Adolescents with poor mental health experience a range of problems that can affect their decision making, school and family life. Prevention strategies like helping youth feel connected to school and their families can prevent many of these issues from developing, including drug use and violence.
Help children and adolescents develop strong relationships with their families and supportive community members. Reduce risk-taking behaviors and provide safe and positive online environments.
Adolescence is a time of transition
Adolescence is a time of emotional and physical transition for youth. This period is a critical part of their psychological development, and it can be characterized by intense feelings that are tumultuous and unpredictable. While some of these feelings are a normal part of human development, others can lead to mental health disorders.
Adolescents need to be able to express and regulate their emotions so they can make healthy decisions in life. They also need to have a strong support system and social networks. Adolescents who have strong family and community connections are less likely to develop mental health disorders, and they can more easily find help when they are struggling.
Youth mental health programs help children and teens understand how to recognize the warning signs of mental health problems and know where to get help. They also teach them to practice healthy lifestyle habits, like getting enough sleep and eating well. These programs also focus on teaching them how to cope with stress and anxiety.
Adolescents are resilient
Adolescence is a time of extreme highs and lows that can feel like a roller coaster. This is partly due to hormonal fluctuations, but it’s also a key period in developing resilience. Studies show that adolescents who are resilient to adversity have better functioning in childhood and in young adulthood. They are also more likely to have healthy relationships and a positive outlook on life.
Mental health problems in adolescence can lead to a variety of negative outcomes, including drug and alcohol abuse, poor grades, and dangerous sexual behaviors that can cause HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy. Fortunately, the same prevention strategies that promote mental health—like helping students feel connected to school and family—also help prevent many of these negative experiences.
To build a child or teen’s resilience, it’s important to help them identify their strengths. You can do this by introducing them to people who have overcome challenges and talking about your own experiences with setbacks. You can also help them develop healthy habits, such as physical activity, yoga and meditation, and a diet of wholesome foods.
Adolescents are social
Adolescents form bonds with group members to gain access to valuable resources. They are able to estimate the value of these bonds and adjust future interaction investment accordingly. Better-than-expected outcomes with individual group members (positive prediction errors, PE+) – for example, receiving social support from Diego – increase the adolescent’s estimates of both the relative and specific social value of that relationship. Conversely, repeated experiences with worse-than-expected outcomes within a group (repeated PEs-) – for example, failing to receive support from Jared – reduce the adolescent’s individual bond value and the overall social value of that group membership.
Youth who build healthy relationships and connections with their peers are at a lower risk of developing mental health conditions in the future. They also have an advantage when it comes to learning the warning signs of mental health conditions and how to cope with them. Promote healthy behaviors among adolescents by providing educational materials, training, and mentorship opportunities.
Adolescents are vulnerable
Many health and behavioral problems begin during adolescence, including drug use, violence, sexually transmitted diseases, low academic achievement, and dropping out of school. These risk behaviors often go hand-in-hand with mental health problems like anxiety and depression. The same prevention strategies that support mental health—like helping teens feel connected to their school and family—can help reduce these risks.
It is important to recognize the challenges that adolescent mental health faces. Spreading awareness will surface deep and honest conversations and prevent warning signs from being dismissed as a normal part of teenage life. This will also encourage nurses to take action when adolescent mental illness becomes apparent. This will reduce the likelihood of a young person relying on unhealthy coping mechanisms and developing a negative view of their life that can lead to a mental illness. Moreover, knowledge of the relative size of different problems and opportunities for risk reduction will allow nurses to develop differentiated interventions.