Teens and Mental Health What to Know What to Do

The numbers are startling. In 2020, emergency room visits involving mental health jumped 31% among 12- to 17-year-olds. One sixth of those in this age group had a major depressive episode. For young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, one-third experienced mental illness — and nearly four million considered suicide.

That’s heavy news, especially when teens are already prone to poor decision-making and vulnerable to turning to alcohol or drugs for escape. But there’s hope, too. Helping teens feel linked to others at their schools and in their families goes a long way to bolstering their mental health, say experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Keep relationships strong
Parents can help by spending time together baking cookies, playing Catan, hiking — or whatever you and your adolescent share an interest in. It’s also helpful to keep communications open with teens and teachers alike, volunteer at school, talk about homework and other activities, and generally stay in-the-know to help teens make healthy decisions.

Know the warning signs
Unlike many health issues, we can’t confirm mental illness with simple diagnostic tests, these are common symptoms to watch for:

• Sadness or withdrawal for more than two weeks
• Attempting or planning to injure self or commit suicide
• Drastic, high-risk behavior that harms self or others
• Unfounded overwhelming fear – possible with a racing heart, trouble breathing, or reports of discomfort
• Significant changes in weight
• Seeing, hearing, or believing things that aren’t real
• Overuse of alcohol or drugs
• Dramatic changes in mood, personality, actions, or sleep
• Difficulty focusing or staying still
• Intense worry that interferes with daily living
• Missing school or falling behind in school