Youth can experience mental health difficulties for a variety of reasons. Often, these issues are complicated by family dynamics that result in disconnection.
Providing support for youth with mental health conditions requires state-level policies and strategies. This includes promoting help-seeking behaviors, expanding school-based mental health supports and strengthening 988 crisis response systems.
Stress
Stress is a normal part of life for many young people and can have a positive impact when it’s balanced by healthy coping mechanisms. However, too much stress can cause mental health issues, like anxiety and depression. Long-term stress can also lead to physical health problems, like high blood pressure or digestive disorders.
Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to unhealthy stress levels. For example, they may be more likely to have poor mental health if they experience bullying or discrimination. This can be especially harmful for girls, LGBTQ+ youth and other marginalised groups. Parents are well-positioned to help their children manage stress by modelling healthy behaviours, such as prioritising physical self-care, limiting mindless screen time and maintaining supportive social networks. They can also support their teenagers to learn better coping strategies, such as practising mindfulness and embracing hobbies that promote a sense of calm.
Depression
Depression is a common mental health condition that can cause a variety of symptoms, including feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Some of these feelings may be difficult to distinguish from normal teen moods, but if a teen experiences symptoms of depression for more than two weeks, they should seek help from a doctor or mental health professional.
Youth with depression often have trouble in school because they don’t feel motivated or engaged, which makes it harder to concentrate and learn. This can lead to disciplinary problems or low academic performance, and can even be a risk factor for substance abuse and suicide.
If a teen is struggling, encourage them to talk to someone they trust, such as a family member or friend. Alternatively, they can get support from local children and young people’s mental health services (CYPMHS). A feeling of connection at home, school and in the community can protect against depression, substance misuse and other harmful behaviours.
Anxiety
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, it’s a normal human response that can help us alert to danger or sudden change. But when it becomes a constant high-pitched state, it interferes with daily functioning and can cause depression.
Adolescents who suffer from a severe anxiety disorder often have low self-esteem and body image issues, poor school performance, and difficulty maintaining healthy relationships with peers. They can also withdraw from social activity or avoid challenging situations, and become constantly tired, irritable, and tense.
It’s also common for teens with anxiety to have problems sleeping, which can lead to fatigue and other physical symptoms. If your friend has these problems, they may benefit from an assessment by a specialist GP or their local children and young people’s mental health services (CYPMHS). See our guide to CYPMHS for details. Or they can call Childline, a confidential service for young people, on 0800 028 3000 or visit their website.
Suicide
Attempts of suicide and thoughts of suicide are common among adolescents. In 2021, CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) found that almost one third of high school students had attempted suicide, while more than half had seriously considered it (1). These rates are significantly higher for female and LGBTQ+ adolescents (2).
While anyone can become suicidal, there are things that put some teens at a greater risk, including: family history of mental health conditions; alcohol and drug use; struggling with sexual orientation in an unsupportive environment; getting into disciplinary trouble or engaging in high-risk behaviors at school; and poor physical health (3). Fortunately, there are protective factors that can help reduce the risks of suicide and negative outcomes. These include having a supportive network, being physically active, and having positive coping skills (4). The key is to take any talk of suicide seriously, and to get expert help right away. (See the resources below for help finding help.)