Understanding Teen Mental Health
How to talk about Mental health without feeling weird?
According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 5 children ages 3-17 years old had been diagnosed with mental, emotional, or behavioral health condition (2021). The most common diagnosis amongst children/teens are Anxiety, Depression, and Behavioral Health disorders based on US data 2022-2023. Many factors contribute to teenage mental health such as combination of environmental, genetic and social factors. Being able to understand signs and symptoms as well as the contributing factors is crucial for early intervention and gaining support for teens.
This blog will provide tips to help teenagers and their parents identify common symptoms and access helpful resources in their daily lives.
Anxiety in Teens
If you are experiencing anxiety, you are normal. No one doesn’t feel anxious at some time. It is even more common to feel anxious during adolescence because of so many changes taking place in an adolescent’s body, mind, and emotions.
What are the Symptoms of Anxiety in Teenagers?
Anxiety symptoms are experienced and shown in many ways, such as:
- Worry
- Poor concentration
- Poor memory
- Poor attention
- Over sensitivity
- Feeling restless
- Nervousness
- Withdrawal
- Erratic or irrational behavior
- Running away
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Tension
- Fast heart rate
The most common problem in a school setting is ‘test’ or ‘performance’ anxiety, which occurs as a result of fear of failure. When these symptoms are present, follow-up questions may be used by the parent/guardian as guides to determining the nature and extent of their impact:
- Is the anxiety typical for a child of this age?
- Is the anxiety shown in rather specific situations or is it pervasive?
- Is the anxiety long-term or of recent origin?
- What events may be contributing to anxiety symptoms?
- How is the anxiety affecting personal, social, or school functioning?
Depression in Teens
Depression is a very common mental health problem worldwide. Depression is not caused by one thing, but it usually happens because of a combination of things. Between 5-10% of children have a major depressive episode. Some of the signs and symptoms of depression are:
Feelings
sad mood, despair, irritability, anger, hard time sleeping or sleeping too much, no energy, bored, extreme sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, physical aches such as stomachaches and headaches.
Thoughts
Down on self, feeling of not being lovable, hopeless, believe that cannot change things for better, isolation, thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Behavior
Withdrawing, isolation, poor communication, crying often, difficulty with relationships, poor or decline in school performance, substance use, hurting self, suicide attempt.
Parent/Guardian Support for Teens with Depression
Caregiver/Parental support is critical to the treatment of childhood depression. Below are some of the skills and habits that foster children’s mental well-being:
- Routine- Having a routine can serve as an outline for the day, such as having a time for bedtime and mealtime.
- Behavioral Activation- Making a point to schedule enjoyable activities every day, such as being outside, playing board games with family, or cooking together.
- Sleep Hygiene- Winding down at least an hour before bed, turning the screen off, having a bedtime and wake-up time that is followed.
- Socializing- spending time with friends or doing activities outside of the home and school.
- A Chance to Talk- Taking a few minutes to talk about the day, parents/caregivers practicing active listening and not judging or giving advice, unless requested. Just listen.
- Relaxation Skills- Learning and practicing relaxation skills such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and the progressive muscle relaxation technique.
Mental Health Check-Ins
One of the helpful tools that can be done daily is what we refer to as Mental Health Check-in.
Mental Health Check-in consists of 5 questions that every teen can and should ask themselves:
- How am I feeling right now?
- What has been on my mind lately?
- Am I taking care of myself?
- Who in my life can I rely on for support?
- What can I do today to improve my mood or reduce stress?
As you can see, there is a lot that is within our control. Being able to answer these questions honestly and openly is a first step in building self-awareness and can serve as the first step towards positive mental health habits.
Everyone can feel sad or down sometimes. It is important to pay attention when the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are very intense and go on for a long time or get in the way of life. Some symptoms can be dangerous or risky, so it is very important to talk to someone such as a parent, trusted adult, school counselor, doctor, or nurse.
Speak with a Mental Health Expert Today
Additional Mental Health Resources for Teens
Below are some of the helpful websites as well as apps that can be utilized as another source of support:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
https://www.teenline.org
https://www.nami.org/support-education/nami-helpline/teen-young-adult-helpline/
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/07/peer-support-crisis-line-teens
https://www.crisistextline.org
https://nomv.org/nomv-resources/notok-app/
