Study finds teen stress could affect health later in life

The teenage years are a time of monumental change, so parents may be apt to shrug off negativity as a phase.

But what happens when a teenager has chronic conflict with his peers?

THE TEENAGE YEARS ARE A TIMEOF MONUMENTAL CHANGE, SOPARENTS MAY BE APT TO SHRUGOFF NEGATIVITY AS A PHASE.

BUTWHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TEENAGERHAS CHRONIC CONFLICT WITH HISPEERS?

NEW THIS MORNING-- WELOOK AT HOW ISSUES YOUR TEENIS DEALING WITH NOW-- COULDIMPACT THEM YEARS DOWN THEROAD.THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING ATEEN.

MANY OF US CAN RELATE"Iremember it was constantlystressful for me.

I was alwaysstressed, because of myhormones."WHETHER IT'SHORMONES, OR FRIENDS, OR FEAROF THE FUTURE, IS TEEN ANGSTHERE TODAY AND FORGOTTENTOMORROW?think we're beyond itand we're not as far beyond itas we'd like to be and itmatters more, and sticks withus longer."DEVELOPMENTALPSYCHOLOGIST JOSEPH ALLENRECRUITED MORE THAN 180- 13YEAR OLDS... AND TRACKED THEIRPROGRESS FOR 15 YEARS.

THEYINTERVIEWED THE TEENS, THEIRPARENTS, AND FRIENDS HOW THEYHANDLE CONFLICT.ONCE THOSETEENS BECAME ADULTS... THEYTRACKED HOW THEY HANDLEDROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS... ANDEVEN TOOK A BLOOD TEST TOCHECK OVERALL HEALTH.

THERESULTS?

TEENS WHO GREW UPAROUND A LOT OF STRESS HADPROBLEMS WITH THEIR IMMUNESYSTEMS!"It's calledinterleukin-6 and it has beenlinked to everything fromtumor formation to arthritisto early mortality.ALLEN SAYSTHE FINDINGS SUGGEST THE BODYDOES REMEMBER TEEN CONFLICTAND THAT COULD HURT ONE'SHEALTH YEARS LATER."Conflictis not something that istrivial."ALLEN SAYS PARENTSSHOULD TALK OPENLY WITH TEENSABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION.BECAUSE THE BETTER THEY HANDLEIT NOW-- THE BETTER THEY'LL BEIN THE FUTURE.AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T GROW UPAROUND A LOT OF CONFLICT, IFYOU HAVE TROUBLE COMMUNICATINGOR DEALING WITH STRESSFULSITUATIONS AS AN ADULT... THATCONFLICT YOU FEEL CAN IMPACTYOUR YOU MAY FEEL RUN DOWN,HAVE SKIN BREAKOUTS ORRASHES-- AND YOU CAN EVEN GETSICK BECAUSE OF THAT ADDEDSTRESS.