What defines culture? Culture is not limited to race or ethnicity. It may include your religion, political values, personal values, and your community. Culture, ultimately, is how you define yourself. Many adolescents strive to gain their own personal identity, one that may or may not be defined by their parents or guardians. Identity formation is one of the most important tasks for adolescents within their development. Adolescents form their identities by exploring many roles and may feel pushed to succeed in many aspects of their lives, which can lead to stress. Culture may affect how well adolescents manage stress, as well as the amount of family support or pressure they receive.

For this Discussion, select a culture of interest to you. Think about a type of stress adolescents may experience within that culture. Then consider culturally sensitive interventions that may address that type of stress. Finally, think about how personal biases can affect an intervention.