Teen Mental Health

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Summary

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

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

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

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

Start Here

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

Latest News

Self-Harm on the Rise Among Teen Girls (10/19/2017, HealthDay)
Suicidal Thoughts More Common for Transgender Youth (09/15/2017, HealthDay)
Are Depressed Teens Prone to Violence? (08/21/2017, HealthDay)

Diagnosis and Tests

Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
Mental Health and Teens: Watch for Danger Signs (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Antidepressant Medications for Children and Adolescents: Information for Parents and Caregivers (National Institute of Mental Health)
Antidepressants for Children and Teens (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Going to a Therapist (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

BAM! Guide to Getting Along (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Coping with Cliques (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Dealing with a Health Condition (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
How Can I Deal with My Anger (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
How Can I Help a Friend Who Cuts? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Partnering with Your Child's School: A Guide for Parents (HSC Foundation) - PDF
Peer Pressure (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Resilience for Teens: Got Bounce? (American Psychological Association)
Teen Brain: Still Under Construction (National Institute of Mental Health)
Teens and Stress: Who Has Time for It? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Why Am I in Such a Bad Mood? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Your Feelings (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Specifics

3 Ways to Increase Positive Emotions (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
About Stressful Situations (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
About Teen Suicide (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Anxiety Disorders (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Anxiety Disorders (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
Body Image and Self-Esteem (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Depression (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (National Institute of Mental Health)
Fears and Phobias (Nemours Foundation)
Guy's Guide to Body Image (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
How Can I Stop Cutting? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Managing Your Emotional Reactions (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Nemours Foundation)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Nemours Foundation)
Seasonal Affective Disorder: For Teens (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Self-Injury in Adolescents (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
Social Phobia (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teen Suicide (American Academy of Family Physicians)
The Power of Positive Emotions (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Trichotillomania (Nemours Foundation)

Health Check Tools

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

Statistics and Research

Combinations of Types of Mental Health Services Received in the Past Year Among Young Adults (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Heritability Maps May Hold Clues to Delayed Onset of Mental Disorders (National Institute of Mental Health)
Major Depressive Episode among Full-Time College Students and Other Young Adults, Aged 18 to 22 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
Psychotropic Medication Use among Adolescents: United States, 2005-2010 (National Center for Health Statistics)
Use of Selected Nonmedication Mental Health Services by Adolescent Boys and Girls with Serious Emotional or Behavioral Difficulties: United States, 2010-2012 (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Teen Mental Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
National Institute of Mental Health
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Also in Spanish
Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)

Teenagers

Teen Suicide (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Patient Handouts

Help your teen cope with stress (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Helping your teen with depression (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Managing your depression - teens (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Recognizing teen depression (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Teen Mental Health is the National Institute of Mental Health

Disclaimers

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