Mental Health

Often, signs of anxiety and depression can be subtle in adolescents.

If you suspect that your child is experiencing any mental health concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's counselor.

NJ Mental Health Cares, the state’s behavioral health information and referral service is available to New Jerseyans at 1-866-202-HELP (4357) for free, confidential support. NJ Mental Health Cares will be answered from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week by live trained specialists.

Youth 24 - Hour Crisis Intervention:

Dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

2nd Floor Youth Helpline (Call or text): (888) 222-2228

NJ Hopeline: (855) 654-6735

Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Month

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsors Community Walks nationwide. Follow this link for information about New Jersey walks near you.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Follow this link for more information on mental health and your child.

We have broken this information into three parts:

I: Signs of Anxiety | II: Teen Depression: What You Need To Know | III: Crisis Resources

I: Signs of Anxiety

Emotional changes

While some anxious teens express feelings of pervasive worry, others experience subtle emotional changes such as:

Feeling “keyed up”
Feeling on edge
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Restlessness
Unexplained outbursts

Physical changes

Many of the physical complaints that can occur with an anxiety disorder mimic average teen complaints, which tend to increase as they get older. Pay attention to patterns. A couple of headaches here and there shouldn’t be a cause for concern, for example, but frequent headaches are a red flag. Watch for these common psychosomatic complaints:

Frequent headaches, including migraines
Gastrointestinal problems
Unexplained aches and pains
Excessive fatigue
Complaints of not feeling well with no obvious medical cause
Changes in eating habits.

Sleep disturbance

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that teens aged 13 to 18 get 8 to 10 hours of sleep on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Pediatricians also recommend shutting down screens 30 minutes prior to bedtime, and removing all electronics from the bedroom.

It’s no big secret that homework demands, changing brain structure, extracurricular activities, and screen time can all cut into the sleep habits of teens. Therefore, it can be difficult to know whether fatigue is a product of anxiety or of a busy schedule. Watch for these red flags:

Difficulty falling asleep
Difficulty staying asleep
Frequent nightmares
Not feeling refreshed after sleep

Source: https://www.psycom.net/hidden-signs-teen-anxiety/

Helping your child manage anxiety

Listen actively to your child. By listening, you can help your child identify her thoughts and feelings, which is a good first step to managing them.
Acknowledge your child’s fear – don’t dismiss or ignore it. It’s important for your child to feel that you take him seriously and that you believe he can overcome his fears. He also needs to know that you’ll be there to support him.

Help your child understand that it’s normal to go through a big range of emotions and that sometimes these can be strong emotions.

Try to be a good role model for your child in the way that you manage your own stress and deal with your own anxiety.

Make time in your family routine for things that your child enjoys and finds relaxing. These could be simple things like playing or listening to music, reading books or going for walks.
Encourage a healthy lifestyle for your child, with plenty of physical activity, sleep and healthy food and drink.

II: Teen Depression: What You Need To Know

The teen years can be tough. Teens are forming an identity apart from their parents, grappling with gender issues and emerging sexuality, and making independent decisions for the first time in their lives. Occasional bad moods are to be expected, but depression is different.

Older children and teens with depression may sulk, get into trouble at school, be negative and irritable, and feel misunderstood. If you’re unsure if an adolescent in your life is depressed or just “being a teenager,” consider how long the symptoms have been present, how severe they are, and how different the teen is acting from his or her usual self. Teens with depression may also have other disorders such as anxiety, eating disorders, or substance abuse. They may also be at higher risk for suicide.

Children and teenagers usually rely on parents, teachers, or other caregivers to recognize their suffering and get them the treatment they need. Many teens don’t know where to go for mental health treatment or believe that treatment won’t help. Others don’t get help because they think depression symptoms may be just part of the typical stress of school or being a teen. Some teens worry what other people will think if they seek mental health care.

Depression often persists, recurs, and continues into adulthood, especially if left untreated. If you suspect a child or teenager in your life is suffering from depression, speak up right away.

Quick Tips for Talking to Your Depressed Child or Teen:

Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement.
Talk to your child, not necessarily about depression, and listen carefully.
Never discount the feelings your child expresses, but point out realities and offer hope.
Never ignore comments about suicide.
Remind your child that with time and treatment, the depression will lift.

Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know/index.shtml