Mental Health

Mental health is not about feeling good. It’s about having the right feelings at the right time and being able to manage those emotions effectively.

Teens are often moody, but their moods only become grounds concern when they get in the way of a teen’s ability grow personally, academically, socially, or in their ability manage challenging emotions.

Anxiety is a healthy, protective emotion that alerts us to threats. We diagnose anxiety disorders only when anxiety occurs in the absence of a threat or when the anxiety response is far too intense given the threat that brought it about.

Depression in teenagers can look like depression in adults, but it can also take the form of extreme irritability, especially in teens.

If you are concerned about your teenager’s mental health, connect with a health care provider for support. If you are concerned about that your teenager might be suicidal, speak with your pediatrician or go to the nearest emergency room.