Growing Mental Health Crisis Shows Need for More Teen Support

Numerous studies have shown us that in the last two years teens are struggling with shifts in school, pressures from COVID19 changes, and social media anxiety. 

This week an insightful New York Times article by Matt Richtel cited some of those struggles in the article, It’s Life or Death: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens . The article details the rise of depression, self-harm, and suicide among teens. 

One key insight in the article that is heartening is the lessening of stigma surrounding mental health issues. The article notes, “Health experts note that, for all its weight, the adolescent crisis at least is unfolding in a more accepting environment. Mental health issues have shed much of the stigma they carried three decades ago, and parents and adolescents alike are more at ease when discussing the subject among themselves and seeking help.”

For adolescents and teens, the consensus is growing that mental health stability is dependent upon providing interventions early and often. This includes having the capabilities to interact with teens via texting, talking, and daily support. Offering different methods for teens to share their feelings, report a crisis moment, and feel supported will help reduce and alleviate the teen’s struggle overall. Working as a team with the primary care physician, psychologist, parents and social workers can help ensure the teen has different options for dealing with mental illness as well as an integrated care team long-term. 

With the advent of mobile apps focused on adults like Calm.com and others,  the need for apps built and created for teens as well continues to expand. These apps will in the next decade provide an important tool for communication and reassurance to teens and adolescents. it’s more important than ever to offer interventions early and often. Teens are also benefiting from mobile apps. 

According to the national research survey, Digital Health Practices, Social Media Use, and Mental Well-Being Among Teens and Young Adults in the U.S. led by Victoria Rideout , 38 percent of young adults aged 14 to 22 who suffer from moderate to severe anxiety and depression use stress and anxiety-relieving applications to help them feel better.  Apps that offer mindfulness, guided meditation and breathing, journaling, parent/teen communication and depression interventions, are a growing avenue for teens, parents and clinical staff to help reduce anxiety and stress. 

We’re working in the most optimal environment for helping adolescents and teens not only survive depression but thrive with actionable interventions that provide long-term support. We will continue to follow the news and help you learn as we go along together in this journey toward better mental and physical health. 

*For more resources go here - https://www.nytimes.com/explain/2022/04/23/health/teen-mental-health-faq?action=click&module=RelatedLinksOne&pgtype=Article

Are you looking for ways to better support the tweens or teens in your life?

Navigating adolescence can be tough. That’s why Lucero has expertly created a safe space for tweens and teens to just be themselves. Give them the tools to develop healthy habits that last a lifetime in a way in which they enjoy.