Mental Health Among Teens

What is Mental Health?  

Mental health awareness has been on the rise as of the past few years but not everyone knows what it means. Mental health is important to every individual, no matter the age, it helps determine how we react how we go through life making choices, handling different stressors, and how we interact with others. The Oxford dictionary defines mental health as, "a person's condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well being". Teenagers are well exposed to ongoing changes, hormones are being introduced, and fluctuating, it is evident that mental health among teens is suffering. There are tons of factors that contribute to the changes in mental health teens experience, some of them being social media, life at home, self-image, etc.  

As teens experience different life events, the warning signs of mental illness vary. The root of mental illness, however, remains mostly the same. Teenagers experience insane amounts of stress that come from all different places, some examples being: pressure to keep up with peers, defining sexual identity and technology. Emphasizing the need to defuse our emotions is vital in getting teens to work through their issues before they become adults with a mental issue they do not know how to cope with. 

Mental Health and Social Media 

As Generation Z and millennials learn more about mental health disorders and experience some themselves, it is simpler for them to show sympathy for others experiencing common situations. Studies show, "a fifth of the world's population, 1.2 billion, is comprised of youth aged 15-24. It is estimated that. 20% of these youth experience a mental health condition each year. and of those, only 20% receive treatment" (Mental Health Innovation Network). Getting teens connected to services is detrimental to their development into adulthood. 

Social media plays a huge role in the mental health of teens today, with apps like TikTok and Instagram just a touch away. Because users are behind a screen when they post content, comment, and share; they feel almost invisible and might do things out of their norm because they do not feel directly connected to the situation. The pressures to maintain a certain image and aesthetic on social media is extremely important to some teens and those who succeed, in turn, receive. validation from their peers. Those who fail to meet the expectations of strangers on the internet, then face the wrath of the never-ending negative comments. Strangers on the internet can be mean, friends on the internet can be mean, teens constantly face comparison both in their own thoughts and conversations among peers. 

Effect On Teens 

The rise of mental disorders among teens is not a random thing, individuals who are now parents to these teens that never worked through their own trauma now add to the stressors teens have to experience and without receiving help, inevitably continue a cycle of deteriorating mental health. The results of this cycle, ultimately determine the social skills teens have while interacting with others. Some teens who experience abuse from their parents lash out on others while others internalize the abuse and self degrade themselves. As abuse varies, it is processed differently, the development of teens relies heavily on the environment at home. Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are extremely common but can feel like something extraordinary if it is not talked about enough. Understanding the shared challenges individuals face by age group can help facilitate the determination of operations needed in order to help their health improve. 

Call to Action 

Finding teens the appropriate channels for them to feel comfortable being vulnerable and flushing out their emotions in order to come to terms with them is extremely important I can not emphasize it enough. Mental health in teens matters, mental health for all ages matters, my relationship with mental health has not been easy. I wish I would have come to terms with all of my trauma when I was a teen instead of throwing away years wandering and not seeking professional help. Any help at all can move teens toward the right path I becoming better and becoming healthier individuals. Raising awareness on the issue will not end, and it shouldn't. There are still individuals out there who do not believe mental health is even a thing, connecting everyone with the support resources needed is essential and should not be stigmatized as something strange or only for extreme cases. Exposing teens and children overall to the importance of mental health is vital in developing a healthier world. 

References 

Anon. 2020. “Adolescent Mental Health.” World Health Organization. Retrieved April 13, 2021 (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health).

Regan, Marguerite. 2018. “Mental Health Matters: Youth and Mental Health.” Mental Health Innovation Network. Retrieved April 13, 2021 (https://www.mhinnovation.net/blog/2014/aug/12/mental-health-matters-youth-and-mental-health#:~:text=Youth%20with%20mental%20health%20conditions,poverty%2C%20violence%20and%20social%20exclusion.).