Adolescence

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HealthWiki > Promoting Community Mental Health > Chapter 7: Mental health during different times of life > Adolescence

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Chapter 7: Mental health during different times of life
• Pregnancy and parenting newborns
• Babies and young children
• Adolescence
• Building connections as an adult
• Aging and living as an older person
• Death and dying

As children reach their teen years and begin to grow into adulthood, they experience dramatic changes—physically as the body matures, socially as they take on new roles and responsibilities, and emotionally as they explore who they are and want to become. Friends and peers are often as or more important to them than family members. They feel pressure to fit in and worry about being left out of social circles.

How communities support this transition from childhood to adulthood has a great effect on young people’s mental health. Peer support programs organized to allow young adults to help teens, or older kids to help younger ones, can help young people feel their problems and perspectives are taken seriously. The older kids know how to share experiences in ways that younger kids can hear, and they gain skills as a mentor or coach. The younger person gets to learn from someone in an age group they aspire to. Such peer programs strengthen values of compassion, service to others, and community building.

An older person knows a bad event will eventually fade into the past, while a teenager might think: “My life is ruined forever!” That feeling won’t go away just because I say it isn’t true. In my work with teens, I try to reassure them while recognizing their intense feelings, how true they feel. I keep an eye on their situation over time to see how they are getting through whatever happened.

The teenage brain is wired to take risks. As young people mature, they develop more ability to think through what could happen as a result of their actions. During puberty, with its hormone and body changes, romantic feelings and interest in sex intensify. Feelings that are difficult to control and a big mix of emotions can be a lot to handle and often lead to explosions of impatience, irritability, despair, or feeling distracted, nervous, or anxious. But learning to manage this mix of emotions leads to growth and maturity, and one of the rewards of working with young people is the chance to be inspired by their honesty, creativity, and enthusiasm.

At age 14, my son changed his name and gender identity the summer before starting high school. He was getting together with a mix of old and new friends and I asked, “Wait, do your middle school friends know about your gender and new name?” He came back a few minutes later saying, “They do now, I just texted them. It’s all good.” I admire how accepting kids can be—it is a good lesson for us adults.

How to work with young people

Show you know how to listen. This is true when talking with anyone (see “Being there for people”), but especially with young people. Listen without criticizing. Do not insist on giving advice. Focus on what they are experiencing and how it feels to them.

Help them flourish and maybe plant some seeds. Support them doing what they already enjoy (music, art, sports, caring for animals) and also help them discover new talents and interests. The same strategies adults can use— exercise, eating well, sleeping enough, building good relationships, and spending time outdoors —help build mental health for youth. Keep an eye out for anyone who is shy, needs specific support to join in, or could benefit from other kinds of assistance.

Create spaces and places to connect. Community and school programs offering activities, sports, homework support, and volunteer or paid work opportunities provide young people with places to be and things to do. Spending time positively lessens the chance that they will spend too much time on social media or video games, or use alcohol or drugs at a young age. It can also buffer their struggles through emotional ups and downs.

Recognize that young people experience “big picture” problems. Kids are very aware of the climate crisis, police violence, school shootings, restrictions on birth control, abortion, and other health care, and how people in the news fuel racism, discrimination, stigma, and hate. Like everyone, it makes them anxious and threatens their future. Support the creation of school environments, friendship circles, and groups that let young people challenge and change these conditions. Teens can gain emotional support, strength, and acceptance through participating in community efforts for change.

Life online

Most people in the US have a mobile phone by the time they are 14 years old. While internet access is now a necessity and social media may be interesting and useful, many apps and platforms addict us by design, making money for online companies at the cost of our mental health. We may not notice being sucked in, but then find ourselves thinking: “I know this isn’t good for me, but I can’t stop!”

Young people themselves are pushing back. Students have supported schoolwide practices to store cell phones out of reach during school hours, except for emergencies. The non-profit My Digital TAT2 helps young people navigate the complexity of being online and think critically about the benefits and drawbacks of their digital interactions, so they can make healthy choices. In addition to training students, parents, and health care professionals about digital well-being, they partner directly with young people.

In their internship program, high school youth meet with tech experts, learn research and presentation skills, and discuss the constantly-changing online world young people face. When these students do My Digital TAT2’s “Digital Loop” activity , they think critically about their online behavior and share insights about ways to make it useful or limit it, such as:

• using “reminders” for homework due dates and important school or family events
• setting limits on video games or other addictive apps
• listening to music when feeling down
• when walking outside, following the rule, “No phone, instead look around!”

I was constantly checking: how many likes, how many views? But I don’t want to measure my value that way.

When we get together, for the first hour we agree to turn our phones off and put them away. Then later we can take them out if we feel like it.

Activity

Chart your “Digital Loop”

Stuck to your phone? You are not alone! Checking the same apps and platforms over and over can trap you in a “digital loop.” While being online connects us to others and provides useful information, it also creates problems. Take a step offline to explore your digital habits. Your family can do this activity, or a school or youth group can use it to promote digital literacy. Share it with your parents—they often use devices as much or more than young people.

1. Create Your Loop. First, draw a circle. Second, around the edge, write the names of the social media, music apps, streaming platforms, and video games you use at specific times, such as “when I first wake up” and “when I’m on the bus.” Third, in the middle, write the names of the apps you use all day, that are “always on.” You can make your loop reflect a usual weekday, weekend day, yesterday, or some other example. Write down the hours you sleep and if you interrupt your sleep to use your phone.

2. Add Feelings. Write the feelings you associate with each app. Does it make you feel: Connected? Excited? Relaxed? Stressed? Angry? Unhappy about yourself? You can also note the feelings that make you turn to an app: Bored? Checking for responses or reactions? As an automatic reflex? Try to tap into and name as many feelings as you can.
3. Share. Each person takes a turn explaining what they noted about their own app use.
   • What do you check constantly? Which make you feel anxious, insecure, or take too much of your time?
   • What apps or activities feel most helpful, happy, relaxing, or good in other ways?
   • What feelings surprised you?
   • What makes you put your phone down or get off your computer?
   • How does being online affect your sleep, schoolwork, chores, or other activities?
   • Does being online or specific apps cause conflicts with family or friends?
4. Reflection. Take turns talking about what you learned from each other and anything you would like to change.
   • How do you feel about the time you spend both on and offline? Good, bad, unsure?
   • Do you feel in charge of your time or is the loop in control sometimes?
   • What changes (if any) would you make to your digital habits?
   • Share ideas about how to balance online time with time offline to do other things you enjoy, like sports, getting together with friends, being in nature, making art, or others.

Variation: Start with step 2, with the group listing all the feelings people might associate with their phones and online time. Then keep the digital loop circle with you for the next day or few days. Every few hours use it to track what you do online and how you feel about it. Then use the reflection questions with the group the next time you get together.

Nutrition, eating patterns, and body image

Eating enough nutritious food is important for health and mental well-being, especially for teens. But instead of celebrating what our bodies do for us, our online time, mass media, and advertising often tell us there is something wrong with our shape and size, causing eating patterns that can harm our bodies and mental health. Too many people feel compelled to diet, binge eat, or purge after eating, or just dislike eating. Family, school, and community efforts can improve physical and mental health by changing how we interact with food.

Plan regular breaks for meals and snacks. Eating every 3 to 4 hours allows time to begin feeling hungry, but not so hungry you can’t concentrate on anything else. Everyone can learn to listen to their body, be aware of their level of hunger, and see eating as one way they take care of themselves.

She looks strong and in charge! Just like my aunt who is the nicest, strongest person I know.

Prepare your own food as part of healthy eating. See what kinds of cooking or other food prep you enjoy. Learn which foods have what vitamins or what makes them nutritious. Avoid highly processed foods as much as possible and challenge yourself to try a variety of foods.

Be aware of messages about body shape and size. Celebrating all kinds of body types and sizes builds self-esteem and is a buffer against social messages telling young people they look “wrong.” Admire what people’s bodies can do instead of what they look like. Avoid criticizing what or how much people eat, or how much they weigh.

I try not to call foods “good” or “bad,” so my kids aren’t always looking for what’s “not allowed” at home.

Try a “teen meal prep challenge,” such as using a new ingredient or making a meal within a specific budget. Friends cooking together have more fun.

When young people need help

Adolescence is a time of vast change and transition, which can bring stress and anxiety. Learning how to get through it all is a big part of what is meant by “growing up.” But when emotions overwhelm a young person’s ability to function, when they express worry about themselves, or when they put themselves or others in danger, they need help. Share information about warning signs and encourage young people to reach out.

Support parents and caregivers too

When a young person is showing warning signs or is in crisis, their family and friends are likely feeling worried and afraid. Just being there as a friend or neighbor can make a big difference. Listen to what they are experiencing and believe what they say about it. Offer to help out with meals, rides, or by looking after their other children.

I know your daughter is having a tough time and you are worried about her. If you feel up to sharing, tell me how things are going for you this week.

Community support for young people

Many activities can lead to young people having better physical and mental health through building feelings of community, encouraging self-expression, and learning to make decisions and appreciate the results.

Coming together in nature. For nine years, the New Roots Program summer nature camp in Boise, Idaho, brought together teens from immigrant and refugee families for up to two weeks of daily outdoor experiences in the company of environmental professionals. The program worked to make Boise, which is more than 80% white, more welcoming to youth of color. Bringing together kids who might otherwise be isolated builds community among them, encourages exercise and new forms of recreation, promotes learning about the natural environment, and gives youth ideas about possible future careers. Across the border, Nature Canada promotes a similar program and created a toolkit to facilitate environmental non-profits to partner with diverse organizations serving youth.

Providing a cultural grounding. The Black Youth Healing Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, provides cultural, ancestral, and innovative healing processes to Black youth, including free classes on art, dance, and gardening practices of the African diaspora. Spaces and activities include a commercial kitchen, recording studio, ceramics, painting, weaving, performance stage, and art gallery.

Supporting youth-led solutions. Outraged by adult inaction and the devastating effects on their future, youth movements are trying to force policy makers to act with the urgency the climate crisis demands. These efforts work to positively channel youth anger, despair, and frustration into sit-ins, school strikes, and demonstrations. The Sunrise Movement studies and endorses political candidates, and encourages young people to vote, while Fridays for the Future says: “Every day there are more of us and together we are strong.” Movement Generation supports youth leaders through retreats and activities that create connections and mutual learning. Their downloadable manual Propagate, Pollinate, Practice includes curriculum tools, guides, strategy documents, and easily adaptable activities.

Turning trauma into youth leadership

Today’s young adults of Flint, Michigan, a majority African American city, were among thousands of children exposed to lead in the public drinking water through decades of racist policies and purposeful neglect. The Flint Youth Justice League, Flint Public Health Youth Academy, and Young, Gifted & Green were part of the local response to address and help repair the harm, promoting environmental justice as young survivor organizers, scientists, and advocates.

Inspiring hope with advice and by example. LGBTQ+ youth may face rejection from family or peers, as well as bullying or even violence in both public and private spaces. This makes depression and other mental health distress a serious risk. Individual and community programs are essential to supporting LGBTQ+ youth. The Trevor Project provides online guides and resources on gender identity, sexual orientation, and mental health and maintains a 24/7 crisis hotline (1-866-488-7386). The It Gets Better Project exists to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. They share thousands of personal stories, post videos about many different personal journeys, and compile resources such as national call-in lines and local groups with supportive people to talk with. (See more examples in Depression.)

We can create “chosen families,” people who may not be related but who do what good family members should do: provide unconditional love and mutual support.

Bridging the generation gap. The Mother-Daughter Project challenges the common negative stereotype that teenagers reject parents. The project helps communities form mother-daughter groups to support these relationships through the teen years, caring for the mental health of both by building trust and having fun in a group. Mothers (anyone in a caretaking and mothering role) meet separately for a few months before starting get-togethers that include their daughters. An important group rule is: “It’s gotta be fun—or we won’t come.”

This page was updated:18 Apr 2025