Youth with Mental Health Challenges

1
Youth with Mental Health Challenges

• Partnering and promoting youth as problem solvers

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How aware are you about mental health facts?

• Take the quiz to find out!
• (Dont worry if you dont get them all right
  there are many common misconceptions about mental
  health challenges.)

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Teen Mental Health challenges

• Research studies have reported that up to 3
  percent of children and up to 8 percent of
  adolescents in the US suffer from depression.

http//medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthinf
ormation/diseasesandconditions/mentalhealth/childr
en/
4
Teen Mental Health challenges

• Anxiety disorders are the most common Mental
  Health Disorders problems that occur in children
  and adolescents.

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Teen Mental Health challenges

• Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  is one of the most common mental disorders in
  children and adolescents. It affects an estimated
  4.1 percent of youths ages 9 to 17 in a 6-month
  period.

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Teen Mental Health challenges

• Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and
  bulimia nervosa, are common among adolescent and
  young women in the US.

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Indicators of adolescent depression

• Adolescent depression and adolescent angst can
  be confused. However, clinical depression can be
  a significant problem for teens.

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Support for parents of adolescents with
challenging behavior

• National support groups include
• Parents Anonymous
• Families Anonymous
• Because I love You (BILY)
• See handout for statewide parenting resources.

9
Here are some guidelines for supporting somebody
experiencing a suddendecline in mental health
(e.g. delusions, crises, confusion, feeling
suicidal.)
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LISTEN CALMLY

• The first thing is to LISTEN. Dont be in a hurry
  to give advice try to understand what the
  person is feeling. Try to get to what is causing
  the distress or bringing about the current
  crises.
• Try to be CALM or at least to act calm. If you
  cant be calm find someone who can be. As you
  listen, be accepting. Dont impose your own ideas
  or opinions on the person respect their
  integrity.

11
Offer Support and Protection

• Be in a quiet place, try to prevent them
• becoming overwhelmed. Respect their
• personal space. Dont be in a hurry to touch
• or hug them. Tell the person what youre
• doing dont mystify them. Dont make calls
• behind their back for example. No matter how
• crazy a person seems, there is always a part
• of them that is aware of reality. Speak to
• that part.

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Dont deny their perceptions

• If somebody is seriously delusional and
  hallucinating (e.g. hearing voices and seeing
  things), do not tell them they are wrong or
  right. Neither of these is helpful. Instead it is
  better to focus on how those experiences are
  making them feel. You can also inform them, if
  appropriate and relevant, that you are not having
  that experience which is why it is helpful to you
  if they talked about it.

13
Ask reasonable questions

• Where would you feel safe going?
• Where do you get services?
• Who can I contact?
• What would make you feel better right now?

http//www.southwarkpct.nhs.uk