The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated what had been a growing problem for a decade or more, but youth health mental issues are still causing alarming rates of distress. Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts and behaviors all increased during the pandemic.
But most of these conditions are episodic, not permanent, and many can be prevented or managed effectively with treatment and support services.
Risk Factors
While mental health problems can develop at any age, research suggests that adolescence may be particularly vulnerable to certain conditions. This is due to both the hormonal changes of puberty and the social and cultural factors that influence coping styles.
Risk factors include a history of trauma (physical, sexual or emotional), living with domestic violence or a parent with mental illness; and poverty. A lack of healthy relationships is also associated with psychological disorders. Additionally, adolescent girls and LGBTQ youth are at greater risk of poor mental health than their male peers.
Adolescents who live in humanitarian or fragile settings are at higher risk of mental health conditions as a result of their living conditions, stigma, discrimination or exclusion. They are more likely to be orphans and have limited access to quality care, including mental healthcare. They are more likely to experience depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. This is particularly true for adolescents with disabilities, refugees and those living in communities of color.
Symptoms
For many people, mental health problems go hand-in-hand with other risky behaviors like drug use and violence. For teens, they can also lead to poor school performance and higher risks of unintended pregnancy, STDs and HIV.
It can be hard for parents to know when their kids may have a problem. Some signs to watch for include falling grades, no longer going out with friends or losing interest in things they used to enjoy.
Other symptoms can be more serious, including depression or bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings), post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. These disorders are more common among girls than boys. A growing number of adolescent girls report experiencing anxiety, mood or attention disorders, as well as substance abuse or eating disorders. This has been attributed to rising levels of bullying behavior, education-related pressures and shifts in puberty onset among girls. Most mental health disorders have their onset in childhood or youth. Obstetrician-gynecologists are likely to encounter adolescent patients with these disorders and may need to refer them for treatment or counseling.
Treatment
Youth who have mental health problems need access to treatment, support, and peer and family networks. They also need to be empowered to regulate their emotions, have alternatives for risk-taking behaviors and relationships, and know how to seek help.
Youth may experience mental health problems at home, at school, and in their community. They might be mislabeled or stigmatized because of their behaviors, and they can become withdrawn from friends and family members. This isolation can lead to more serious problems.
Many families don’t recognize when their kids have a mental illness, and they might not know how to get help for them. But there are warning signs that parents and other adults should look for: declining grades, not going to school as much as usual, or sleeping a lot more than usual.
Prevention
We need to better understand youth mental health trends by increasing timely data collection and research, including a greater emphasis on the relationship between technology and mental health. We also need more transparency on the part of technology companies.
Preventive interventions that limit the incidence of mental disorders in adolescence and early adulthood could substantially improve lifetime economic, educational, and health outcomes. The population-level effectiveness of universal and selective preventive interventions depends on the empirical values of
We need to educate communities about the importance of mental health, and reduce negative stereotypes, bias, and stigma around mental illness. This is especially important in populations that have outsized influence over youth, such as families, teachers, clergy, health care professionals, employers, juvenile justice officials, and online influencers. Educating the community can help to foster open dialogue about mental health needs and increase awareness of risk factors.