• Remind them to be kind to themselves.
• Help them manage their time.
• Basic self care—regular schedule of meals and sleep.
• Look out for signs of substance abuse.
• Let them know it’s okay to let it out.
• Help them relax.
• Tell them you love them.
• Remind them it’s okay to ask for help.

SOURCE: mhanational.org

Help to foster resiliency rather than try to avoid stress and/or “negative emotions.” Remind your child that it is normal and healthy to experience a range of emotions, then shift the focus to how to respond in the face of adversity.

Ask questions and listen for the answers. Teens are often able to problem solve when they feel heard. Encouraging them to problem solve vs. fixing it for them promotes lifelong skills and fosters emotional well-being.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The American Psychological Association has a great short piece on resiliency (https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience) it highlights several things that promote strengthening resiliency such as connection, self care and helpful thinking.  Perhaps you and your teen can read it together.

www.cap4kids.org has lots of great links for mental health resources.

Feeling down or having low mood at times, especially in the face of loss or challenging times can be a normal healthy response. It is when these feelings, coupled with additional symptoms, last for a few weeks or more and are present more of the time than not that it could be a sign of Depression.

For some teens irritable mood can be a sign, especially if it is different from typical. Look out for changes in behavior and mood.

• Changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping more than usual or having early morning insomnia
• Changes in appetite (eating more or less than usual) that last during low mood
• Unexpected weight change
• Chronic headaches or stomach aches that are not explained by a physical condition
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• No longer seeming interested in or enjoying activities they typically enjoy
• Feeling of worthlessness or guilt
• Thoughts of suicide or self-harm

If your teen has been depressed and suddenly seems joyful as if they have no problems or begins giving away personal items please talk to your teen about if they are having thoughts of killing themselves. Do not be afraid to ask directly. Asking does not increase risk.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For more on suicide concerns please visit https://www.mhanational.org/child-and-adolescent-suicide#:~:text=Left%20untreated%2C%20depression%20can%20lead,suicides%20are%20even%20more%20common.

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Anxiety or worry can be a healthy emotional response to performance and new situations. It is considered problematic when it becomes chronic (more often than not) and impacts functioning (social life, academic performance, home life).

Signs of Anxiety:

• Finding it difficult to control worry
• Difficulty concentrating
• Muscle tension
• Changes in sleep, especially the ability to fall asleep
• Changes in appetite
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Avoiding everyday activities like seeing friends or going to school

Things you can do at home are talk to your child about their anxiety, focus on what they can do to address the anxiety (vs. avoid). Anxiety often can be managed by problem-solving or approaching the situation.

In the case of performance-based anxiety: reviewing what they have already done to prepare for the anxiety producing situation can help. This also can lead to them identifying what else they might do to prepare. Remind your child that anxiety is often a helpful cue to make and have a game plan.

If your child’s anxiety is chronic and or severe and is impacting their daily life please consider contacting a professional.

We all get stressed, but with the ever changing landscape tolerance for stress can wear thin.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Is your Child Stressed out from Mental Health America

https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/Is%20Your%20Child%20Stressed%20Out.pdf

How to Help Children and Teens Manage Stress from the American Psychological Association.

https://www.apa.org/topics/children-teens-stress

Loneliness can be a temporary state, but when more prevalent and chronic it can be a sign of mental health distress.

https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/Is%20Your%20Child%20Lonely.pdf

Loneliness has been a growing problem in our society well before COVID-19 and social distancing. Loneliness is a state of mind and has very little to do with the presence or lack of presence of others.  It has more to do with how we are feeling about ourselves. This is why we can feel lonely in a crowd or content by ourselves.

Getting connected and active are great ways to challenge loneliness

Consider promoting kindness, ask you teen what acts of kindness they could extend to themselves.

Ask your teen to consider how they spend their alone time. Learning to be good at quality alone time is an important aspect of reducing loneliness. What do they enjoy about alone time? How can they keep this time pleasant and enjoyable?