Understanding Teens and Mental Health
By Tiffany Delgado, MA
Adolescence is a unique and formative time. During this age physical, emotional and social changes are occurring. Exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence are also factors that can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health issues. According to World Health Organization states globally it is estimated that one in seven (14.3%) of 10–19-year-olds experience mental health conditions, yet these remain largely unrecognized and untreated. Understanding and being aware of mental health in teens can be crucial to their health and development during adolescence and adulthood.
What can mental health in adolescence look like?
Emotional disorders are among the most common disorders in adolescents. Anxiety disorders can manifest as excessive worry or panic. Many of the anxiety disorders develop in childhood and tend to persist if not treated. Anxiety disorders are seen more often in girls than in boys, approximately a 2:1 ratio. Depression will also most commonly show up in adolescents. Depression is estimated to affect 1.3% of adolescents aged 10-14 years and 3.4% of 15-19 year olds. Depression and anxiety share similar symptoms including rapid and unexpected changes in mood. Teens with poor mental health may also struggle with school and grades, decision-making, and social withdrawal. Other disorders commonly seen in adolescents include behavioral disorders and eating disorders.
What can parents do to support their adolescent with mental health?
Mental health needs just as much attention as physical health. Bringing awareness to mental health and prevention interventions can help teens strengthen their capacity to regulate emotions, find alternatives to risk-taking behaviors, build resilience for managing difficult situations and adversity, and promote supportive bonds and relationships with adults, friends, and community.
Adolescents need to know someone cares about them. It can be helpful to be intentional in creating spaces to talk and establishing routines for communication, such as family dinners, family game night, talking on the ride back from school or a nightly check-in about their day. Adolescents also need to get enough sleep for both their mental and physical health. Adolescents particularly need some down time, a time for them to do things they enjoy. On the same note, talking about healthy media habits with adolescents is important for preventing media misuse that can lead to poor mental health. It can also be helpful for parents to have expectations without judgement. This can look like letting your child know that you love them no matter what, that they can express what they feel, and that you will always help them. Do your best to listen more than you talk while being empathetic and forgiving. Most importantly, as parents it is important to pay attention to your own mental health. Adolescents will pick up on parental behaviors; they pay more attention to what parents do than what they say. If you are clearly struggling with anxiety or depression and aren’t addressing it, that sends the wrong message to your adolescents. You can teach your adolescent to regulate heightened emotions by modeling it first.
Key points:
It is estimated that one in seven (14.3%) of 10–19-year-olds experience mental health conditions, yet these remain largely unrecognized and untreated.
Many of the anxiety disorders develop in childhood and tend to persist if not treated.
Teens with poor mental health may show up as struggling with school and grades, decision-making, and social withdrawal.
Adolescents need to know someone cares about them.
It can also be helpful for parents to have expectations without judgement.
As parents, pay attention to your own mental health.
Resources:
McCarthy, C. (2022). The mental health crisis among children and teens: How parents can help. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-mental-health-crisis-among-children-and-teens-how-parents-can-help-202203082700
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024). Mental Health: Poor mental health affects adolescent well-being. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-youth/mental-health/index.html
World Health Organization. (2025). Mental health of adolescents. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health