More Than Teen Drama: Let’s Talk About Adolescent Mental Health

Content medically reviewed by Nancy Dronen, MD

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, more people are experiencing mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. These conditions affect people of all ages, including children and teens.

While mental health issues are still more common among adults than young people, teens, preteens, and even younger children can also experience them. They’re affected by many of the same pressures you are as an adult, but they are less equipped to handle them because they’re still developing.

One of your roles as a parent is to help keep your child healthy and well—and that means keeping an eye on both their physical and mental health.

“I encourage parents to pay close attention to their kids’ feelings and emotions, in addition to their physical health,” said Dr. Nancy Dronen, pediatrician at Essentia Health. “Knowing the signs they may be struggling mentally can help you get them the care they need.”

Shining a Light on Adolescent Mental Health

As mental health conditions became more common in general during the COVID-19 pandemic, they also became more common among young people.

A 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, while 20% reported having had suicidal thoughts. Nearly 10% of students had attempted suicide.

Those numbers are bleak—and some young people are more affected by mental health struggles than others. The report found that female and LGBTQ+ students were more likely to have poor mental health than other students.

The problem isn’t unique to the United States, either. The World Health Organization reports that depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents worldwide.

What mental health conditions most often affect children and teens in the United States? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and eating disorders are common among young people. 

Common Mental Health Issues for Teenagers and Children

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, young people faced many different challenges and situations that impacted their mental health. At first, they experienced the new worries of school closures and learning at home, but pressures on mental health persisted even after the pandemic ended.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) identifies a number of different factors contributing to teen stress –

• Bullying, in person or online
• Discrimination based on gender, sex, sexual orientation, appearance, religion, race, or other identifiers
• Fears about the world around them, including politics
• Little to no downtime for unstructured fun or rest
• Poverty that impacts access to stable housing and nutritious food
• Pressure to determine what’s next in life, including where to go to college or what to pursue as a career
• Pressure to excel in academics, sports, or extracurricular activities

While some of these factors, such as pressure to get good grades and do well in sports, have been experienced by kids for decades, many of these problems mirror those experienced by adults in today’s world. That’s something to think about: The issues that trouble your mind might trouble your teen’s mind, too.

How to Tell When a Child or Teen Is Struggling Emotionally

Preteens and teens are known for being moody. The years surrounding puberty are filled with lots of emotions tied to hormonal fluctuations. So, how can you tell what’s normal teen angst and what suggests a more serious mental health problem?

Talk with a pediatrician if your child –

• Becomes obsessed with a certain goal or achievement
• Diets or exercises obsessively
• Engages in risky or destructive behavior
• Experiences notable changes in sleep or eating habits
• Has new or worsening academic struggles
• Loses interest in previously enjoyable activities, people, and things
• Refuses to talk about what’s bothering them
• Shares suicidal thoughts or talks about death
• Shows signs of alcohol or substance use
• Shows signs of self-harm
• Withdraws from other people and spends more time alone

The signs above are common in older children and teenagers. Young children who have anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition may show other signs, such as complaining about aches and pains with no known medical cause, having frequent tantrums, becoming increasingly irritable, seeming more worried or fearful, or constantly needing to be in motion.

Your child’s provider or doctor can be a valuable ally in addressing your child’s mental health. They can assess the situation and determine the best next steps, which may include a referral to a pediatric mental health specialist.

It’s always better to err on the side of caution, even if your child’s behaviors are ultimately just part of being a teen.

What You Can Do to Support Your Child’s Mental Health

Knowing how to recognize the signs of mental health struggles is important, but you can also take other steps to help your child maintain good mental health. Support your child’s mental health with these tips –

• Be there when they need you. Teach your children from an early age that they can share anything with you, at any time. Children face tough issues, and they’ll be more comfortable sharing their thoughts, emotions, and concerns if they know you’ll listen without judgment.
• Build a community. From the time your child is young, work to build relationships with others in your community, including those from school, at church, and in your neighborhood. These are important bonds that will grow and evolve over time, and they’ll create additional safe spaces and a sense of connection for them as they get older.
• Live with some silence. We all need quiet times, and our kids are no exception to the rule. Teens especially may withdraw at times, so give them space and time to be alone. Occasional times of silence or little conversation are OK, but watch for patterns or longer periods of withdrawing from family and friends.
• Turn on your listening ears. When you’re talking with your kids, listen to hear, not just to respond. Children and teens most often need someone who will listen to an outpouring of thoughts and details more than they need a quick answer or opinion.

The most important thing you can do? Teach your children that mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of—nearly everyone experiences them to some extent at some point in life. This lesson can be lifesaving, letting young people know there’s nothing embarrassing about seeking help.