When it comes to your mental health, it’s essential that you feel comfortable enough to talk about it when required and to have access to the support should you need al little extra helping hand or two.
Teenagers are going through a lot and these years are pretty crucial in their development and life in general. There’s a lot of emotions bubbling away as the hormones are raging, which is why keeping an eye on your teenager’s mental health and wellbeing is crucial. Here are some of the reasons you should be monitoring their mental health during the teenage years.
- Vulnerability is high
With teenagers, vulnerability is something they’re going to likely have more of as they navigate what can often be for many, a turbulent time. They’ll likely be adjusting to the changes within their school environment, as well as dealing with new experiences like a first love or temptation to do something that they may feel pressured to do.
That vulnerability is something that you’ll want to be aware of and to try and support however possible. Of course, you can’t have an eye or ear on everything they do while away from your care but when they come home, it’s good to be there and encourage open communication whenever necessary.
- The brains are still developing
Brains are still developing throughout their childhood and into their teenage years. The teenage years are actually a time of intense brain development that happen mainly in the emotional regulation and decision-making parts of their brain.
It’s therefore imperative that everything they’re doing, isn’t going to damage their development and when they need guidance, you’re there to offer that support and wise head on shoulders should they come to you for advice.
- Sucide risk
Unfortunately, one of the downsides to hitting your teenage years is that you’re more of a suicide risk. While not every teenager will be at that point where they see no other alternative than to take their own life, it’s important to be wary on how they’re coping with their mental health.
Some teenagers may get bullied. They may face rejection that’s hard to manage and there are many more scenarios within their teenage years that might make them go to worst-case mindset. Being there to talk them off the edge is part of being a parent.
- Long-term impacts
There are often a lot of untreated mental health issues that can make itself present within the adolescent years, so it’s important to spot these before they reach adulthood.
From lower life satisfaction to impaired mental health, there’s a lot of long-term impacts that can occur as a result of not taking action during the teenage years. For example, a lot of technology addiction in youth that goes unaddressed, can often cause devastating problems once they reach adulthood. It’s better to address it sooner rather than later.
- Early intervention is helpful
As mentioned above, addressing problems with mental health is highly beneficial for it’s effectiveness in helping the teenager. With early intervention, it might help to resolve some issues before they become too damaging to resolve.
Make sure to pay close attention to your teenagers as they enter this phase in their life.