Education Research Paper: Teenage Mental Health and How To Address It

Teenage Mental Health and How To Address It
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Introduction
The World Health Organization indicates that 16% of the global burden of disease among people between 10-19 years is caused by mental health disorders. In adolescents, anxiety and depression are among the main causes of disability and illness. Teenagers suffering from mental health illnesses often encounter challenges in numerous settings, including in school, homes, and within communities. When not addressed, the effect of mental health may extend to adulthood and limit the opportunities that young adults need to live a fulfilling life. Teachers are uniquely placed to support teen’s mental health, as they spend so much time with them. The role of teachers includes the implementation of mental health literacy programs that enlighten teenagers about mental health and the establishment of teacher-student relationships that allow teenagers to open up about their mental health struggles. Teenage mental health is an issue that is, therefore, supposed to be handled with extreme care and caution.
Causes of mental health in teenagers
Multiple emotional, social, and physical factors, including drug abuse, violence, and poverty, increase the vulnerability of teens to mental health problems. Adolescence is “characterized as a time when individuals begin to explore and examine psychological characteristics of the self in order to discover who they really are, and how they fit in the social world in which they live” (Steinberg and Morris, p 91). During this exploration, adolescents are faced with challenges regarding the desire to have more autonomy and freedom, the pressure to fit into peer groups, increased desire to access and use technology, and the need to determine one’s sexual identity. As a result, the more pressure teens are subjected to, the bigger the influence on their mental health.
It is worth noting that that the mind of a teenager is still growing and hence, hasn’t been exposed to a lot of experiences, especially the traumatic ones. Such individuals can easily have serious trouble when it comes to how they handle themselves in situations where they are under stress or depression. To this end, for example, it might be so difficult to have a clear mind of their own, with which to make sound decisions or even relate to others in a proper way. This, therefore, places a lot of premium as well as need, on the mental health of these individuals.
The pressure to conform to peer groups is one of the leading factors that impact adolescents’ mental health. Peer groups are usually made of adolescents who possess similar preferences and interests. However, when teenagers feel that they are not welcomed in a group, they tend to practice false self-behavior (behaving in ways that do not reflect their identity) just to win over their classmates or romantic partners. Adolescents who devalue their selves by practicing false self-behavior are likely to experience depression and hopelessness. Just like organization structures, peer groups have formal structures with a leader at the top. In the majority of the groups, adolescents who are unpopular and possess no power are likely to be victim...