Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder, depression, social anxiety: what do they all have in common? Most of these mental health conditions start showing symptoms in adolescence. Far too many times, however, these symptoms are dismissed. According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), at least half of all lifetime cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) begin showing symptoms by age 14.
Why are these symptoms so frequently overlooked? It’s true that adolescence is a rocky time for many, with plenty of hormonal shifts that can affect one’s mood, thoughts, and overall disposition. But today more than ever, families and friends are falling prey to the hope that “it’s just a phase,” meaning anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders will fade with time. However, that pattern of thinking can be dangerous and even deadly. Furthermore, even as teens make the transition into adulthood during their college years, over 11 percent of students in the United States drop out before graduating, according to PubMed Central. Why? Because their mental health condition was never treated. And it makes everyday tasks, let alone coursework, challenging for them. The distinction between adolescent “moodiness” and psychiatric conditions is absolutely imperative and must be made.
Sometimes it can be difficult for teens themselves to understand if their emotions and experiences are normal. In these scenarios, it’s always best to seek a medical expert’s guidance. A primary care physician is a great resource for receiving recommendations to specialists and therapists. Intervention and therapy at an early age can seriously mitigate the effects of psychiatric disorders well into adulthood. As detailed in PubMed Central’s 2022 study on mental conditions, psychotherapy achieved remission in 43 percent of patients with major depressive disorder, meaning 43 percent of patients reached a near-total symptom absence.
As for everyone else, change begins in the way we think: don’t dismiss the symptoms you see in the people around you. Currently, there is extensive pressure on teens to be high-achieving students. When a fellow peer consistently struggles to perform well in school, instead of characterizing them as unskilled in the subject matter or simply lazy, don’t dismiss the possibility that they have a condition that significantly impacts their performance in school, such as ADHD or performance anxiety. Make room for the unknown and offer that courtesy: it can make a world of difference.
It’s not all bleak, though: with the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok in the past decade, mental health advocacy online has seen a high that it hasn’t witnessed in many years. The next step, however, is to bring that advocacy into our classrooms and homes.
