Supporting Teens: What Adults Should Know and When to Step In
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the challenges faced by individuals living with mental health conditions. Since 1949, May has been designated as a period to educate the public and support access to treatment.
It is important to give mental health the same level of attention and care as physical health, as the two are deeply interconnected and essential to an individual’s overall well-being. This is especially true for adolescents and young adults, making it critical to address mental health during their developmental years. Parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults play a vital role in supporting young people by helping them navigate challenges and serving as a connection to resources that promote healthy lives.
It is important for adults to understand that young people experience unique circumstances that can affect their mental health. Factors such as social media, school environments, peer relationships, and ongoing identity development create daily pressures for today’s youth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10–19 experience a mental health disorder, with depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders among the leading causes of illness and disability in this age group. For these reasons, prioritizing early intervention is critical to preventing long-term health challenges.
Parents, caregivers, and other adults can have a positive impact by supporting young people in their lives throughout these developmental years. One way adults can do this is by actively listening when young people are open about what is happening in their lives and how those experiences make them feel. The key is to listen without judgement or interruption and without immediately trying to provide solutions. Adolescents and young adults need to experience adults validating their feelings even when those are difficult to express and understand. Sometimes, adults underestimate the impact that openness, understanding, and empathy can have on adolescents and young adults. For many young people, being vulnerable about the challenges they are facing may be difficult, so it is important for adults to reaffirm them by letting them know asking for help is a strength and not a weakness. They can also encourage them to continue having these conversations with them by remaining open and available to them.
Adults should also understand when it is appropriate to seek professional help. Support from a mental health provider should be considered if adults notice changes in a young person’s mood or disruptions in their social life, peer relationships, or family relationships. If you know a young person between the ages of 11 and 25 who could benefit from professional support, Teen Health Connection is a resource available to them. With 11 licensed behavioral health clinicians, we specialize in adolescent development and provide outpatient individual and family therapy to address concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, family conflict, and more.
Mental Health Awareness Month is an important time to raise awareness about behavioral health challenges. However, at Teen Health Connection, we prioritize education and support every day. We encourage parents, caregivers, and other adults to continue learning ways to support the young people in their lives and to utilize Teen Health Connection as a trusted resource.
Written by – Isaiah Griffin
References:
MindHues. (n.d.). The role of parents in supporting teen mental health. https://mindhues.com/the-role-of-parents-in-supporting-teen-mental-health/
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Adolescent mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
Connor, C., & Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West Midlands (CLAHRC-WM) Youth Mental Health (2017). Listen and learn: engaging young people, their families and schools in early intervention research. Medical humanities, 43(2), 124–129. https://doi.org/10.1136/medhum-2016-011090
