Teen Mental Health: What You Need To Know

Teen mental health consists of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. While mental health is important at every stage of life, adolescence is a crucial period in developing the socioemotional learning to maintain the necessary habits for mental health. Mentally healthy teens are able to think, feel, and act in productive and positive ways, which enables them to deal with stress, relate to others, and make sound decisions.

Change is difficult at any age, but during adolescence our teens are too often exposed to unhealthy attitudes, images, and ideas that have been popularized as glamorous and realistic that have a negative impact on their mental health. Recent statistics suggest that almost 50% of adolescents have had some type of mental disorder.

Many factors can contribute to mental health problems, including biological factors, like genes or brain chemistry, life experiences like trauma or abuse, any family history of mental health problems, or socioeconomic problems. Additionally, teens are vulnerable to other risk factors that have a clear association with impacted mental health and can add another layer of challenging in regard to treatment, including:

• Desire for greater autonomy
• Pressure to conform with peers
• Discovery of sexual identity
• Excessive access to technology
• Pervasive media influence
• Suppressive gender norms
• Violence (such as harsh parenting and bullying)
• Sexual violence or assualt

Currently, thousands of teens across the country are impacted by the lack of structured socialization due to distancing learning, social distancing and other public health measures put in place as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Teens really struggle with isolation from friends, as they often rely on connecting with others to feel good. In a society that is more connected than ever via the Internet, the social disconnection that our teens are facing can seem ironic. Regardless, the present circumstances can negatively impact mental health by adding to stress or making anxiety and depression worse for teens who already struggle with those conditions.

In addition to considering the effect of living conditions, we must also recognize the implications of cultural stigma, discrimination or exclusion, and lack of access to quality services on mental health, too. According to the World Health Organization, this may apply to teens living in humanitarian and fragile settings; adolescents with chronic illness, autism spectrum disorder, an intellectual disability or other neurological condition.

Pregnant adolescents, adolescent parents, or those in early and/or forced marriages; orphans; and adolescents from minority ethnic or sexual backgrounds or other discriminated groups are also factors.

Generally, the more risk factors that adolescents are exposed to, the greater the potential impact on their mental health. These factors can manifest in more visible changes that occur for young people, like issues in friendships, life transitions, puberty and/or physical changes, sense of self-identity.

If your teen is experiencing problems with their mental health, their thinking, behavior, and mood could be significantly impacted. When experiencing mental health conditions, it is critical to receive quality and culturally responsive care.

Teen Mental Health| Realities for Black Teens

Unfortunately, racial disparities in mental health access and treatment exist, and can have detrimental, lasting consequences for black teens. Recently, the Congressional Black Caucus issued a report that shows white youth still die by suicide at a higher rate, but the rate of black youth suicide has been increasing faster than any other racial or ethnic group.

There is a significant need for improved cultural awareness and responsiveness in the institutions that serve black teens. Specifically, schools and healthcare systems can play a major role in either helping to mitigate the disparities in terms of access and treatment or intensifying mental health conditions. As a result, there is a high risk that students, particularly black students, can suffer from the indifference and ignorance of an environment that does not promote mental health for all.

We all have likely seen or heard of despicable actions in schools – like a black student turned away from school simply due to their hairstyle or groups of black children being forced to reenact American history as enslaved people – occurring across the country. Further, when black teens seek treatment, they are offered medication or therapy at lower rates than the general population. 

At the end of the day, all children in every community deserve their best chance at success, and mental health is key to achieving it. Leaving mental health concerns unaddressed in adolescence can result in impairing physical and mental health conditions extending to adulthood.

While the current mental health realities for black teens are often dismal, it’s important to remember that mental health concerns are treatable, and suicide is preventable. With mental health support and prevention, teens have more capacity to regulate emotions, consider alternatives to risk-taking behaviors, strengthen resilience for difficult circumstances or adversities, and support others in social environments and networks.

Supporting Teen Mental Health

Mental health support and treatment is highly individual, so what may work for one teen might not work for another, but there is a wide variety of effective ways to manage teen mental health. Parents, educators, counselors, or any adult with regular interaction with teens can cultivate a safe space to promote mental wellness. These kinds of supportive environments are important at school, at home, and in the community.

But, when schools adopt a culturally responsive curriculum, maintain high academic standards and expectations, and address unconscious or implicit bias in the classroom, students will feel safe, supported, and engaged.

At home, a loving and supportive relationship with their parents can provide great support for teens, especially those who struggle with mental health issues or experience adversity in school settings. Teaching teenagers the fundamentals of self-care can also support mental health. When we guide teenagers to be more mindful of their mental, emotional, and physical state, they are positioned to be able to make positive adjustments that directly influence their mental health.

To start, be sure to normalize emotions like fear, anger, excitement, and frustration. This helps teens feel less isolated. Plus, recognizing emotions and learning to express them in healthy ways allows teens to put their own solutions in place. Physical health is also important for mental health, so parents should encourage an active lifestyle, healthy eating and regular sleep too.

By creating opportunities for self‐expression, reflection and self‐understanding through the development of relationships between members with trust and reciprocity, The Blue Heart Foundation is dedicated to the mental health of underserved African American youth in our community. 

We are excited to launch our signature mental wellness program, The Mindful Heart, in 2021. This program is structured to help black teens manage challenges more easily and be more appreciative and aware of positive experiences, so they can lead a more fulfilling life and achieve their goals. For more information on this upcoming program, click here.