Amid a growing global mental health crisis, young people have been particularly affected. Feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness have steadily risen, as has suicide, especially among girls and LGBTQ+ youth.
Many underlying factors contribute to these trends, including climate change, family environments, educational pressures, and socio-economic precarity. Learn about ways to address these issues.
Treatment
Having access to mental health services that are specifically geared towards youth allows young people to receive the care that they need. These services can help them learn coping skills, overcome their challenges, and improve the overall quality of their life.
The rise in anxiety and depression among teens highlights a global public health crisis. The causes of these issues are complex and varied. They include climate change, family environment, educational pressures, socio-economic precarity and intergenerational inequality. But these factors alone only partially explain why feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness have surged, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Policies to reduce economic inequalities, improve education systems and provide health and social safety nets can have profound impacts on youth mental health. Psychologists are working to address these trends and identify solutions. These may include group therapy, in which participants meet regularly with other youth facing similar problems to talk about their struggles and support each other.
Prevention
While treatment options are available to mitigate mental health challenges, there are many ways to prevent these issues. Prevention strategies can include teaching children and adolescents how to practice mindfulness and regulate their emotions. They can also include providing family members with tools and resources to cope with stressful situations.
Research shows that social connection and supportive relationships are strong predictors of positive mental health outcomes. Therefore, efforts to promote social connection in adolescents and adults through peer mentoring, teleconsultation, and community programs are important. Moreover, modifiable lifestyle factors such as sleep, diet, activity, and sunshine are also important.
Youth mental health is a global issue that requires sustained investments in innovative research and prevention. In addition, policies must prioritize the needs of vulnerable populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, foster youth, and those involved with the criminal justice system. Furthermore, these policies should prioritize mental health promotion, prevention, and recovery initiatives that are grounded in evidence.
Education
A variety of resources are available to help youth learn about mental health issues and develop healthy coping strategies. Parents and other adults can help by modeling healthy behavior, providing a stable home environment, and creating positive school communities. They can also minimize adolescent access to weapons and other means of self-harm, and encourage them to seek professional help for emotional distress.
Many youth-led initiatives, particularly those in resource-limited settings, are leveraging peer support programs and digital platforms to address the needs of youth with mental health challenges. These efforts show promising results and could be expanded to reach a wider population of young people.
Schools can also adopt innovative policies to promote a healthy and safe learning environment, including student wellness centers and trauma-informed care. These policies can include supporting students who need to miss class due to mental health-related reasons and defining clear protocols for responding to a student in crisis. They can also encourage a strong and supportive culture that fosters social belonging.
Support
Parents, teachers, doctors, clergy, coaches and other trusted adults can help children and teens find mental health support. There are also many online resources available, as well as peer-to-peer support groups that offer a safe place to discuss feelings and build skills.
Addressing risk factors can make a big difference for youth mental health. For example, living in a neighborhood with high rates of violence or compromised air or water quality may increase the risk of depression or other mental health challenges. Children and youth who are bullied or experience discrimination face greater challenges than their peers.
Psychologist researchers are working to improve screening and treatment options for adolescents. For instance, new recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest anxiety and depression screenings for all children and adolescents. These tests can be provided by primary care physicians and most health insurance plans cover them without out-of-pocket costs. They are particularly important for young people with limited access to medical or other professional support.