They say that adolescence is one of the most exciting and at the same time stressful stages in the human cycle. Well, we all underwent this stage so we have some idea what its like, unless of course you sprung full grown from your mother’s womb, which is very unlikely. So, are you a parent of an adolescent? Then you may have observed that your son or daughter is showing some unusual behavior like mood swings and anxiety. Some parents really find this kind of behaviors quite perplexing sometimes.

There has been a certain research that shows that a certain hormone may be a cause for these abrupt mood swings and anxiety in teenagers. This hormone called THP or allopregnanolone is a produced by the body when confronted by stressful situations. It serves as a natural tranquilizer in adults and in children, but in teenagers, it just amplifies anxiety. In teenagers the response to stress is amplified and is likely to happen more in girls than in boys. When this happens there is also the increased risk in adolescent suicide attempts.

Professor Sheryl Smith and her team conducted the whole research and published it in the Nature Neuroscience journal. You can check out the journal if you want to know more about it.