#Providenciales, April 3, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The WHO defines health as “a state of complete
physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity…”. Mental health,
specifically, is defined as not just the absence of a mental disorders but a
state of well-being in which a person realizes their own abilities, is able to
cope with life’s normal stresses, is able to work regularly and productively
and is able to contribute to society.
Good mental health is therefore the foundation for an individual’s and a
community’s effective functioning and well-being. It is therefore critical to ensure the sound
mental health of each individual beginning from childhood and throughout the
lifespan. Hence as a society it is our
duty and obligation to nurture and maintain the mental health of everyone,
especially our children and adolescents.
For the purpose of this article we will focus on adolescents.
Adolescence is defined as the developmental stage
between ages 11 and 19/20 and is a time of great hormonal storms, decisions,
pressures, identity formation, learning and personality formation. While many adolescents have good mental
health, multiple physical, emotional and social changes, along with various
risk factors (see beneath) can all make adolescents vulnerable to mental health
problems. These factors can also
determine the mental health of an individual into their adult life. This stage of life is also the time to
develop healthy physical, emotional and social habits to secure one’s mental
health and some of these positive habits will be discussed later.
Let’s
review the statistics, according to the WHO:
Of the world population 1 in
every 6 persons is aged 10 to 19.
16% of the burden of disease
& injury in the 10 to 19 age group is due to mental illness
50% of all mental health
conditions start at age 14 but are largely undiagnosed or undetected, largely
due to lack of knowledge, awareness and stigmatization.
Globally depression is a leading
cause of disability and illness among adolescents and the 9th leading
cause of overall illness in that age
group, with anxiety being the 8th leading cause.
At its worse, depression can
result in suicide and suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death
worldwide among 15-19 year olds.
Failure to address mental
conditions in adolescence unavoidably results in physical and mental challenges
in adulthood and consequently limits the ability to lead fulfilling lives.
Childhood behavioral disorders
are the 6th leading cause of disease burden among adolescents. Such disorders affect academic performance
and usually lead to delinquency.
Eating disorders such as
anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and body dysmorphic disorder normally
emerge in adolescence and often co-exist with depression, anxiety and/or
substance abuse.
Mental health issues account for
self-harm in adolescents and in 2016, approximately 62,000 adolescents died
globally from self-harm.
In 2016, interpersonal crime was
the 2nd leading cause of death among older adolescent males.
Risk
factors:
Some of the risk factors which predispose
adolescents to mental illness include but are not limited to:
Poverty and lack of
opportunities, educational and otherwise.
Physical, verbal, and emotional
abuse, with special emphasis on sexual abuse.
Parental neglect, abandonment,
and incest.
Violence and trauma at home and
in the community.
Harsh parenting and bullying.
The stresses & struggle of
identity formation as one fights for autonomy.
Peer pressure to conform and
experiment with different trends.
Exploration of their sexual
identity and sexual orientation.
The extensive & inappropriate
exposure to social media and technology.
The disparity between their
actual life and their perceptions/aspirations of the future.
The quality of life at home and
with their peers.
Adolescents who belong to
minority groups, are stigmatized or due to discrimination or exclusion.
Chronic illness, developmental
disorders, and disabilities.
Teenage pregnancy and/or
abortions, teenage parents, and those in early life marriages.
Orphans.
Exposure to alcohol and drug use
at an early age.
Genetic factors (hereditary
traits of mental illness).
Poor coping mechanisms and lack
of social support systems.
Types
of mental illness among adolescents:
While the array of mental health conditions is
wide and varied, just a few common ones will be highlighted for the purpose of
bringing greater awareness.
Emotional disorders e.g.
depression, anxiety, along with excessive irritability, frustration or anger
and mood swings. These can also lead to
clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
Emotionally related physical
symptoms e.g. stomach aches, headaches, nausea, acne.
Behavioral disorders such as
oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder, ADHD, and disruptive behavioral
disorder.
Eating disorders, such as
anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder which are also linked
to body dysmorphic disorder.
Psychotic disorders such as
schizophrenia in it’s different forms.
Dissociative disorders such as
dissociative identity disorder (also called multiple personality disorder) and
depersonalization disorder.
Suicide and self-harm.
High risk behaviors e.g. drug
use, promiscuity & unprotected sex, indulging in violent behaviors.
These conditions are chronic, long term conditions which can be controlled with medication, psychotherapy, and sound, consistent social support systems in the form of family, friends, mental health professionals, church and community. Once clients comply with their medication regimes and counseling and there is good support then the possibility of patients living a relatively functional life is high. Therefore, it is prudent to adopt the proactive approach in choosing prevention rather than cure when addressing mental illness, and being aware of the various risk factors empowers us to do so.
How do we
nurture mental health in adolescents?
Establishing healthy, regular
sleep patterns as well as healthy daily routines for them.
Providing a healthy diet and
regular exercise for them
Developing adaptive coping
mechanisms; these should be taught/modeled by responsible caring adults. Teens look towards the adults in their life
for guidance hence we must set the tone for behaviors if we wish to see them
emulated.
Teaching them how to develop good
decision making skills. The decision
making center of the brain does not fully develop until age 25, therefore it is
crucial that we support our teens in their decision making.
Developing healthy interpersonal
relationships with everyone in their circle.
Nurturing a healthy self-concept,
with good self-esteem and self-worth.
Teaching them to understand,
appreciate, embrace and most importantly manage their emotions.
Providing a happy, healthy home
for them free of violence, abuse, aggression and anger.
Remaining open and available for
them to talk and share whatever they may need to.
Spending quality time with them
while you engage in healthy joint activities.
Providing discipline in a way
which they can understand and discuss and also setting boundaries for them to
operate within.
Remaining aware and interested in
their life events, friendships, academic performance, and choices.
Speaking positively into their
lives and future and helping them plan for their future.
Praising them for their efforts
and accomplishments despite how seemingly small it may be; teens need to be
encouraged especially by those they hold in high regard.
Being a reliable, responsible,
dependable model to them in every way.
Giving them opportunities to
develop autonomy and think for themselves so that they can differentiate as
healthy individuals and not feel or remain overly dependent on others.
Treating them with respect;
speaking with them and not with negativity and condescension.
Ensuring regular medical checkups
and observing your teen for changes and challenges they may be experiencing.
Placing realistic expectations on
them and not making unreasonable demands.
Each teen is unique with their own competencies and capabilities and
therefore they should not be compared to others. Comparison brings unnecessary pressure,
frustration, and discontent as teens often struggle to meet unrealistic and
unfair expectations set by the adults in their lives.
Remember
our adolescents are the next generation of tomorrows world, the leaders, the
innovators, the decision makers and the parents of another generation. It is therefore in the best interest of all
society to nurture, maintain and preserve the mental health of this precious
generation with the hope that they will be given the best chance for a bright
and productive future and that they will do the same for those to come after
them.
Therefore,
we hope that this information has brought some level of insight and will serve
as a motivating force in nurturing mental health in our adolescents.