 598–623.
• Gardner, M. & Steinberg, L. (2005). Peer influence on risk taking, risk preference, and risky decision making in adolescence and adulthood: An experimental study. Developmental Psychology, 41(4), 625–635.

• Steinberg, L., Icenogle, G., Shulman, E. P., et al. (2018). Around the world, adolescence is a time of heightened sensation seeking and immature self-regulation. Developmental Science, 21(2), e12532.

Why does your teenager suddenly need a very specific pair of trainers, copy their friends’ opinions, or lose interest in family traditions they once loved? In this episode, Lucy and Jack unpack the psychology of peer influence and why fitting in matters so much during adolescence. They explore when teenagers are most susceptible to their friends, how peer influence can shape everything from clothes and risk-taking to anxiety and bullying, and why it can also be a powerful force for good. Plus, they explain what parents can do when they’re worried about the influence a friendship group is having on their child.

Get in touch at [email protected]

Further reading

• Laursen, B. & Veenstra, R. (2021). “Toward understanding the functions of peer influence.” Journal of Research on Adolescence.
• Steinberg, L. & Monahan, K. C. (2007). “Age differences in resistance to peer influence.” Developmental Psychology.
• Salmivalli, C. (2014). “Participant roles in bullying: How can peer bystanders be utilized in interventions?” Theory Into Practice.
• Chierchia, G., Piera Pi-Sunyer, B. & Blakemore, S-J. (2020). “Prosocial influence and opportunistic conformity in adolescents and young adults.” Psychological Science.
• Foulkes, L. et al. (2018). “Age differences in the prosocial influence effect.” Developmental Science.

Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews are research psychologists at the University of Oxford, and in the very first episode of Coming of Age they explore what adolescence really is, and why it's one of the most misunderstood stages of our lives. From why teenagers seem so sensitive to friendships and social status to what the science tells us about identity, popularity and belonging, they unpack the psychology behind behaviours that are so often dismissed as "just being a teenager."

Together, they discuss why adolescence now stretches well into our twenties, why fitting in feels so important during the school years, the surprising difference between being popular and being well liked, and why just one close friendship can make a profound difference to a young person's wellbeing. They also explain why that unanswered text message can genuinely feel catastrophic to a teenager, and how understanding the science can help parents respond with greater empathy.

Get in touch at [email protected]

Research Discussed:

Age range debate:

Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C.(2018). The age of adolescence. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(3),223-228.

Cliques and hierarchies:

Foulkes, L. (2024). Coming of Age: How AdolescenceShapes Us. London, UK: Penguin Random House.

Two kinds of popularity:

Sandstrom, M. J., & Cillessen, A. H. (2006). Likeable versus popular:Distinct implications for adolescent adjustment. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 30(4),305-314.

Prinstein, M. J. (2017). Popular: The Power of Likabilityin a Status-Obsessed World. New York: Penguin.

The emotional pain of rejection:

Sebastian, C., Viding, E., Williams, K. D., & Blakemore, S. J.(2010). Social brain developmentand the affective consequences of ostracism in adolescence. Brain & Cognition, 72(1),134-145.

One good friend is all you need:

Alsarrani, A.,Hunter, R. F., Dunne, L., & Garcia, L. (2022). Associationbetween friendship quality and subjective wellbeing among adolescents: Asystematic review. BMC Public Health, 22(1),2420.

Narr, R. K.,Allen, J. P., Tan, J. S., & Loeb, E. L. (2019). Closefriendship strength and broader peer group desirability as differentialpredictors of adult mental health. Child Development, 90(1),298-313.

Evans-Whipp & Gasser (2019), Teens with at least one closefriend can better cope with stress than those without. Theconversation

Guidance for parents:

Damour, L. (2016). Untangled: Guiding teenage girls through the seventransitions into adulthood. New York: Ballantine Books.

Coming of Age is coming. Oxford psychologists Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews are lifting the lid on why teenagers really do what they do — the science behind friendships, peer pressure, risk-taking and the truth about the "mental health crisis," minus the panic. Subscribe now so you're first in line for episode one.