Teenagers stabilise emotionally with age

London: Adolescents' mood swings decline gradually as they get older, finds a new study that is reassuring to parents about their moody teens.The findings would also help identify when instability is considered risky and requires intervention. Adolescence is typically regarded as a period of heightened emotionality.

"We found that early adolescence is the period of the greatest volatility, but adolescents gradually stabilise in their moods," said study co-author professor Hans M. Koot from VU University Amsterdam.

During the course of adolescence, teens' moods became more stable for happiness, anger, and sadness, the study found. Although girls had higher variability than boys in happiness and sadness, the rate of change across adolescence was similar for both sexes.

"An important message to teens, parents, and teachers is that temporary mood swings during early adolescence might actually be normal and are not necessarily a reason to worry," Koot added.

Researchers followed 474 middle- to high-income Dutch adolescents from ages 13 to 18. Forty percent of these adolescents were at high risk for externalising behaviours (e.g., aggressive or delinquent behaviour) at age 12.