The mind matters by Scarlett Gyde

SCARLETT GYDE’s article discusses mental illness, such as depression and anxiety and mentions suicide and selfharm. Read with caution.

Every teen has the right to good mental health.

The burden of poor mental health is tremendous, especially during adolescence, and yet our mental health remains highly neglected. Declining mental health in teens is a serious problem. It is not something we should be ignoring – it’s real, and it’s hurting us. The World Health Organisation estimated among the world’s 1.2 billion adolescents (aged 10-19 years), 10-20 percent will experience mental illness to some extent. Since 1999, the suicide rates in teens has increased every year and is in third place for the leading cause of death in young people aged 15 to 24. Around 20 percent of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood, and only 30 percent are treated for it. The lack of awareness about the benefits of receiving treatment, the prejudice associated with mental illness, and the concern around confidentiality means more teens are prevented from seeking help, even if they desperately need it. Many teens try to rely on friends, family, and others around them to recognise there is a problem, rather than bringing it up themselves. A parent will often think their child is being a ‘normal moody teenager.’ It is common for teens to go through ups and downs - they can feel sad for several days, have trouble sleeping, eating, – depression and other mental illnesses are much more than this They are not just sadness or moodiness, they are serious mental health disorders, and need to be acknowledged mental illness in adolescents has become more common, and we can’t afford to ignore it any longer. ADHD, anxiety, and depression are some of the most common mental illnesses in adolescents.

‘Ignoring mental illness won’t help it go away – it will do more harm than good.’

More than six million children aged 2-17 years have received an ADHD diagnosis. Around 4.5 million children aged 3-17 years have been diagnosed with anxiety, 1.9 million aged 3-17 have been diagnosed with depression. It’s also common to experience more than one mental illness at a time. Having another disorder is most common in children with depression: about 3 in 4 adolescents (aged 3-17 years) with depression also have anxiety and almost 1 in 2 also have behavioural problems. For adolescents (aged 3-17 years) with anxiety, more than 1 in 3 also have behavioural problems and about 1 in 3 also have depression. When it comes to an adolescent’s mental health, it is important to be patient and understanding. Being passive-aggressive, infantilising, or even villainising someone with a mental illness is never the right thing to do. This includes not believing them, blaming them, or refusing to let them get help. This will make teens feel even more alone, invalidated, and unheard, which can lead to worse symptoms, self-harm or even suicide.This doesn’t mean you have to tiptoe around them or always worry about saying the wrong thing, but being conscious of what is harmful and trying to avoid it will help you help your loved one a whole lot more with what they are going through. By spreading awareness and speaking up, we can learn to destigmatize mental illness and help our fellow adolescents who are struggling. Ignoring mental illness won’t help it go away – it will do more harm than good.

1. Talk about it Discussions on mental health are often avoided because of fear, stigma or just simply not knowing what to say - though this could make matters worse. Talking with your loved ones is one of the best things you can do to help them. Even though they may not want to discuss their mental health issues with you, it is still important that they know that they don’t have to avoid talking about it. Make sure you choose a good time and place to talk and try to be sensitive, positive, and encouraging. Let them know that you are there for them and want to listen. Acknowledge what they’re feeling and ask them if there’s anything you can do to help. It’s particularly important not to be dismissive of their mental health issues – this can make them feel worse. Try to not blame, get angry, or get frustrated at them.

2. Offer support Make sure they are looking after their health. Encourage them to get enough sleep, and make sure that they’re eating enough and staying hydrated. Discourage them from the use of alcohol or drugs. If they aren’t already, you can encourage them to seek help from a professional by providing them with helpful information. The best support you can give is to listen to them, try to understand, and educate yourself on their struggles so you can help them better. 3. Educate Educating yourself and others around you about mental illness will make a significant difference in the way that you can support your loved one. By making sure you are informed – this could mean reading quality, evidence-based information and/or becoming familiar with the signs and symptoms of their mental health issues – you will be able to be more proactive and work out the first steps to take. 4. Be cautious While being educated on what to do is good, you should also make sure you are educating yourself on what not to do. Check yourself and what you are saying because you could be doing more harm than good. Here are some examples: – Don’t say you ‘know how they feel’ if you don’t because this can invalidate their experience. – Don’t point out that others are worse off – this is dismissive. – Don’t blame your loved one for changes in their be haviour, or for their mental illness in general. – Don’t avoid the person. – Don’t make fun of their mental illness. – Don’t pressure them to go out, or to discuss their issues with you if they don’t want to. – Don’t use words that stigmatise like ‘psycho’ or ‘crazy.’