Teen Mental Health

Summary

Being a teenager is hard. You’re under stress to be liked, do well in school, get along with your family, and make big decisions. You can’t avoid most of these pressures, and worrying about them is normal. But feeling very sad, hopeless or worthless could be warning signs of a mental health problem.

Mental health problems are real, painful, and sometimes severe. You might need help if you have the signs mentioned above, or if you :

• Often feel very angry or very worried
• Feel grief for a long time after a loss or death
• Think your mind is controlled or out of control
• Use alcohol or drugs
• Exercise, diet and/or binge-eat obsessively
• Hurt other people or destroy property
• Do reckless things that could harm you or others
• Feel depressed (sad and hopeless)

Mental health problems can be treated. To find help, talk to your parents, school counselor, or health care provider.

National Institute of Mental Health

Treatments and Therapies

• 11 Questions to Ask Before Psychiatric Hospitalization of Your Child or Adolescent American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Antidepressants for Children and Teens Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Going to a Therapist Nemours Foundation
• I Think I Have a Mental Health Problem. Who Can I Talk To? Nemours Foundation
• Mental Health Medications National Institute of Mental Health
• Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Residential Treatment Programs American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Specifics

• 3 Ways to Increase Positive Emotions Nemours Foundation
• About Stressful Situations Nemours Foundation
• About Teen Suicide (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Anxiety Disorders Nemours Foundation
• Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens National Institute of Mental Health
• Bipolar Disorder in Teens and Young Adults: Know the Signs National Institute of Mental Health
• Body Image and Self-Esteem (For Teens) Nemours Foundation
• Depression (For Teens) Nemours Foundation
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder National Institute of Mental Health
• Fears and Phobias Nemours Foundation
• Guided Visualization: Dealing with Stress National Institute of Mental Health
• How Can I Stop Cutting? Nemours Foundation
• Media and Body Image American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Nemours Foundation
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Nemours Foundation
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (For Teens) Nemours Foundation
• Self-Injury in Adolescents American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Social Phobia Nemours Foundation
• Trichotillomania Nemours Foundation

Related Issues

• 5 Ways to Know Your Feelings Better Nemours Foundation
• Dealing with Difficult Emotions Nemours Foundation
• Healthy Social Media Habits: How You Use it Matters National Institutes of Health
• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Traumatic Events National Institute of Mental Health
• How Can I Get Help in a Crisis? Nemours Foundation
• How Can I Help a Friend Who Cuts? Nemours Foundation
• I’m So Stressed Out! Facts about Stress and Anxiety National Institute of Mental Health
• Teens and Stress: Who Has Time for It? American Academy of Family Physicians
• The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know National Institute of Mental Health
• Your Feelings Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health

Find an Expert

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• FindTreatment.gov Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• KidsHealth Nemours Foundation
• National Institute of Mental Health National Institute of Mental Health
• Psychologist Locator American Psychological Association

Start Here

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health National Institute of Mental Health
• Emotional Health (For Young Men) Boston Children’s Hospital
• How to Live a Happy Life Nemours Foundation
• Mental Health Conditions Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Understanding Your Teen’s Emotional Health American Academy of Family Physicians

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Teen Mental Health National Institutes of Health

Statistics and Research

• Combinations of Types of Mental Health Services Received in the Past Year Among Young Adults Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diagnosis and Tests

• Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Mental Health Screening National Library of Medicine
• Teen Mental Health: How to Know When Your Child Needs Help American Academy of Pediatrics

Patient Handouts

• Help your teen cope with stress Medical Encyclopedia
• Helping your teen with depression Medical Encyclopedia
• Managing your depression – teens Medical Encyclopedia
• Recognizing teen depression Medical Encyclopedia

Health Check Tools

• How’s Your Self-Esteem? (Quiz) Nemours Foundation

Journal Articles

• Teen mental health

Teenagers

• Teen Suicide American Academy of Family Physicians

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Teens and Stress: When It’s More Than Worry
• Teens Are Talking about Mental Health