NatalieWhitaker

March20th,2015
ExtendedInquiryProject
UniversityWriting1103
ProfessorMalcolmCampbell

MentalHealthinTeens:TypicalorTrouble?

Teenmentalillness.Atopicthateveryoneknowsexists,affectseveryoneinoneway
oranother,yetstillfewchoosetoacknowledge.Iwasfirstintroducedtotheideaofmental
healthwheninsixthgradeafellowclassmatetookhisownlifeatjust12yearsold.WhenI
was14yearsold,mybestfriendkilledhimselfoneearlymorningonourwaytoschool.That
daychangedmylifeforever,andeversincethensuicidehasseemedtoshowupinmylife
constantly.Sophomoreyear,Ilostanotherfriend.Junioryear,IlostastudenttowhomI
taughtballet.EarlysenioryearIlostanother,andlateronthatyear,another.Justlast
October,Ilostanother.Andearlierthismonth,another.Forme,suicidehascontinuedtopop
upasIgoonthroughlife.AndasIhavegottenolder,IverealizedthatImnottheonlyone
whohasbeenaffectedbysuchatravesty.Atravestythatsmaincauseisthementalhealthof
teensandyoungadolescents.
Thegrowthofmentalhealthproblemsinyoungadolescentsandteenagersoverthe
yearshassteadilyrisen.Withoutaknowncause,manypeoplearewonderingifdoctorsare
justoverdiagnosingtheproblem,orifmentalhealthissuestrulyareincreasing.However,

statisticsshowthatmentalhealthproblemsareinfactincreasing.AccordingtoYoung
Minds,amentalhealthorganizationlocatedintheUnitedKingdom,thenumberofyoung
adolescentsthathavebeenhospitalizedforselfharmanddepressionrelatedissueshas
increasedby68%inthelasttenyears.Andthenumberofteenagersbetweentheagesof15
and16diagnosedwithdepressionhasnearlydoubledsincethe1980s.
Thequestioncomestowhatexactlycanbedonetohelpwiththisseriousproblem?
Parentsthinkitsjustaphase,teachersaretoofocusedongradestonotice,andother
teenagersseemtolackanyinterestintheissueuntilitaffectsthemdirectly.Everywherewe
gointodayssocietyweencounteranindividual,ormultiple,thataresufferingfroma
mentalillness.Whetherpeoplechoosetoacknowledgethefactofnot,mentalillnesshas
becomemoreprevalentastheyearsgoon.Foradolescentsbetweentheagesof10and25,
suicideisthethirdleadingcauseofdeathandresultsinapproximately4,600liveslostper
year.Withinthatsameagegroup,157,000youthhavereceivedmedicalcareforselfinflicted
injuries.Asurveydonenationwidefoundthatingrades912,inpublicandprivateschools,
that16%ofstudentsreportedseriouslyconsideringsuicide,13%reportedorganizingaplan,
and8%reportingattemptingsuicidewithinthe12monthsprecedingthesurvey.
Parentsseemtolookattheirchildrenwithoutrecognizingthingsthatmaybegoingon
behindcloseddoors.With20%ofteenssufferingfromamentalillnessunnoticedand
untreated,itstimetostartlookingatthesituationdifferently,andchanginghowitisdealt
with.Thefirststeptoimprovingthementalhealthofteens,iseducatingtheadultsintheir
lives.Manyparentsandguardiansdontunderstandtheseriousnessofamentalillness.
Peopletendtolookatthesignsofanillnessandpushitasideastypicalteenbehavior.But

whereisthelinebetweentypicalandtroubled?Howdoweknowwhoistrulysufferingand
whoisreallyjustgoingthroughthosetypicalteenageyears?Itrulybelievethatthefirststeps
beginwithknowingthesignsthatateenisstruggling.
Knowingandacknowledgingthesignsofmentalillnessinteensisessentialfor
decipheringbetweenthetypicalbehavior,andbehaviorthatcanmeantrouble.Whilethe
warningsignscanseemtypicalwhenfirstexamined,itisimportanttotakeintoconsideration
theseverity,intensity,andthedurationoftheworrisomebehavior.

Decreaseinenjoymentoftimespentwithfamilyaswellasfriends

Asignificantdropinacademicperformance

Problemswithmemory,payingattention,orfocusing

Noticeablechangesinenergylevel,aswellaseatingandsleepingpatterns

Complaintsofphysicalsymptoms(Stomachaches,headaches,nausea,backaches)

Feelingsofsadnessorhopelessness

Increaseinanxietylevels,nervousness

Frequentaggressionordisobedience,includinglashingoutverbally

Neglectingofpersonalhygieneorappearance

Dangerous,perhapsillegal,thillseekingbehavior

Overlysuspicious

Seeingorhearingthingsthatotherdonow

Evidenceofselfinflictedinjuries

Theseareonlyafewofthewarningsignsthatateenagermaybestrugglingwith
morethanjustthetypicalteenageissues.Oncesomeone,perhapsaparent,guardian,oreven
ateacher,hasnoticedthesesignsandhastakenthetimetoobserveandexaminethe
situation,thenextstepistoconfronttheteenabouttheirconcern.
Confrontingalovedoneaboutsomethingasseriousasmentalillnesscanbe
challengingandscaryforeveryoneinvolved.Itisimportanttoconsideralloutcomes,and
evenpracticewhatyouwillbesayingaheadoftime.Thingstorememberwhileexpressinga
concernaboutmentalillnessistoremaincalmandbereadytolisten.Teenagersoftenwill
comeoffasdefensive,orevendefiant,whilebeingconfronted.Itisimportanttoremember
thatthistopicisjustasscary,andmaybeevenasunfamiliar,tothemasitistoyou.Positive
thoughtsandgesturescanhelptoopenupafriendlyatmosphere,andcanhelpencourage
honestyamongstthegroup.Talkingaboutmentalillness,especiallyinsomeonesoyoung,is
averyserioustopicandneedstobetakenasseriouslyastalkingaboutanyothermedical
illness.
Thenextstepsinhelpingateenwhomaybesufferingfromamentalillness,isto
makeaplan.Inmostsituations,andthemostrecommendednextstepamongstmentalhealth
professionals,istotocontactadoctor.Startingatthechildsusualdoctorwillopenthedoor
formanyotheroptions.Makinganappointmentisessentialinthebeginningstagesofgetting
help.Fromthere,thingscangoinmanydifferentdirections.Veryoftenthedoctorwill
recommendatherapistorevenapsychologisttotheteenandtheirparentsaspartofthenext
courseofaction.Ifadoctor,oranyadultinthesituation,isconcernedthattheteenmaybeat
riskofhurtingthemselvesorothers,oftentimesanemergencyadmissionintoamental

healthcenterwillbecomenecessary,orevenrequired.Whilethismaysoundscaryandyou
maywishtocontinuetheprocessfromthecomfortofyourhome,itisimportanttolistento
doctorsandtheirconcerns,astheteenslifemaybeatrisk.
Thesestepsareunfamiliar,scary,andworrisomeforeveryoneinvolved.Many
parentstendtostoptreatmentandpushasidetheseverityofmentalillnessoncetheirteen
hasopenedupabouttheirtroubles.However,itisincrediblyimportantforparentsand
guardianstolistentodoctors.Theyknowwhatisbestinthesetypesofsituations,and
neglectingtolistentotheiradviseputsyourteenageratriskforincreasedmentalproblems,
andoftenleadstomoreintensesignsofmentalillness,suchassuicideattempts.Duringthe
processofrecovery,itisveryhelpfultoremainpositiveandshowasmuchsupportas
possibleforyourteen.
Recoveryisalongandpainfulroad.Therearemanyupsanddowns.Therearegood
daysandtherearebaddays.Therearepositivesandtherearenegatives.Mentalhealthisnot
somethingthatshouldbetakenlightly.Forthesakeofyoungpeopleslives,andthelivesof
thosearoundthemwhocare,takethenecessarystepstobetteryourself,yourfriends,and
yourfamilymentally.Ifyounoticeinalovedone,oreveninsomeoneyourejustcasually
havinglunchwith,thattheremightbeaproblem,reachoutahandandhelp.Ifyoudontfeel
thatitisyourplacetobesteppingin,notifysomeonewhocanandwill.Dontsitinsilence,
assilencehasproventotakelives.Ahealthymindleadstoahappyandhealthylife.Notall
teensaregoingthroughtheteenagephaseaseasilyasother.Psychologistsandpsychiatrists
haveproventhatcatchingmentalillnessintheyoungadolescentorteenageyearsiscritical

toinsuringamorepositivefuture.Notallteenmindsaretypical,learnthesignsthat
someonemightbeintrouble.

WorksCited
Collishaw,Stephan,BarbaraMaughan,RobertGoodman,andAndrewPickles."Time
Trends

inAdolescentMentalHealth."JournalofChildPsychologyandPsychiatry.

45.8 (2004):13501362.Print.

"Home|Psychiatry.org."AmericanPsychiatricAssociation.Web.09Mar.2015.

"MentalHealthStatistics."MentalHealthStatistics.N.p.,n.d.Web.01Apr.2015.

RealLifeTeens:TeenDepression.NewYork,N.Y:FilmsMediaGroup,2010.Internet
resource.

"SuicidePrevention."CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.CentersforDisease
ControlandPrevention,09Jan.2014.Web.01Apr.2015.

Teens:TypicalorTroubled?HealthyMinds,2009.Film.