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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.

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Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

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Starting secondary school

Love your body, love yourself, #lovehealth

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Find help in your local area

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Health For Teens | Everything you wanted to know about health

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Health for Teens offers a great choice of content and quizzes across all areas of your health, from sexual health to your feelings, growing up, lifestyle and much more.

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Get more support

If you're struggling with your mental health, or you're worried about one of your friends, there are lots of organisations and charities that offer help specifically for young people.

Support from charities for young people

The Mix has a free, confidential telephone helpline and online service that aims to find you the best help, whatever the problem.

Shout 85258 provides free, confidential, 24/7 text message support in the UK for anyone struggling to cope. They can help with issues including suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, abuse, self-harm, relationship problems and bullying. Text "Shout" to 85258 to speak to an empathetic, trained volunteer who will listen and work with you to solve problems.

Young Minds offers support and advice including practical tips and advice from young people, as well as information on where to get support.

If you're under 19, you can also call Childline on 0800 1111 to talk. The number will not appear on your phone bill.

Support from the NHS

You can find more information about NHS children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS) on the NHS website. You can also look at your local Clinical Commissioning Group website.

Alternatively, most services also have their own website with information about access, referrals (including whether you can "self-refer") and contact details - try searching in your area for "CYPMHS" or "CAMHS" (children and adolescent mental health services, an older term used for some CYPMHS).

You can also talk to an adult you trust - for example a parent, carer, teacher, social worker or GP - and they can look into this for you.

Support for different groups

There are lots of organisations and networks who provide advice and support for specific groups. It can help to connect with other young people and supporters who understand where you are coming from:

Support for learnig disabilities and autism

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Self-care tips videos for young people - Every Mind Matters

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Mental health self-care has never been more important - watch our videos for loads of advice and techniques to help you cope with stress and anxiety, and boost your mental wellbeing

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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Regular exercise can improve our mood and self-confidence, increase our energy and help us sleep better. You could try:

something small, like a short walk or talking the stairs instead of the lift

going for a walk, swim, run, or bike ride

a group activity, like tennis, rounders or football.

There are options for you to get your body moving, whatever your ability. For easy suggestions and links to video tutorials, visit the NHS page on physical activity for young people.

Before you start exercising: if you experience compulsive or addictive feelings about exercise, medication side-effects, or other health problems, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor first.

"I feel that exercise releases a lot of tension and gives me purpose."

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Regular exercise can improve our mood and self-confidence, increase our energy and help us sleep better. You could try: something small, like a short walk or talking the stairs instead of the lift going for a walk, swim, run, or bike ride a group activity, like tennis, rounders or football.

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Teenage health and wellbeing | Family Lives

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Find advice about peer pressure, self image, harming in our section about teenage health and wellbeing

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The growth spurt

Regular trips to the shoe shop and trousers that rapidly become too short are common occurrences during puberty.

In their teens, children put on an amazing growth spurt to reach their final adult height. At their fastest, boys can grow taller by as much as 9cm a year and girls at a rate of 8cm a year. It's no wonder teenagers are clumsy. Their body is shooting upwards at a speed their brain simply cannot keep up with.

Outside-in

teenagers shoot up so fast that their brains can't keep up

This phenomenal growth starts at the outside of the body and works in. Hands and feet are the first to expand. Needing new shoes is the first sign of trouble.

Next, arms and legs grow longer, and even here the 'outside-in' rule applies. The shin bones lengthen before the thigh, and the forearm before the upper arm.

Finally the spine grows. The very last expansion is a broadening of the chest and shoulders in boys, and a widening of the hips and pelvis in girls.

Growing up and tripping over

Many teenagers shoot up so fast that their brains cannot keep up. As their height increases, their centre of gravity lifts. This happens so quickly that the brain does not get a chance to calculate the new rules for balancing. Clumsiness is often unavoidable.

The trigger

Rapidly increasing height is a sign that a teenager is experiencing puberty. Growth is triggered in both boys and girls by increased levels of the sex hormone testosterone. This chemical also triggers the sexual organs to develop. In fact, the relationship between growth of the skeleton and puberty is so strong that a teenager's developmental age can be measured by looking at the maturity of the bones in their hand and wrist.

Perfect timing?

Timing is everything. No teenager wants to be developing too quickly, or lagging behind. In reality, many of them grow up much earlier or later than the average and this is perfectly normal.

The average boy is growing fastest between 14 and 15. Girls start earlier, growing fastest when 12 and 13. Girls also end their growth spurt earlier at 18, while boys need another two years before they finish growing aged 20.

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BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Teenagers

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Regular trips to the shoe shop and trousers that rapidly become too short are common occurrences during puberty. In their teens, children put on an amazing growth spurt to reach their final adult height. At their fastest, boys can grow taller by as much as 9cm a year and girls at a rate of 8cm a year.

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How much physical activity should children and young people aged 5 to 18 do to keep healthy?
Children and young people need to do 2 types of physical activity each week:

aerobic exercise

exercises to strengthen their muscles and bones

Children and young people aged 5 to 18 should:

aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity a day across the week

take part in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscles and bones

reduce the time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity. Aim to spread activity throughout the day

What counts as moderate activity?

Moderate intensity activities will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.

One way to tell if you're working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk, but not sing.

Children and young people should do a range of different activities across the week.

Examples include:

walking to school or walking the dog

playground activities, including jumping, running and catching

physical education

sports, like football or tennis

swimming

skipping

dancing

skateboarding or rollerblading

cycling

What activities strengthen muscles and bones?

Examples include:

gymnastics

football

jumping

martial arts

sit-ups, press-ups and other similar exercises (for young people)

resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines or handheld weights (for young people)

Exercising safely

Children and young people should:

get medical advice about exercising if they have a health condition

do exercise that is suitable for their age, ability and experience

start any new exercise slowly and increase it bit by bit

use protective equipment, for example for cycling and skateboarding

Young people can use weights for resistance exercise if a qualified adult trains them to use weights correctly and supervises them.

Physical activity recommendation for other age groups:
GOV.UK has infographics on physical activity for children and young people

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Physical activity guidelines for children and young people

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Find out how much physical activity children and young people aged 5 to 18 need to do to keep healthy?

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As kids enter their teen years, they might lose interest in physical activity. Between school, homework, friends, and even part-time jobs, they're juggling a lot of interests and responsibilities.

But regular physical activity can help your teen feel more energetic, improve focus and attention, and promote a better outlook. And regular physical activity can help your child maintain a healthy weight and prevent heart disease, diabetes, and other medical problems later in life.

Fitness in the Teen Years

Physical activity guidelines for teens recommend that they get 1 hour or more of moderate to strong physical activity daily.

In addition:

Most of the physical activity should be aerobic, where they use large muscles and continue for a period of time. Examples of aerobicactivity are running, swimming, and dancing.

Any moderate to strong activity counts toward the 60-minute goal.

Muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening physical activity should be included at least 3 days a week.

Teens can be active in sports and structured exercise programs that include muscle- and bone-strengthening activities. Weight training, under supervision of a qualified adult, can improve strength and help prevent sports injuries.

Given the opportunity and interest, teens can get health benefits from almost any activity they enjoy - skateboarding, touch football, yoga, swimming, dancing, or kicking a footbag in the driveway. Teens can work physical activity into everyday routines, such as walking to school, doing chores, or finding an active part-time job.

Motivating Teens to Be Active

Parents should give teens control over how they decide to be physically active. Teens want to make their own decisions, so give them a choice. Emphasize that it's not what they do - they just need to be active.

Once they get started, many teens enjoy the feelings of well-being, reduced stress, and increased strength and energy they get from exercise. As a result, some begin to exercise regularly without nudging from a parent.

For teens to stay motivated, the activities should be fun. Support your teen's choices by providing equipment, transportation, and companionship. Peers can play an influential role in teens' lives, so create opportunities for them to be active with their friends.

Help your teen stay active by finding an exercise plan that fits with his or her schedule. Your teen may not have time to play a team sport at school or in a local league. But many gyms offer teen memberships, and kids might be able to squeeze in a visit before or after school.

Some teens might feel more comfortable doing home exercise videos or exercise video games (like tennis or bowling). These can be good options, but it's important to do daily moderate to strong activities too.

And all teens should limit the time spent in sedentary activities, including watching TV, playing video games, and using computers, smartphones, or tablets.

When to Speak With Your Doctor

If you're concerned about your teen's fitness, speak with your doctor. Teens who are overweight or very sedentary might need to start slowly. The doctor may be able to help you make a fitness plan or recommend local programs.

Teens with a chronic health condition or disability should not be excluded from fitness activities. Some activities may need to be changed or adapted, and some may be too risky depending on the condition. Talk to your doctor about which activities are safe for your child.

Some teens may overdo it when it comes to fitness. Young athletes may try performance-enhancing substances. Teens involved in gymnastics, wrestling, or dance may face pressures to lose weight. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns.

Finally, speak with your doctor if your teen complains of pain during or after sports and exercise.

Fitness for Everyone

Everyone can benefit from being physically fit. Staying fit can help improve academic performance, build confidence, prevent obesity, and decrease the risk of serious illnesses (such as heart disease and diabetes). And regular physical activity can help teens learn to meet the physical and emotional challenges they face every day.

Help your teen commit to fitness by being a positive role model and exercising regularly too. For fitness activities you can enjoy together, try after-dinner walks or family hikes, bike rides, playing tennis, going to a local swimming pool, or shooting baskets. You'll work together to reach your fitness goals, and stay connected with your teen.

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As kids enter their teen years, they might lose interest in physical activity. Between school, homework, friends, and even part-time jobs, they're juggling a lot of interests and responsibilities. But regular physical activity can help your teen feel more energetic, improve focus and attention, and promote a better outlook.

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In our Young Scot BIG Survey, young people from all over Scotland told us that the climate emergency is one of the main issues worrying them about their future. So we've put together a 'Climate and Nature' campaign page where you'll find information on how to take action and what you can do if you're experiencing climate anxiety.

The deadline to register to vote is also this week! Check out all our information on voting on our 'UK General Election 2024' campaign page.

Remember to check out our Instagram and TikTok too!

Ready to sign up to and start making the most of your free Young Scot Membership account?

Find out how by checking out our step-by-step guide.

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young.scot is Scotland's national youth information platform. Find out more about the Young Scot card, Discounts, Rewards, information and opportunities to get involved.