Information from Caring for Every Child's Mental Health: Communities Together, a national public campaign of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Mental Health and Adolescents

Question: What is mental health?

Answer: Mental health is how you think, feel, and act in order to face life's situations. It is how you look at yourself, your life, and the people in your life; how you evaluate your options and make choices. Mental health includes things like handling stress, relating to other people, and making decisions. And like many physical aspects of your health, it develops as you get older.
Everyone has mental health. Mental health ranges from good to not so good and even to poor. A person's mental health may move through the range; sometimes a person is healthier than at other times and sometimes he or she needs help to handle problems. Many people experience mental health problems at some time during their lives.

Question: What are mental health problems?

Answer: Mental health problems are real. They affect your thoughts, body, feelings, and behavior. Depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, or conduct disorder are all examples of what some doctors call mental health problems. These disorders are not just a passing phase; they can really interfere with a person's life. Mental health problems can be severe and can lead to school failure, loss of friends, or family problems.

Question: What causes these problems?

Answer: Mental health problems in young people are caused by biology, environment, or a mix of both. If young people are exposed to violence, loss of important people, abuse, or neglect, then they are more likely to be at risk for mental health problems. Other risk factors may include feeling continuous rejection because of race, religion, sexual-orientation, or family income.
Schools, family, and communities can probably prevent some mental health problems by protecting young people from these extremely stressful kinds of environmental factors. And when there are problems, seeking help early may prevent them from getting worse.
Mental health problems are not adolescent's faults. They don't mean they are weak or a failure. They don't mean they aren't trying. Whatever the cause, the important thing is to get them help.

Question: What are some warning signs of a mental health problem?

Answer: There are many different signs that may point to a possible problem. Some of them are included in the list below. Pay attention if your child or family member

Is troubled by feeling:

• really sad and hopeless without good reason and the feelings don't go away.
  
• very angry most of the time, cry a lot, or overreact to things.
  
• worthless or guilty a lot.
  
• anxious or worried a lot more than other kids.
  
• unable to get over a loss or death of someone important.
  
• extremely fearful they have unexplained fears or more fears than most kids.
  
• constantly concerned about physical problems or physical appearance.
  
• like their mind is being controlled or is out of control.

Experience big changes in the way they get along; for example, they:

• do much worse in school.
  
• lose interest in things they usually enjoy.
  
• have unexplained changes in sleeping or eating.
  
• avoid friends or family and want to be alone all the time.
  
• daydream so much they can't get things done.
  
• feel as if they can't handle life or consider suicide.
  
• hear voices talking to them or about them that they cannot explain.

Find themselves limited by:

• poor concentration they can't think straight or make up their mind.
  
• being able to sit still or focus their attention.
  
• worrying about being harmed, hurting others, or about doing something "bad."
  
• feeling like they have to wash, clean things, or perform certain routines hundreds of time a day in order to avoid danger.

Behave in ways that cause them problems, for example:

• use alcohol or others drugs.
  
• eat large amounts of food and then make themselves vomit or abuse laxatives.
  
• continue to diet and/or exercise obsessively although bone-thin.
  
• constantly violate the rights of others or break the law without regard for other people.
  
• do things that can be life threatening.

For more information call National Mental Health Services Knowledge Network: 1-800-789-2647