# data[].attributes.headline
U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Youth Mental Health Crisis Further Exposed by COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Youth Mental Health Crisis Further Exposed by COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.body
You will have to go through the sign in process- use GOOGLE to sign in.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adolescence (10-19 years) is a unique and formative time. Multiple physical, emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems. Promoting psychological well-being and protecting adolescents from adverse experiences and risk factors that may impact their potential to thrive are critical for their well-being during adolescence and for their physical and mental health in adulthood.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teens Talk About Mental Health During the Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
Teens Talk About Mental Health During the Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teens Talk About Mental Health During the Pandemic

# data[].attributes.headline
Poor Mental Health is a Growing Problem for Adolescents

# data[].attributes.subject
Poor Mental Health is a Growing Problem for Adolescents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Poor Mental Health is a Growing Problem for Adolescents

Adolescence is a time for young people to have a healthy start in life. The number of adolescents reporting poor mental health is increasing. Building strong bonds and connecting to youth can protect their mental health. Schools and parents can create these protective relationships with students and help them grow into healthy adulthood.

Mental Health Is A Growing Problem

Some groups are more affected than others.

These feelings were found to be more common among lesbian, gay, or bisexual students and female students.

Almost half of lesbian, gay, or bisexual students and nearly one-third of students not sure of their sexual identity reported they had seriously considered suicide-far more than heterosexual students.

The number of black students who reported attempting suicide in 2019 rose by almost 50%.

Why Is This a Big Deal?

Poor mental health in adolescence is more than feeling blue. It can impact many areas of a teen's life. Youth with poor mental health may struggle with school and grades, decision making, and their health.

Mental health problems in youth often go hand-in-hand with other health and behavioral risks like increased risk of drug use, experiencing violence, and higher risk sexual behaviors than can lead to HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy. Because many health behaviors and habits are established in adolescence that will carry over into adult years, it is very important to help youth develop good mental health.

The Good News

The good news is that teens are resilient, and we know what works to support their mental health: feeling connected to school and family.

Fortunately, the same prevention strategies that promote mental health-like helping students feel connected to school/family-help prevent a range of negative experiences, like drug use and violence.

Building strong bonds and relationships with adults and friends at school, at home and in the community provides youth with a sense of connectedness.

This feeling of connectedness is important and can protect adolescents from poor mental health, and other risks like drug use and violence.

Youth need to know someone cares about them. Connections can be made virtually or in person.

There is a Role for Everyone in Supporting Teen Mental Health

As we've learned nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are critical in our communities to supporting children and families. While the expectation is that schools provide education, they also provide opportunities for youth to engage in physical activity and academic, social, mental health, and physical health services, all of which can relieve stress and help protect against negative outcomes.

However, the pandemic has disrupted many school-based services, increasing the burden on parents, increasing stress on families, and potentially affecting long-term health outcomes for parents and children alike, especially among families already at risk for negative health outcomes from social and environmental factors.

Support is needed to mitigate these negative outcomes and lessen educational and health disparities.

Critical supports and services need to be comprehensive and community wide and should include:

Helping schools provide safe and supportive environments-whether in person or virtually-is critical to students' wellbeing.

Linking students to mental health services.

Integrating social emotional learning.

Training staff.

Supporting staff mental health.

Reviewing discipline policies to ensure equity.

Building safe and supportive environments.

Communicate openly and honestly, including about their values.

Supervise their adolescent to facilitate healthy decision-making.

Spend time with their adolescent enjoying shared activities.

Become engaged in school activities and help with homework.

Volunteer at their adolescent's school.

Communicate regularly with teachers and administrators.

Ask adolescents about family relationships and school experiences as a part of routine health screenings.

Encourage positive parenting practices.

Engage parents in discussions about how to connect with their adolescents, communicate effectively, and monitor activities and health behaviors.

Educate parents and youth about adolescent development and health risks.

Parents and families may find the following resources helpful to support the mental and emotional well-being of their adolescents:

Page last reviewed:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adolescence is a time for young people to have a healthy start in life. The number of adolescents reporting poor mental health is increasing. Building strong bonds and connecting to youth can protect their mental health. Schools and parents can create these protective relationships with students and help them grow into healthy adulthood.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Posted in: Parenting Concerns, Stress, Teenagers, Young Adults

Topics: COVID-19 + Family Mental Health, Culture + Society, Healthy Living, Stress

Stress. Teens and y oung a dults today are more stressed, anxious, depressed and lonely than ever - at least in the United States. At first g lance, it's hard to wrap your head around this fact.

No one really knows the root cause, but it seems to be a perfect storm of several f actors . While many experts have pointed to digital and social media, the data just don't support this as the sole or even most important source of the problem.

Additional forces plaguing Gen Z and college-age millennials include worries about their future, from climate change to economic and job uncertainty; concerns about image; academic pressures to meet or exceed perfection; and being overscheduled with demands to "do it all" - school, community service, sports, arts, family, and religious activities, etc. Others are lured by the endless array of compelling on-demand TV series to binge watch, or video games to play - often alone.

Gen Z and millennials are also becoming more aware of mental health challenges, particularly their own anxiety and depression. And, most scary is that depression and suicide are on the rise and have reached an all-time high.

I don't intend here to propose any grand solutions to these problems. But given th e situation, let's consider how young folks can take care of themselves and cope with the many stresses they face.

Tools for Self-Care

1. This is the basic pre - requisite for just about all the ways to take of yourself. You need time, and it has to be part of a daily r outi n e . It's not always easy to set time aside with everything going on in life , but learning to carve it in to your schedule is necessary . I f you start now, it will become a habit. Many of the activities below don't require a lot of time - some only take up 15-20 minutes in your day. It's the regularity that counts.

2. Meditation We've come a long way from meditation being considered hocus pocus. Mindful meditation has proven to change the structure and function of the brain, and it's a fabulous way to promote relaxation while reducing anxiety, depression , and stress. It can be learned in - person with an expert , or online (there are plenty of YouTube instructional videos or smartphone apps). This is something you can do anytime in any place, whenever you need it!

3. Yoga and other types of Eastern methods of activity involve stretching, improving flexibility, connecting mind and body - all of which are helpful for stress reduction and wellness, and have been used extensively for thousands of years. The best way to learn Yoga is through a studio , but you can also do so from videos online.

4. Working out comes in many forms. There 's training for strength, endurance , and aerobic activity (getting your heart beat up). But simply walking 2 miles a day is g reat exercise - plus it gets you outside! Exercise not only gets you physically fit, but i t's a natural way to help decrease depression and anxiety.

5. Choose a creative outlet to convey your thoughts and feelings. This could be journaling, writing poetry, painting or drawing, doing photography, dancing, or playing music. The key here is channeling your emotional state through an art form . While some may choose to do this seriously and take lessons, s elf-taught artists of all kinds also get the job done. And, don't strive for perfection! S imply immersing yourself in creative arts can ward off adverse thoughts and feelings .

6. Appreciate There's a reason we treasure our state and national parks, waterways, and beaches. Think of the times you enjoyed a great sunrise or sunset, took a scenic hike, rode your bike in a park , played in the snow, or just took a walk around your neighborhood . Remember how it felt? There is something to our relationship with the outdoors that makes us feel good , if we can allow ourselves a few minutes n ot to rush or be disturbed by our ring tones.

Bottom line: In all times, we need ways to help maintain our ability to cope. Self-care techniques are fundamental for preventing stress it strikes, and are fundamental for sustaining our equilibrium during hard times.

Share on Social Media

Share Tweet

Let us know if you liked the post. That's the only way we can improve.

Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Gene Beresin, MD, MA is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also...

To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
11 Self-Care Tips for Teens and Young Adults - MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Generation Z is the more stressed than any other age group, but there are many self-care practices they can use to maintain their mental well-being.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every teenager is different, though, and some teens need more than the recommended amount of sleep per night while others may require less.

Sleep is vital for people of any age. But especially in teens, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep.

Thinking and Academic Achievement

Given the importance of sleep for brain function, it is easy to see why teens who do not get enough sleep tend to suffer from excessive drowsiness and that can harm their academic performance.

Emotional Health

Most people have experienced how lack of sleep can affect mood, causing irritability and exaggerated emotional reactions. Over time, the consequences can be even greater for teens who are adapting to more independence, responsibility, and new social relationships.

Prolonged sleep loss may negatively affect , increasing risks for interpersonal conflict as well as more serious mental health problems.

Sleep-deprived teens are anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Improving sleep in adolescents may play a role in preventing and managing these mental health conditions.

Physical Health and Development

Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. It empowers the immune system, helps regulate hormones, and enables muscle and tissue recovery.

Substantial physical development happens during adolescence, which can be negatively affected by a lack of sleep. For example, researchers have found that adolescents who fail to get enough sleep have a troubling , evaluated through blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other factors. These findings may put them at higher risk of diabetes and long-term cardiovascular problems.

Decision-Making and Risky Behavior

Sleep deprivation can affect the development of the frontal lobe, a part of the brain that is critical to control impulsive behavior. Not surprisingly, numerous studies have found that teens who do not get enough sleep are more likely to engage in like drunk driving, texting while driving, riding a bicycle without a helmet, and failing to use a seatbelt. Drug and alcohol use, smoking, risky sexual behavior, fighting, and carrying a weapon are also in teens who get too little sleep.

Behavioral problems can have widespread effects on a teenager's life, putting their safety in jeopardy, harming their academic performance, and sometimes damaging their relationships with family and friends.

Accidents and Injuries

Insufficient sleep in teens can make them prone to accidental injury and even death. Of particular concern is an elevated risk of accidents as a result of drowsy driving. Studies have found that sleep deprivation can reduce reaction times with an effect similar to that of significant alcohol consumption. In teens, the impact of drowsy driving can be amplified by a lack of driving experience and a higher rate of distracted driving.

By almost all accounts, many teenagers in America are not getting the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Around 6 out of 10 middle schoolers and 7 out of 10 high schoolers on school nights.

Insufficient sleep has been found to be higher among girls and people assigned female at birth. Older teens report getting less sleep than younger adolescents. Surveys have also found that teens who identify as Black, Asian, or multiracial have the highest rates of sleeping less than eight hours per night.

There is not one specific reason for sleep insufficiency among teens. Instead, several factors contribute to this problem, and these factors may vary from teenager to teenager.

Delayed Sleep Schedule and School Start Times

Adolescents develop a strong tendency toward being a "night owl," staying up later at night and sleeping longer into the morning. Experts believe this is a two-fold biological impulse affecting the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle of teens.

First, teens have a sleep drive that builds more slowly, which means they do not start to feel tired until later in the evening. Second, the body starts producing melatonin later in the day, which is the hormone that helps promote sleep.

If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., but school start times in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning. Because of the biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle, many teens simply are not able to fall asleep early enough to get eight or more hours of sleep and still arrive at school on time.

With reduced sleep on weekdays, teens may try to catch up by sleeping in on the weekend, but this can exacerbate their delayed sleep schedule and inconsistent nightly rest.

Time Demands

Many teenagers have a jam-packed weekly schedule. School assignments, work obligations, household chores, social life, community activities, and sports are just some of the things that can require their time and attention.

With so much to try to fit into each day, many teens do not allocate sufficient time for sleep. They may stay up late during the week to finish homework or during the weekend when hanging out with friends, both of which can reinforce their night owl schedule.

Additionally, pressure to succeed while managing these extensive commitments can be stressful, and stress has been known to contribute to sleeping problems and insomnia.

Use of Electronic Devices

Screen time late into the evening can contribute to sleeping problems. Using these devices can be stimulating, and incoming notifications can disrupt sleep. Evidence also points to suppressed melatonin production from exposure to the light from smartphones.

Sleep Disorders

Some teens have poor sleep because of an underlying sleep disorder. Adolescents can be affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. OSA frequently causes fragmented sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Though less common, teens can have sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome, which involves a strong urge to move the limbs when lying down, or narcolepsy, which is a disorder affecting the sleep-wake cycle.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can be a challenge to quality sleep in teens as well as adults. Insufficient sleep can contribute to these conditions as well, creating a bidirectional relationship that can worsen both sleep and emotional wellness.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Teens who are having sleep problems should start by talking with their doctor about how much sleep they are getting and how it impacts their daily life. Their pediatrician can work to identify any underlying causes and craft the most appropriate and tailored treatment.

Depending on the cause of sleep problems, medications may be considered; however, in most cases, treatment with medications isn't necessary for teens to get better sleep.

A beneficial step is for teens to review and improve their sleep hygiene, which includes their sleep environment and habits. Some healthy sleep tips that can help in this process include:

Budgeting eight hours of sleep into your daily schedule and keeping that same schedule on both weekdays and weekends.

Creating a consistent pre-bed routine to help with relaxation and falling asleep fast.

Avoiding caffeine and energy drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Putting away electronic devices for at least a half-hour before bed and keeping them on silent mode to avoid checking them during the night.

Setting up your bed with a supportive mattress that's the best mattress for you. And don't forget to bring your best pillow.

Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Sleep hygiene modifications may be included in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a form of talk therapy for sleeping problems that has demonstrated effectiveness in adults and may be helpful to teens. CBT-I works by reshaping negative ideas and thoughts about sleep and implementing practical steps for better sleep routines.

How Can Parents Help Teens Get Better Sleep?

For many parents and caregivers, a first step is asking their teenage children about their sleep. Encourage teens to see a doctor while also working with them to make gradual sleep hygiene improvements. Some research has found that teens whose parents set a firm bedtime get more sleep and have .

Parents and caregivers can also work with their teens to avoid overscheduling and balance commitments that can generate stress with maintaining adequate time for sleep.

Learn more about our Editorial Team

References

1. Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D'Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., Malow, B. A., Maski, K., Nichols, C., Quan, S. F., Rosen, C. L., Troester, M. M., & Wise, M. S. (2016). Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: Methodology and discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(11), 1549-1561.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707447/

2. Sio, U. N., Monaghan, P., & Ormerod, T. (2013). Sleep on it, but only if it is difficult: effects of sleep on problem solving. Memory & cognition, 41(2), 159-166.
http://link.springer.com/10.3758/s13421-012-0256-7

3. Perez-Lloret, S., Videla, A. J., Richaudeau, A., Vigo, D., Rossi, M., Cardinali, D. P., & Perez-Chada, D. (2013). A multi-step pathway connecting short sleep duration to daytime somnolence, reduced attention, and poor academic performance: An exploratory cross-sectional study in teenagers. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9(5), 469-473.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23674938/

4. McMakin, D. L., Dahl, R. E., Buysse, D. J., Cousins, J. C., Forbes, E. E., Silk, J. S., Siegle, G. J., & Franzen, P. L. (2016). The impact of experimental sleep restriction on affective functioning in social and nonsocial contexts among adolescents. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 57(9), 1027-1037.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.12568

5. Roberts, R. E., & Duong, H. T. (2014). The prospective association between sleep deprivation and depression among adolescents. Sleep, 37(2), 239-244.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24497652/

6. Cespedes Feliciano, E. M., Quante, M., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Redline, S., Oken, E., & Taveras, E. M. (2018). Objective Sleep Characteristics and Cardiometabolic Health in Young Adolescents. Pediatrics, 142(1), e20174085.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29907703/

7. Wheaton, A. G., Olsen, E. O., Miller, G. F., & Croft, J. B. (2016). Sleep duration and injury-related risk behaviors among high school students-United States, 2007-2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(13), 337-341.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6513a1.htm

8. Meldrum, R. C., & Restivo, E. (2014). The behavioral and health consequences of sleep deprivation among U.S. high school students: relative deprivation matters. Preventive medicine, 63, 24-28.
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0091743514000929

9. Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020, September 10). Sleep in middle and high school students. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., Retrieved February 13, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm

10. Carter, B., Rees, P., Hale, L., Bhattacharjee, D., & Paradkar, M. S. (2016). Association Between Portable Screen-Based Media Device Access or Use and Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics, 170(12), 1202-1208.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27802500/

11. Devnani, P. A., & Hegde, A. U. (2015). Autism and sleep disorders. Journal of pediatric neurosciences, 10(4), 304-307.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4770638/

12. Short, M. A., Gradisar, M., Wright, H., Lack, L. C., Dohnt, H., & Carskadon, M. A. (2011). Time for bed: parent-set bedtimes associated with improved sleep and daytime functioning in adolescents. Sleep, 34(6), 797-800.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21629368/

13. The Children, Youth, & Families Office of the American Psychological Association (2014). Later school start times promote adolescent well-being., Retrieved February 13, 2023, from
https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/school-start-times.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Too many teens get insufficient sleep. Learn about the importance of sleep for teens, challenges to getting the sleep they need, and steps to sleep better.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why teenage sleep is so important for mental health

# data[].attributes.subject
Why teenage sleep is so important for mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why teenage sleep is so important for mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teenagers can sometimes struggle to get out of bed in the morning - but ensuring they get enough sleep could be vital for health in later life.

# data[].attributes.headline
What is Anxiety? | Symptoms of Anxiety & Getting Help

# data[].attributes.subject
What is Anxiety? | Symptoms of Anxiety & Getting Help

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is anxiety?

Anxiety is when you feel scared, worried or panicked about something. It's a normal, human feeling and your body's natural response to stress or danger. Anyone can experience anxiety, regardless of age, gender, race, culture or faith.

We all feel anxious from time to time. Day-to-day things like friendship, money, exams or work can cause anxiety. Or certain situations, such as travelling home at night, starting a new school or giving a presentation. But the feeling usually passes once we feel safe or solve the problem we had. Generally the worries stop and we're able to carry on with our lives.

As humans evolved, our brains developed an inbuilt alarm system. It warns us when something isn't right and we need to keep ourselves safe. This alarm triggers what is known as the 'fight or flight' response - this is when your body prepares to either run away, fight, or freeze.

Think about what happens in your body when you feel anxious. You might feel a churning feeling in your stomach, dizzy or light-headed or hot and sweaty. These symptoms are all part of the fight or flight response.

This can make us feel like we're in physical danger, but it's important to remember that feeling this way doesn't necessarily mean you are in danger.

What happens to our body in fight-or-flight mode?

When our brains are in fight-or-flight mode, our thinking brain - the part that helps you think clearly, learn and solve problems - switches off. This makes it hard to stay calm and control your emotions and behaviour. We evolved to have this response to help us react to dangerous situations our ancestors faced, like being chased by a predator.

But in modern life, we don't tend to face dangers like this anymore. Instead, our anxiety can be triggered by more complicated situations or feelings where it might not help us to run away, fight or freeze. Yet we still experience the fight-or-flight response.

There are things you can do to help when you feel this way. You can use activities that soothe or distract you and bring your attention back to your body and senses. This calms the fight-or-flight response and switches the thinking brain back on so you can start to feel better.

When does anxiety become a problem?

Anxiety becomes a problem when it is more long term and you feel stuck in your worries or fears. They may last for a long time, even after a stressful situation has passed. You might feel upset and overwhelmed, as if your worries are too big to manage. Or they may stop you from doing everyday things.

When anxiety becomes a problem, it is sometimes called an anxiety disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorders and they can affect your life in different ways. Speaking to your GP, or someone else you trust, can help you find out what the problem is and how you can take care of yourself.

For more advice on reaching out for help, take a look at our guide.

Young people have told us that their anxiety has sometimes been dismissed as perfectionism or the normal ups and downs of being a teenager. But if it's impacting your life, it's important to get the help you need. Remember, however you're feeling is valid, even if you're not sure why you feel the way you do.

Anxiety can feel lonely and impact your self-esteem, but you are not alone. Things can improve and get better. Our section on looking after yourself if you have anxiety has lots of information to help you find what works for you.

We asked young people what it's like to live with anxiety. Here's what they said:

Just remember that if you're struggling with anxiety or panic attacks, you are not alone.

What causes anxiety?

There are lots of things that can cause anxiety. It could be how you feel in specific situations, however big or small, or life events that are out of your control. It might be because of something that happened in the past, worries about the future or things that you know could happen.

We all experience stressful situations in different ways. What makes you feel anxious might not make someone else feel anxious at all. That doesn't make your feelings wrong. We all have different things that we find difficult and that's okay.

Sometimes it's really clear what's making us anxious, but sometimes it's not. You might feel like your anxiety comes out of nowhere and this can be upsetting and confusing. But how you feel is valid. There's no right or wrong thing to feel anxious about.

Some common things that can cause anxiety include:

Discrimination and anxiety

Experiencing discrimination against your identity can also be a big source of anxiety. This could be because of your race, religion, abilities, sexuality, gender identity or something else. You might experience abuse, injustice or be scared to be yourself. Discrimination is never okay, and you deserve to feel proud of who you are.

We know that if you're experiencing discrimination, talking to someone you trust can really help. But it can help to talk to someone who understands you and your background. See the bottom of this page for a list of organisations that work with specific groups of young people to offer tailored support.

Show/hide caption

Illustration by @fiorenza_art. A sitting fox has a thinking bubble with a heart inside and text on their tail reads, 'at this very moment, someone somewhere feels the same way you do. And that makes me feel a bit less alone.'

Real stories from young people about what caused their anxiety

Symptoms and signs of anxiety

Anxiety looks and feels different for everyone. We might notice anxiety in:

stomach problems, such as pains, feeling sick or diarrhoea

heart beating really fast

fast, shallow breathing

feeling light-headed, dizzy or faint

grinding your teeth

shaking or trembling

sweating more than usual

nervous, on edge and unable to relax

overwhelmed

like something bad is going to happen

out of control

tired and grumpy

needing reassurance or worrying you've upset someone

self-conscious

Anxiety is a healthy human emotion that we all feel sometimes. That means most of us will have felt some of these feelings at some point. So if some of these symptoms feel familiar, that doesn't mean you have a problem.

But if any of them are affecting your everyday life or causing you distress, it's a good idea to tell someone you trust or speak to your GP. We have lots of advice and information in our guide on how to talk to your GP.

These physical symptoms can be so frustrating and a huge discomfort. And when we don't know how common they are, it can leave us feeling all alone.

Types of anxiety disorders

Understanding different types of anxiety disorders can help you understand your own experience better and explain it to people you trust. As there are many ways to experience anxiety, you might recognise your experience in more than one anxiety disorder, or you might not recognise your experience here at all. That doesn't mean that your experience isn't valid.

The important thing is that you speak to your GP if you are struggling with anxiety, however that looks. They can help you find the support that's right for you, whatever you're going through.

If you have GAD you might find it difficult to control your worries. You can feel symptoms of anxiety often or all the time. This might be completely out of the blue or triggered by a range of situations. This can include situations where you might not expect to feel anxious.

Symptoms of GAD can include:

feeling restless, irritable or on edge

being unable to control worries

having difficulty concentrating

getting tired easily

sleep problems

pain such as headaches, muscle aches and stomach aches

It's normal to experiences nerves, worry or stress when you're studying. Especially when you have exams or assignments coming up. But if your anxiety feels too overwhelming and you're finding it hard to cope, it's time to reach out for help. Speaking to someone you trust is the first step towards getting support. This could be someone at school or university, your GP or someone close to you.

Our bloggers share their experiences of anxiety

Treating anxiety disorders

Illustration by Emily @21andsensory. Black text in the centre of a white background reads, 'believe in yourself and magic will happen.'

Feeling constant anxiety can be a sign that something isn't right, and you may need some help figuring out what that is. Your GP can suggest different types of treatment that can help if they think you're suffering from anxiety. They can also offer regular check-ups to see how you're doing.

There are a few different ways of treating anxiety disorders. Your treatment will depend on your age and the cause of your anxiety. You might try one, or end up using a combination of treatment options. The important thing is to find what works best for you.

Take a look below at the different types of treatment you may be offered.

Talking therapy can help you get to the root of what is causing your anxiety. One of the most common types of talking therapy used to treat anxiety is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). With CBT, you work with a therapist who helps you understand your thoughts and feelings. They then help you explore ways to change how they affect you. You also learn practical techniques to help you relax and cope better in everyday life.

Have a look at our counselling and therapy guide to find out more about different types of talking therapies and what happens in a therapy session.

Applied relaxation can help you manage the physical symptoms of anxiety. The focus is to learn how to relax your muscles in a particular way. You can then use this technique when you're in situations that usually cause anxiety.

Take a look at Eve's blog on how Progressive Muscle Relaxation helps her when she feels anxious or panicked.

If anxiety is stopping you from going to the doctor

It can be difficult if making appointments and going to the doctor gives you anxiety. If your anxiety is stopping you from getting treatment, let your GP know. They will be able to make arrangements to help.

For example, they could arrange phone calls or home visits. You could take someone with you to appointments or ask someone to call the GP for you. It's okay to tell your GP if you are struggling and need to make adjustments.

You may have heard that waiting times for mental health support can be quite long. The reality is that this will vary on the type of support that your GP thinks you need and where you are in the country. The waiting times vary in different areas. If you would like to know more about this, it's okay to ask your GP when they refer you. They may not know exactly, but they might be able to give you a rough timeframe.

This can feel really frustrating. But it's important to remember that how you're feeling is valid, however long you have to wait for support. Also, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself while you're waiting. Take a look at some tips that young people have told us helped them.

I noticed behaviours, mindsets and thought patterns that were having a negative effect on my mental health, and I still use the techniques I learnt in CBT to cope with these.

To this day, I still use these methods if I feel a wave of anxiety coming on, and they have truly helped me become stronger and more able to cope with difficulties in life.

Ways to look after yourself if you have anxiety

If you're struggling with anxiety, there are things you can do and support available to help you feel better. Different techniques will work for different people, and there might be one or two activities that you know you can use at different times.

For example, breathing and mindfulness. This could help you feel calm before doing something that you know makes you anxious. But this might not help in an anxious moment. Instead, you might move or stretch your body, play a game, or focus your attention on your senses and what's around you.

Below are some coping technique ideas that you can try.

Self-help techniques for anxiety aren't a replacement for getting help or a way for you to fix anxiety on your own. They are ways of looking after your mental health, like we would our physical health. Take a look at some ideas below.

Keeping a diary of your thoughts, worries and about times when you feel anxious can help you recognise signs or patterns in your anxiety. This empowers you to know when you need to ask for help or do something to help yourself.

Playing games with your friends or on your own is a great way to take time out from daily life. This could be sports, jigsaws, card games or video games. There are also lots of apps to help us relax and feel calmer, such as puzzles, classic arcade games or playing with patterns and colours.

Express yourself in creative ways. This could be anything from drawing and painting to photography or baking. Keeping ourselves busy and making something can help us manage our worries and feel present.

Relax by listening to a playlist of songs or a podcast that you find soothing. Or rewatch your favourite TV show or movie that feels familiar to you.

How to make a self-soothe box

Our Activists explain what a self-soothe box is, how it can help you when you're feeling anxious or panicky, and what they have in theirs. Have a look at Eve's blog for more ideas on what you could put in your self-soothe box.

What is a self-soothe box?

In its simplest form, self-care is just the little things we do to look after our mental health. Alongside relaxing activities, self-care can also be showing ourselves compassion, setting boundaries or not comparing ourselves to others. Self-care will look different for everyone.

Take a look at our guides for more advice on finding out what self-care means for you.

Our bloggers share their coping techniques for anxiety

How to support a friend with anxiety

It can be difficult to know what to do if your friend or someone close to you is struggling with anxiety. It's normal to feel worried, confused or scared of saying or doing the wrong thing. But remember that it's not your responsibility to fix anything. Sometimes just listening to how they're feeling can be a really big help.

If a friend opens up to you about struggling with anxiety, here are some things you can do to support them.

It's important to remember to look after your own mental health too and only support them in ways that feel manageable for you. It's not all on you to support your friend with anxiety. For more information and advice, have a look at our guide on supporting a friend with their mental health.

We never really spoke of my troubles explicitly; he just knew that I was struggling and was always on hand to suggest fun activities and encourage me to do them with him.

Where to get help

If anxiety is taking over, you are not alone. Here are some services that can help you get through this.

This page was reviewed in June 2023. It was co-created by young people with lived experience of anxiety. We will next review the page in 2026. YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK - the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders | Signs and symptoms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anxiety is a feeling of fear or panic that many young people experience. Find out about the causes and symptoms of anxiety and where to get help.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health

# data[].attributes.subject
Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Annabel Mansfield

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

As families settle back into a new school year, UniSA sleep experts are reminding parents about the importance of teenagers getting enough sleep, cautioning them that insufficient sleep can negatively affect their mental health.

In a new research paper, UniSA's Dr Alex Agostini and Dr Stephanie Centofanti confirm that sleep is intrinsically linked to mental health, but is commonly overlooked by health practitioners as a contributing factor.

Dr Agostini says it's imperative that parents and medical practitioners are aware of the bi-directional relationship between sleep and mental health, particularly during the teenage years.

"Getting enough sleep is important for all of us - it helps our physical and mental health, boosts our immunity, and ensures we can function well a daily basis," Dr Agostini says.

"But for teenagers, sleep is especially critical because they're at an age where they're going through a whole range of physical, social and developmental changes, all of which depend on enough sleep.

"Research shows that teenagers need at least eight hours of sleep each night. Without this, they're less able to deal with stressors, such as bullying or social pressures, and run the risk of developing behavioural problems, as well as anxiety and depression.
"If sleep drops to less than six hours a night, research shows that teens are twice as likely to engage in risky behaviours such as dangerous driving, marijuana, alcohol or tobacco use, risky sexual behaviour, and other aggressive or harmful activities."
In Australia, almost one in seven children and adolescents (aged 4-17 years) will experience a mental health disorder. The World Health Organisation says that while half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, most cases go undetected and untreated.

Co-researcher, Dr Centofanti, says while many factors contribute to later bedtimes for teenagers, technology is one of the greatest offenders.

"Teens spend a lot of time on devices, whether it's texting friends, playing games, or watching videos, using technology late into the night is one of the most common disruptors of good sleep. Overuse of technology can also contribute to mental health issues like increased anxiety," Dr Centofanti says.

"Not only can technology use make us feel anxious and awake, but the blue light emitted from technology inhibits the production of the sleep hormone melatonin to delay the natural onset of sleep. This is problematic because teens already have a biological tendency to want to stay up late and sleep in.

"To make a real difference to teenage mental health, both parents and medical practitioners must understand how sleep can impact mental health concerns in teenagers."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Annabel Mansfield SOCIETY AND CULTURE As families settle back into a new school year, UniSA sleep experts are reminding parents about the importance of teenagers getting enough sleep, cautioning them that insufficient sleep can negatively affect their mental health.

# data[].attributes.headline
Is sleep a 'magic pill' for teen wellness in a mental health crisis?

# data[].attributes.subject
Is sleep a 'magic pill' for teen wellness in a mental health crisis?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When parents tell Denise Pope, an adolescent well-being expert, they're worried for their children's mental health, she responds with a question.

"How many hours are they sleeping?"

Concerns for youth depression, anxiety and suicide have risen amid a deadly pandemic that disrupted schools across the country and isolated teens from their friends. Experts agree that consistent, sweet slumber can go a long way toward making many students feel better - but research suggests teens are skimping on this vital resource, and the problem has only worsened with Covid-19.

Based on increased demand for behavioral health services over the past four months, Colorado children's hospital recently declared a pediatric mental health state of emergency. The hospital's chief medical officer said the situation is more severe than anything he has seen in his 20 years of practice.

Families are facing many ills during the pandemic that sleep can't fix, including death and economic loss. But Pope, co-founder of the Stanford University-affiliated nonprofit Challenge Success, offers a metaphor for sleep's powers, which she credits to psychologist Lisa Demour.

"If you had sort of a magic pill that you could take that would help increase your mental health, increase your physical health, lower your stress, make you more efficient," she says, most people would be itching for a dose.

Well, we do have that magic pill. "It's called sleep," says Pope.

In recent years, school leaders have highlighted that quality sleep is an important precondition for academic success, helping young people pay attention and retain material. In a 2019 effort to safeguard rest for teens, California pushed back school start times for middle and high school students statewide. But the mental benefits extend far beyond learning, experts say, emphasizing sleep as a key to healthy emotional regulation for young people.

In the fall of 2020, Pope's Challenge Success team joined with NBC to survey 10,000 high school students on their well-being and academic engagement through the pandemic. They found that high schoolers were getting an average of 6.7 hours of sleep a night - well below the recommended nine-hour benchmark, which only 7% of students were hitting. Five per cent of students regularly slept under four hours per night, the research team found.

Even though remote school eliminated commutes for many students, 43% of high schoolers reported that they were sleeping less since the pandemic struck, compared to only 23 who reported sleeping more. Anecdotal accounts indicate that quarantine spurred many teens to stay up all hours of the night, sleeping sporadically throughout the day while their Zoom cameras were off and using naps as a coping mechanism when they started to spiral.

"My sleep schedule really went off the rails when the pandemic started," Bridgette Adu-Wadier, now a senior at TC Williams high school in Alexandria, Virginia, told the 74. During the day, on top of attending classes, she had to keep an eye on her two younger brothers, first- and second-graders who would constantly interrupt her with quarrels over toys, requests for help with schoolwork and messes to clean up in the kitchen.

Distracted days meant she frequently had to log late nights working to complete a never-ending stream of assignments. Sometimes, she would find herself nodding off while working. "It was just really hard managing my time with all the things that I had to juggle," said Adu-Wadier.

She has not been alone. Students in an advanced course she's enrolled in share a group chat, and on nights before assignments are due, messages buzz into the wee hours of the morning as peers scramble to finish. In the mornings, some of her friends can't drag themselves out of bed for online class.

Between April and October last year, the share of mental health-related emergency department visits increased by 24% for children, and 31% for teens. Over one in five teenagers surveyed by EdWeek Research Center in April said their need for mental health counseling increased during the pandemic, compared to less than one in 10 who said it went down.

Though experts say it's too soon to tell whether the pandemic has spurred an increase in youth suicide attempts, parents of teens who took their own lives say that the circumstances of quarantine contributed to their children's desperate condition.

Susanne Button, a clinical psychologist who directs high school programming for the Jed Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing youth suicide, is especially worried for LGBTQ+ youth. Queer and trans teens struggled with high rates of suicidal ideation even before the pandemic, she says, and in the past year, many have been forced to quarantine with family members who do not understand their identities.

In her work with these students, Button emphasizes the importance of good sleep hygiene.

"You can't sleep off some of these stressors, but you certainly can link sleep into resilience," she told the 74. "Adequate sleep for teenagers stabilizes mood and reduces irritability and depression.

"Adolescents who don't have enough sleep tend to actually engage in more high-risk behavior when they don't feel mentally calm or happy," continued Button. "Adolescents who get enough sleep tend to make better decisions and be less impulsive around risk-taking when they're feeling stressed or distressed."

Pope of Challenge Success suggests trying to push bedtime just a few minutes earlier every week

"Don't let yourself look at that extra TikTok video, don't stay up for the news, whatever it is. Just try to move that needle by 15 minutes at a time."

Screen use before bed is something parents ought to monitor, Pope says. A mother herself, she's had to institute a no-devices-at-night rule for her kids.

Of course, many youth live in conditions where it can be tricky to cultivate friendly sleeping conditions. They may be staying with relatives or in a homeless shelter. Still, even small changes can help, says Pope, who recommends earplugs and sleep masks to mute outside stimuli.

As for Adu-Wadier, the long hours she logged studying for high-level courses have paid off. This spring, she earned admission to study at Northwestern University on a full scholarship.

On the night she got the good news, the college-bound senior didn't stay up late celebrating. Instead, she tucked herself in at 10.30pm.

"I just went straight to bed," Adu-Wadier remembers. "I didn't spend a ton of time trying to do assignments or work on college applications because I didn't need to do any more college applications. So I just attempted to go to sleep."

Whether it was thanks to the college admission news or the full night's rest, the next day had a certain shine to it.

"I woke up feeling a lot different," said Adu-Wadier. "It's a very great feeling."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is sleep a 'magic pill' for teen wellness in a mental health crisis?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When parents tell Denise Pope, an adolescent well-being expert, they're worried for their children's mental health, she responds with a question. "How many hours are they sleeping?" Concerns for youth depression, anxiety and suicide have risen amid a deadly pandemic that disrupted schools across the country and isolated teens from their friends.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While all teens feel anxious from time to time, some feel it more than others.

Say your best friend tells you she's going to the airport with her dad to learn to skydive. She's totally excited. But just thinking of skydiving causes you tremendous anxiety. Your stomach churns, your heart races, and you feel a lump in your throat when you try to swallow. You can't believe your friend is actually doing this, and you think about it all day long. When she calls that evening, she says she can't wait to skydive again -- "It was thrilling!" While you and your friend are both thinking about skydiving, you perceive the situation in very different ways.

What Is Anxiety?

For teens or anyone else, anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Things like tests, meeting new people, speaking in public, going on a date, and competing in sports can make us feel apprehensive or uneasy. But some teens react much more strongly to stressful situations than others. Even thinking about the situations may cause them great distress.

Anxiety can be a good thing when it helps you deal with a tense situation. For example, when you're studying for a test, a little anxiety can make you want to study hard so you do well. But at other times, anxiety can be harmful, especially when it is excessive and irrational, and prevents you from being able to focus.

Sometimes the anxiety can come between you and your friends, especially when you avoid going out with them or calling them because you're too panicked or tense. This level of anxiety is harmful and that's when you need to do something to feel less anxious so you can fully enjoy your teenage life.

How Can Teens Cope with Anxiety?

Many teens find ways to cope with the high anxiety they feel. It's important to recognize your emotions, to know what you're feeling and why you're feeling that way. It's also important to find healthy ways of coping with anxiety. Recognizing the types of situations that cause your anxiety is helpful.

Sometimes just admitting that a situation is stressful and being prepared to deal with it can reduce your anxiety. If you try these simple measures and still have too much anxiety, getting treatment from a health care professional or therapist is the next step.

Continued

How Much Anxiety is too Much?

Here are some of the signs of excess anxiety:

You feel anxious, worried, or afraid for no reason at all. Normally, teens feel anxiety because of something specific -- like a test or going out on a date. But if there's no obvious reason for your feelings, your anxiety level may be too high.

You worry too much about everyday events or activities. Some worry is normal. But if you're constantly worrying about things that are not unusual, or if you worry so much about those events you avoid them, your anxiety level is too high.

You continually check whether you did something right. While it's normal to check something you did to make sure it's right, continuing to check it again and again is a sign that you have way too much anxiety.

You're so panicky that you are unable to function in certain specific situations -- like taking tests or socializing with friends.

What Anxiety Treatments Are Available for Teens?

Finding the right treatment is an important first step in reducing your anxiety. Treatment involves seeing a psychiatrist, clinical social worker, or psychologist, sometimes weekly. Sometimes the counselors at school may serve as a resource to find the appropriate treatment. Treatment can improve many areas of your life, including your performance in school and relationships with your family and friends.

Here are the most common treatments for anxiety.

Medication. Several types of prescription medications can be useful, depending on the kind of anxiety you have.The psychiatrist will establish a diagnosis and use that diagnosis to guide medication management. Generalized anxiety or anxiety in social situations are often treated with the same kinds of medication used to treat depression. These take 4 - 6 weeks to work best.

Specific anti-anxiety drugs, called benzodiazepines (the oldest of which is Valium), can also be added or used alone, depending on the circumstances. Specific anxieties, commonly referred to as performance anxiety, like panic about tests or public speaking, can also be treated by taking a single dose of a medication called a beta-blocker about an hour before the feared event.

Continued

Cognitive-behavioral therapy. You'll need to see a therapist for cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT. The therapist will help you identify what types of thoughts and beliefs cause your anxiety, and work with you to reduce them. It's important to see a therapist who has experience treating anxiety in teens, and to plan to see that therapist frequently. Keep in mind that any therapy can succeed only if you work on getting better. The therapist just helps by suggesting ways that may help you change and get better.

Biofeedback. This therapy uses electronics to measure how your body responds to stress. It's based on the idea that when people are given information about their body's internal processes, they can use this information to learn to control those processes.

During biofeedback, you'll be connected to a machine that tells you and your therapist when you are relaxing your body. With sensors placed over specific muscle sites, the therapist can read the tension in your muscles, your heart rate, your breathing pattern, the amount of sweat produced, and/or body temperature. Any one of these readings can let the therapist know if you are learning to relax. Biofeedback can be fun -- it's almost like playing a computer game.

Relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques can help reduce anxiety and negative thoughts and help you manage stress. Common relaxation techniques include deep abdominal breathing, meditation, listening to calming music, and activities like yoga and tai chi.

Start Your Own Relaxation Program

To reduce normal levels of anxiety, set aside a period of about 20 minutes each day to devote to relaxation. Remove distractions as much as possible. Turn off the sound on your computer and the ringer on your cell phone.

During the 20-minute period, remain as still as you can. Focus your thoughts on the immediate moment, and eliminate any outside thoughts that compete for your attention. Try to notice which parts of your body feel relaxed, and which feel tense.

As you go through these steps, try to imagine that every muscle in your body is becoming relaxed and free of tension. Picture all the muscles in your body beginning to go loose and limp.

Continued

Concentrate on making your breathing slow and even. Each time you exhale, picture your muscles becoming even more relaxed, as if with each breath you breathe the tension away.

At the end of 20 minutes, take a few moments to focus on the feelings and sensations you have been able to achieve. Notice whether areas that felt tense now feel looser, and whether any areas of tightness remain.

Some people find that chanting (even a single word) or singing, praying, or focusing their vision on an object or flickering light source (like a candle or fireplace) also helps them achieve a more relaxed state of mind.

Don't be surprised if the relaxed feeling begins to fade once you get up and return to your normal activities. Many teens find that it is only after several weeks of daily, consistent practice that they are able to maintain the relaxed feeling beyond the practice session.

When Should Teens Get Help for Anxiety?

If you have high levels of anxiety as mentioned above, it's important to seek treatment. About 13% of teenagers have high enough anxiety to need medical or psychotherapeutic treatment.

Sources

SOURCES:
Anxiety Disorders Association of America: "Anxiety Disorders in Children and Teens" and "Anxiety Medications and Kids."
National Alliance on Mental Illness: "Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy."
MD Consult, Patient education handout: "Anxiety Due to a Medical Condition."
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: "Children and adolescents with anxiety disorders."
National Institute of Mental Health: "Anxiety Disorders."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While all teens feel anxious from time to time, some feel it more than others. Say your best friend tells you she's going to the airport with her dad to learn to skydive. She's totally excited. But just thinking of skydiving causes you tremendous anxiety.

# data[].attributes.headline
What to Know About Dieting and Mental Health in Teens

# data[].attributes.subject
What to Know About Dieting and Mental Health in Teens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
No matter what your age, there is scientific evidence to suggest that what food you eat significantly impacts your mood. This is especially true for younger people and teenagers since their bodies are still developing.

Overeating too much or eating unhealthy foods can result in obesity and depression. However, eating too little or eating food that does not correctly nourish teens can lead to disordered eating. Teenagers are the most at-risk age for eating disorders.

Adolescence not only marks the beginning of someone's adulthood, but it is also a significant moment for teens to develop healthy choices in their life. Understanding what those healthy choices are, how to develop good food habits, and what a good diet looks like are important in the short term, but also for someone's whole life. This is true physically and mentally.

Making Healthy Food Choices

Eating the proper amount of food is important for good mental health, but eating nutritious food is also important. Try to avoid food high in sugar, salt, and oils. Focus on eating fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat protein, and low-fat dairy.

Fruits and Vegetables. A good rule of thumb is to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. The more colors from these fruits and veggies, the better.

Grains. Healthy grains include things like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-grain cereal.

Protein. Look for meats low in fat like turkey, chicken, or seafood. Other options for protein include egg whites, beans, nuts, or tofu.

Fat. Fats are essential for teens to eat as they help your body grow. However, some fats are better for you than other others. Foods with healthy oils include avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, and certain kinds of seafood. Try and avoid solid fats like butter or lard that become solid at room temperature. Foods like fried chicken, fries, and cheese are okay to eat in moderation, but they have unhealthy fats, as well.

It is also generally best to avoid processed food. This means foods that are packaged or canned. Usually, these foods have more salt and additives that are not as healthy as simply making that same food at your house.

Developing Healthy Habits Around Meals

Skipping meals is a sure-fire way for a teenager's diet to negatively impact mental health. It is necessary that you stay healthy by eating regular meals.

Eat breakfast. Breakfast helps to kickstart your day and gets you off on a great foot. Even just grabbing an apple or a banana on the way to school can make a world of difference.

Packing your lunch for school. Planning and making a lunch the night before school or in the morning helps you control your food choices. It can also make you more likely to eat it because you made it yourself.

Family dinner. Home-cooked meals are always healthier than eating dinner out. Eating dinner at night with your family is also a fun and connective experience. ‌

Participate in the shopping. Planning and preparing healthy meals with your family helps you make healthy choices. It also allows you to eat foods you find delicious. You can help your family make healthy food choices, too!

Impact of Diet on Teens' Mental Health

A recent study from the University of Minnesota attempted to measure the connection between mental well-being and food habits in teens. It found that teens with more awareness of their body's responses to food were less likely to develop a number of problems including:

Depression

Low self-esteem

Dissatisfaction with their bodies

Attempts at extreme weight control

Binge eating as an adult

It is important for teens to understand that food equals energy. The food you eat gives you the battery power to think, move, grow, and generally exist. The amount of food or calories that are healthy for you to eat depends on your age, height, and activity level. It can change from day-to-day, especially if you are still growing.

Some teens may want to diet and limit the amount of food they eat in order to lose weight. This can be dangerous if it limits foods that are necessary for development and daily fuel. Fasting or heavily dieting also greatly impacts your mood in negative ways.

Additionally, some teens resort to smoking, making themselves vomit, or using diet pills to lose weight. Doing all of those things is very serious and not only impacts your mental health but your physical health, as well. If you are a teen and you think you need to lose weight, make sure to talk to your doctor or a dietitian so that you can create a healthy plan together.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What to Know About Dieting and Mental Health in Teens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No matter what your age, there is scientific evidence to suggest that what food you eat significantly impacts your mood. This is especially true for younger people and teenagers since their bodies are still developing. Overeating too much or eating unhealthy foods can result in obesity and depression.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Nutrition Affects Teens' Mental Health

# data[].attributes.subject
How Nutrition Affects Teens' Mental Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways to Cope With Anxiety (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Everyone feels worried or nervous at times. Here are 5 tips for teens to help manage anxiety.

# data[].attributes.headline
Diet and exercise can improve teens' mental health

# data[].attributes.subject
Diet and exercise can improve teens' mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Depression and anxiety have been increasing among teenagers worldwide for many years, and the COVID-19 global pandemic only exacerbated the problem.

In October 2019, before anyone had heard of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, though, Peter Templeton, founder of the William Templeton Foundation for Young People's Mental Health and executive director at Institute for Manufacturing's Engage program in the Cambridge University Engineering Department, launched a wide-ranging, international, multi-disciplinary project intended to "innovate early interventions for depression in young people."

The project brought together stakeholders and specialists from students to educators, physicians, nutritionists, researchers and even insurance-company representatives to focus on "key aspects of the causal pathways of depression in young people," including genes and epigenetics, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) "stress" axis, diet and nutrition, exercise and sleep.

Among those invited to participate was Christopher Lowry, associate professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder.

"I was attracted to the project because my research is focused on stress-related psychiatric disorders," Lowry says. "My work on the microbiome-gut-brain axis was particularly why I was invited."

After collating ideas and information from a series of online workshops from November 2019 to January 2020, the project issued its 120-page final report, " Changing Hearts, Changing Minds: Evidence-based approaches to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of depression in young people," in September.

One key finding is that diet, nutrition and exercise are among the most accessible and effective interventions to reduce depression in young people.

Most people intuit that diet and exercise improve the physical health of the human body. But Lowry and other researchers have been steadily building a body of evidence confirming that they also have a profound impact on mental health, through mechanisms as varied as the "gut-brain axis," epigenetics, the impact of hormones on stress, and sleep.

"Diet and nutrition is one of the main factors that influences mental-health outcomes," Lowry says. "But I don't think people have really processed how fundamentally important it is."

That may sound simple, Lowry says, but those interventions "are also potentially the hardest to implement because they involve lifestyle changes." In both the United States and United Kingdom, there are considerable obstacles to improving diet and nutrition among young people, as well as to getting them to exercise more.

For example, U.S. schools in the 1970s and '80s often provided homemade "hot lunches" and families sent children to school with a brown bag, but today's school cafeterias typically peddle food high in calories, salt, sugar and fat, and students may go off campus to eat fast food.

The answer, Lowry says, "is to reduce takeout foods, trans fats, high-sugar and ultra-processed foods and replace them with vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and fish ... Basically a Mediterranean diet."

Easier said than done, for a host of reasons.

First, it's no surprise that kids gravitate toward high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt food: The human body is evolutionarily primed to seek out such once-difficult-to-obtain nutrients.

But politics also has made it difficult to even offer healthy options in schools, Lowry says. In Britain, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's effort to improve school nutrition met considerable resistance, while former First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to reduce childhood obesity was criticized as an attack on liberty.

Additional challenges include poverty and families living in "food deserts" with limited access to affordable, nutritional food.

"If their only source of food is a Dollar Store, they have very little access to fresh fruit and vegetables," Lowry notes.

Meanwhile, Lowry's research suggests a radically altered approach to nutrition and diet. Since a healthy gut microbiome can reduce inflammatory disease and improve mental health, the best thing humans can do is increase the variety of organisms living in their bodies, he says.

"It's like a self-sustaining Amazon rainforest vs. a monoculture of wheat, where you have to input fertilizer and pesticide and fungicide, just to keep it alive," Lowry says. "Turns out the microbiome is like that: The more diversity you have, the consensus is, the healthier you are."

Eating a wide variety of plant-based food-up to 30 different kinds of plant, with up to 1,000 species of bacteria per plant, per week, Lowry says-can mean the ingestion of up to 30,000 species of bacteria that survive in specialized ecosystems on and in different plants.

"That understanding has completely changed the way I think about feeding my own children. I'll give them one or two small carrots, one or two blueberries, and so on, very small proportions, very high diversity of foods. It would be great if you could buy a pack of 30 different vegetables at the grocery store, take it home and graze on all those different plants. ... We need a little 'hunter-gatherer' pack, but no one's done that yet."

Getting kids to exercise more to improve their mental health faces implementation challenges, as well. Just 24% of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and levels of activity decline continually as they age.

In decades past, American schools placed greater emphasis on challenging physical education, requiring all students to do everything from run a timed mile once a month to clambering up a two-story rope and do calisthenics. But where 41% of high-school students participated in physical education activities in 1991, only 25% did as of 2015, and just 3.7% of K-12 schools require daily physical education, according to the CDC.

And increasing obesity in children-almost one out of five children is considered clinically obese, the CDC reports -"further impairs their ability to engage in meaningful exercise," creating a downward spiral.

Despite the challenges moving forward, Lowry applauds the innovative process that led to the report. Based on engineering principles and tested management techniques, it brought together participants from widely varying fields, disciplines and backgrounds to collaborate on identifying the problem and potential interventions.

"As scientists, one of the criticisms we often hear is that we work in siloes-a narrow focus, without really interacting with other scientists," he says. "But this particular project was good at breaking down those siloes. ... It's rare to be able to engage with a process that has such a broad spectrum of participants."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Diet and exercise can improve teens' mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Depression and anxiety have been increasing among teenagers worldwide for many years, and the COVID-19 global pandemic only exacerbated the problem. In October 2019, before anyone had heard of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, though, Peter Templeton, founder of the William Templeton Foundation for Young People's Mental Health and executive director at Institute for Manufacturing's Engage program in the Cambridge University Engineering Department, launched a wide-ranging, international, multi-disciplinary project intended to "innovate early interventions for depression in young people."

# data[].attributes.headline
Get Moving: The Benefits of Exercise for Teen Mental Health

# data[].attributes.subject
Get Moving: The Benefits of Exercise for Teen Mental Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
One of the best things that parents can do for their kids is help them build an exercise habit. That might mean dance, yoga, hiking or high school athletics. It should be something they really enjoy, so they're inspired to keep doing it.

Why is exercise so essential for teens? Because physical activity has significant benefits for teen mental health, according to a large body of research. In fact, exercise can even be as effective as antidepressants. And, on the flip side, physical inactivity is associated with the development of psychological disorders.
Studies show that exercise has the following benefits for teen mental health:

Positively impacts levels of serotonin, a chemical that helps regulate mental health.

Releases endorphins, the body's natural "happy chemicals."

Lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol .

Stimulates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which improves mood.

Increases self-esteem and body positivity.

Helps teens sleep better.

Evidence shows that teen athletics are particularly supportive, on a number of levels.

According to a Canadian study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, students who play team sports in grades eight through 12 have less stress and depression as young adults. Teens who play sports also gain confidence, critical-thinking and judgment skills, as well as increased cognitive function.

However, just about any type of physical exercise is beneficial. In a small study of a dozen young adults at the University of Newcastle in Australia, participants with major depressive disorder exercised regularly; after 12 weeks of exercise, 10 of the participants were no longer categorized as depressed. Regular exercise has also been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety.

And the effects are long-lasting: In one study, researchers found that people who got regular vigorous exercise were 25 percent less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years.

According to James S. Gordon, author of"Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression,""Physical exercise has direct effects on the biology and psychology of depression. ... Exercising, we discover that feelings of helplessness and hopelessness begin to fade."
Another important benefit for teens: Exercise prevents substance use disorder.
As well as keeping anxiety and depression at bay, physical activity helps fight addiction. Research on lab rats and mice shows that regular exercise reduces the inclination to use drugs and alcohol. In essence, physical activity provides a healthy alternative reward for the brain, catalyzing a powerful surge of dopamine. And finding healthy ways to increase dopamine is key to successful recovery, especially in the early stages.

Additionally, exercise combats addiction because it addresses two of the major motivators for substance and alcohol abuse: depression and anxiety. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, teens who have substance use disorder are roughly twice as likely to have mood and anxiety disorders compared with the general population, and those with mood and anxiety disorders are more likely to use drugs. State of mind is intimately linked with substance use.
However, there are risks associated with teen sports.
When teen athletes feel pressured to overachieve in sports, they sometimes turn to performance-enhancing drugs. In the federal government's annual Monitoring the Future study, researchers examined the use of performance-enhancing substances among 67,000 high school students. Overall, close to 7 percent of students reported trying anabolic steroids at least once - an increase from 2012, when it was 5 percent.

In addition, doctors often prescribe medication for sports injuries, which can lead to addiction, causing serious health problems and even death. Therefore, coaches, doctors and parents need to monitor teen athletes closely, and be vigilant about avoiding addictive methods of pain relief for injured teens.
Researchers say that how often we exercise is more important for mental health than how vigorously we exercise.
"Data regarding the positive mood effects of exercise involvement, independent of fitness gains, suggest that the focus should be on frequency of exercise rather than duration or intensity," say Lynette Craft and Frank Perna, authors of a review of research on the benefits of exercise for clinical depression. According to experts, teens who do some sort of physical activity three to five times a week, for at least 30 minutes, can reap mental health benefits.

Bottom line: Encouraging teens to get moving is worth the extra time, money or driving that teen exercise or athletics might require from parents. Ultimately, it will give them a strong foundation for physical and mental well-being for the rest of their lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Get Moving: The Benefits of Exercise for Teen Mental Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of the best things that parents can do for their kids is help them build an exercise habit. That might mean dance, yoga, hiking or high school athletics. It should be something they really enjoy, so they're inspired to keep doing it. Why is exercise so essential for teens?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You take your meds regularly, meditate, and see a therapist for your mental health. But what about what's on your plate? Your nutritional habits may play a role.

A tuna sandwich, a tossed salad, and a cup of berries. Sounds like lunch, right? It may be more than that. Research shows that the foods you put into your body can have an influence on your mental health.

We know that what you eat affects things like diabetes and heart disease, so is it a surprise that nutrition can affect your anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder?

One review of 21 studies found that a high intake of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, fish, and low-fat dairy reduced the risk of depression. Studies that looked at Mediterranean and Japanese diets and compared them to the typical Western diet found that people on these diets had a 25% to 35% lower incidence of depression, according to Dr. Eva Selhub for the Harvard Health blog.

The Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables and olive oil, may have mental health benefits, such as providing protection against depression and anxiety.

Another study found a link between a high-fat, high-sugar diet and anxiety in adults age 50 and older. Researchers deduced that diets heavy in carbohydrates, saturated fat, red meat, and refined sugars can worsen your mental health symptoms.

It appears that not consuming the right type of vitamins and minerals, also called micronutrients, may play a role in certain mental health disorders. One found that, overall, many people with mental health conditions have deficiencies in micronutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.

There's been some research into how taking vitamins and supplements could improve your mental health. This article offers an overview of research into which vitamins may be beneficial for people living with bipolar disorder.

But scientists are calling for more research and larger, more rigorous studies. Nutrition offers a world of potential for new prevention strategies and treatments for those who have a variety of mental health conditions.

It seems that certain foods trigger a release of chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in our body like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters play a role in helping us stay calm, focused, and energized.

If the volume of these chemical messengers waxes or wanes too far from the neurotypical, mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and mania could crop up.

Doctors recommend eating foods that keep neurotransmitters functioning smoothly and pave the way for a healthy mind. They also suggest avoiding foods that can derail those neurotransmitters. These include foods that are high in fat and sugar and low in fiber.

For instance, psychologists are exploring the role of omega-3 fatty acids. Thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties and effects on dopamine and serotonin, omega-3s likely play a role in brain development, functioning, and mental health.

Foods high in omega 3s include salmon, mackerel, oysters, flack seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans, omega 3-enriched eggs, hemp seeds, and spinach.

Scientific research has found more evidence to support eating more whole foods and reducing your intake of processed foods to improve mental health outcomes.

Processed foods may promote the growth of bad gut bacteria and lead to inflammation. And since the brain and gut are ultimately connected, eating foods that negatively affect our gut health could contribute to certain mental health disorders, researchers are discovering.

Inflammation is now thought responsible for a host of diseases including heart disease and diabetes, as well as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Now, researchers propose that psychological stress, like the kind you feel when you have depression or anxiety, can activate inflammation in the brain.

It's understood treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help reduce brain inflammation and, with it, the symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders.

Following a diet that emphasizes unprocessed foods, like the Mediterranean diet, could help reduce the brain inflammation that may exacerbate mental health disorders.

If you want to leverage food to fortify your mental health, you can try experimenting with your diet.

Try thinking about what you eat. What key foods are you lacking, and what areas of your diet could benefit from nutritious alternatives?

Maybe you don't get enough fish or haven't been fond of fruits. Try a prep method or type of catch that is best for people who don't like fish, or experiment with some fruit variations like fruit jerky or puree to drizzle in your sauces and dressings. See if roasted chickpeas or oven-baked kale gives you that crunch you love and a little salty fix, too.

This might be a good place to opt for a more natural, whole-food approach that'll still fill you up, like the Med diet or " clean " eating.

You don't need to drastically overhaul everything you eat. See if you can make incremental changes. Whatever adjustments you make, give a new eating regimen substantial time before you decide if it's working for you. You can even use a notebook, journal, or food app to chronicle what you've tried and how you felt afterward.

After some time, you can assess how you feel. Making nutritional changes to boost your mental health is a no-lose endeavor for your body and overall well-being.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You take your meds regularly, meditate, and see a therapist for your mental health. But what about what's on your plate? Your nutritional habits may play a role. A tuna sandwich, a tossed salad, and a cup of berries. Sounds like lunch, right? It may be more than that.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Benefits of Exercise for Children's Mental Health

# data[].attributes.subject
The Benefits of Exercise for Children's Mental Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Benefits of Exercise for Children’s Mental Health (Published 2020)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Even light physical activity among adolescents was linked to better mental health as they got older, new research shows.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Social Media Influences Children Age 13-17

# data[].attributes.subject
How Social Media Influences Children Age 13-17

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How social media influences the mental & behavioral health of children age 13 to 17

# data[].attributes.headline
Worried about your teen on social media? Here's how to help.

# data[].attributes.subject
Worried about your teen on social media? Here's how to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Worried About Your Teen on Social Media_ Here’s How to Help. - The New York Times

# data[].attributes.headline
Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health?

# data[].attributes.subject
Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU

# data[].attributes.headline
Teenage Girls Say Instagram's Mental Health Impacts are No Surprise

# data[].attributes.subject
Teenage Girls Say Instagram's Mental Health Impacts are No Surprise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teenage Girls Say Instagram's Mental Health Impacts Are No Surprise - The New York Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Months Without Social Media As A Gen Z

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Exactly what happened to Petito is still publicly unknown, but this is unassailable: What followers saw on Instagram during the last weeks of her life was not an accurate version of Petito and Laundrie's relationship. It was a mirage, a crafted image buffed to an enviable shine for social media.

A recent Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that Facebook's own research found that Instagram, owned by the social media behemoth, is harmful for teenage girls. "Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse," the researchers reportedly wrote. That's because Instagram curates a steady diet of flawless physiques and lives. Click "like" for a few of those posts and Instagram will keep feeding you more of the same, and the cumulative impact can be devastating to impressionable teenagers.

Facebook knew this and did nothing to change it, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower, told Congress.

Yet it's not just teenage girls who are affected. Every user is susceptible to Instagram's subtle toxicity. (Full disclosure: I am a regular, if wary, user.) Spend too much time on the app, and you're not just living vicariously through what you see. Those posts become yardsticks against which we measure our lives, and the reality can't match up to the filtered perfection that scrolls by with the flick of a thumb. Everyone's vacation, kids, dog, hair, car, home, clothes, and restaurant meal is better than yours, an endless infomercial for a never-ending Good Life well beyond your grasp.

It's the old adage of "keeping up with the Joneses" turbocharged for the social media age.

This kind of sleight of hand existed before social media. Joseph P. Kennedy, patriarch of the dynastic Kennedy family, reportedly told his children "You must remember it's not what you are that counts, but what people think you are." When John F. Kennedy, then a senator from Massachusetts, began considering a presidential run, his father hired the best photographers to present the younger Kennedy, his wife Jackie, and their daughter Caroline as a devoted young family.

Of course with John F. Kennedy's incessant philandering, facts were more complicated than the contrived portrayal, but that image was enormously appealing for many voters.

Life on social media is reduced to a carefully edited performance with better lighting. It's catnip for both narcissists and voyeurs, but always with the added sting that everyone is in better shape and has a more loving relationship, their happiness weighed in likes and shares.

On Instagram, Shanann and Chris Watts looked like a picture-perfect couple. She would post photos of them with their two young daughters, thanking her husband for "put[ting] up with 3 impatient, demanding women in the house."Then Shanann, pregnant with their third child, and her daughters disappeared; days later, Chris was charged with murdering his family. He pleaded guilty and is serving five life sentences without the possibility of parole.

A memorial page for Shanann Watts and her daughters remains on Instagram. There are no photos of the husband and father who killed them.

In part, what happened to Watts and Petito attracted national attention because of an amiable social media presence contrary to the violence that ended their lives. Perhaps these women were even trying to will their public happiness into private joy. Yet it also speaks to how easily we are enthralled by the facades that sustain Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. Through deception, they are designed to keep us wanting more content becauseaccounts with large followings garner advertisers. And ultimately, that's the point of Facebook's empire, which Haugen says " chooses profits over safety."

From humblebrags to over-the-top showboating, those perfectly curated lives on Instagram are as misleading as they are detrimental to self-esteem, mental health, and truth. We aren't consumers. We're being consumed.

Renée Graham can be reached at renee.graham@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @reneeygraham.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
It's not just teenage girls - Instagram is toxic for everyone - The Boston Globe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Exactly what happened to Petito is still publicly unknown, but this is unassailable: What followers saw on Instagram during the last weeks of her life was not an accurate version of Petito and Laundrie's relationship. It was a mirage, a crafted image buffed to an enviable shine for social media.

# data[].attributes.headline
Facebook Documents Show how TOXIC Instagram is for Teens

# data[].attributes.subject
Facebook Documents Show how TOXIC Instagram is for Teens