4 facts to keep in mind about teen mental health

By Vivian Nunez

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Top reminder — you (and your teen) are not alone.

There is no road map to navigating your mental health, let alone helping your teen navigate theirs. Every parent, guardian, or adult in a teen’s life simply tries their best and turns to experts and resources about teen mental health where needed.

Teenage mental health facts, especially, can offer a baseline on what teenagers may be going through and how many teens may be going through it, on average.

While this won’t answer all of your questions about the issues teens face, the facts below may at least remind you and your teen that you are not alone!

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So, let’s start there: Your teen is not the only one struggling with their mental health
Even though it feels like your teen may be the only one navigating anxiety, panic attacks, or sleepless nights, according to the CDC, they are not alone.

In 2021, a survey of high school students found that:

• 4 in 10 felt persistently sad or hopeless

• 1 in 3 experienced poor mental health

• 1 in 5 seriously considered attempting suicide

• 1 in 10 attempted suicide

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The World Health Organization’s data on teen mental health also shows that globally, 1 in 7 youth aged10 to 19 experience a mental health disorder. A study conducted by the Calm team also found that as kids grow older, their negative feelings about themselves also increase.

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Teens struggle with the same conditions adults do
While teenagers’ mental health symptoms may manifest differently, the reality is that they struggle with the same conditions adults do. For instance, Calm’s study found that of the more than 1,000 teenagers surveyed, 66% were stressed out by thoughts of their future. A struggle anyone of any age can relate to.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that in the 13-to-18 age group, 32 percent struggle with anxiety disorders, 9 percent struggle with ADHD, and 3 percent struggle with an eating disorder. In the 12-to-17 age group, 13 percent struggle with depression.

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Symptoms can be subtle or overt
Two teens can have the same condition (think anxiety or depression) but very different symptoms. Teens' symptoms for their mental health can range from subtle to overt.

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The National Institute of Mental Health notes that parents should be on the lookout for symptoms like low energy, changes in sleep patterns (either sleeping too little or too much), diet or excessive exercise, self-harm behaviors, loss of interest in favorite activities, or engaging in risky behaviors, to name a few.

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Help is available for both teens and adults
Learning how to support your mental health is a muscle you strengthen over time. While adults have usually had more time to learn healthy coping mechanisms than the teens in their lives, it’s true that everyone still needs some extra encouragement or support. It’s also comforting to know that Calm found that 59% of teens surveyed believe that the way you feel is something you do have control over. This is
encouraging and a reminder that teens may be as open to learning coping techniques as adults in similar situations.

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Both teens and their parents or caregivers can turn to resources like Calm Health to better understand their mental health, the issues teens face, and how to take care of themselves. As a parent, if you’re curious about more specific teen mental health disorders, Calm Health also has individual deep dives on anxiety, depression, and more.

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Calm Health is not intended to diagnose or treat depression, anxiety, or any other mental or physical health condition. The use of Calm Health is not a substitute for care by a physician or other health care provider. Any questions that you may have regarding the diagnosis, care, or treatment of a health condition should be directed to your physician or health care provider. Calm Health is a mental wellness product.