TEEN MENTAL HEALTH What Parents Need to Know Sabrina Gonsalves, MSW, RSW School Social Worker
Overview 1. What is mental illness 2. Myths vs Facts 3. Types of Mental Illnesses 4. Video 5. What Parents can do 6. How to get help
Mental Illness • When we have a physical illness or injury we seek professional help and get the medical attention that is needed. When one has a mental health issue, we need to respond in the same way • It is estimated that 10 ‐ 20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder • Mental illness includes: Anxiety, Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Eating disorders to name a few • Suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15 ‐ 24 year old Canadians, second only to accidents • Schizophrenia is youth's greatest disabler as it strikes most often in the 16 to 30 year age ( from: Canadian Mental Health Association)
Stigma Cluster of negative attitudes and beliefs Leads to labels and stereotypes Creates fear, confusion, shame and discrimination Caused by lack of compassion and education
Effects of Stigma Barrier People with symptoms feel scared or ashamed and don’t reach out for help Friends and family don’t know how to help the person they love Funding for education, research, treatment and programs is restricted
MYTH VS FACT • People with a mental illness are prone to violence
FACT •As a group, people with mental illnesses are no more violent than any other group. •They are far more likely to be victims of violence.
MYTH VS FACT • All teenagers are moody – it’s typical for them to be depressed from time to time
FACT • Depression is not just sad moods and occasional sadness and is not a typical experience for most adolescents. • Depression is a debilitating disorder that interferes with a student’s ability to carry out their everyday activities. – Attending school regularly and learning, developing friendships, working a part ‐ time job • Left untreated, depression other serious problem
Normative Anxiety • Many life events are naturally anxiety provoking • When child’s level of anxiety is appropriate to the situation (i.e., a normative response) it is appropriate, it is not considered an Anxiety Disorder • Treatment involves addressing aspect of situation that is creating anxiety
Anxiety Disorders • Most common mental health disorder (Kessler et al., 2009) • Different types: Generalized, Social, Panic, Post ‐ Traumatic Stress – Social Phobia is most common in adolescents • Prevalence: 8% to 10% of adolescents (Kutcher & MacCarthy, 2011) • Onset in childhood and adolescence • Hereditary component
Anxiety: Signs and Symptoms • Irritability or anger • Excessive and persistent worry (repeating questions) • Procrastination • Eagerness to please • Excessive need for reassuranc e • Withdrawal, absenteeism • Avoidance (tests, social situations, eating in public) • Reluctant to participate in class discussions • )
ANXIETY: Signs and Symptoms • Perfectionist tendencies • Somatic complaints – stomach aches, headaches • Fidgety, restless • Shortness of breath, rapid heart rate • Substance use
What anxiety looks like http://youth.anxietybc.com/video/types ‐ of ‐ anxiety ‐ problems
QUESTIONS
What mental illness looks like • Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEHvJhAOyFo
Depression Today, approximately 5% of male youth and 12% of female youth, age 12 to 19, have experienced a major depressive episode. The total number of 12 ‐ 19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million. ( Canadian Mental Health Association )
Depression • What causes depression? • There is no one cause of depression The following factors may make some people more prone than others to react to a loss or failure with a clinical depression: • Specific, distressing life events; a biochemical imbalance in the brain; psychological factors, like a negative or pessimistic view of life. ( from: Canadian Mental Health Association) • Teenage depression is not just bad moods and occasional sadness. Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Left untreated, teen depression can lead to many other serious problems.
Depression: Signs and Symptoms • Loss of interest in activities that once gave the teen pleasure • A drastic change in school performance and attendance • Problems with concentration and attention • Withdrawal from school involvement/extra curricular • Aggression/ lashes out • Withdrawal from family and friends – a lot of time in their room • Avoiding other people including peers • Lack of enthusiasm and motivation • Fatigue or lack of energy • Sleeping more or less than usual • Changes in eating patterns • Feeling worthless, helpless or hopeless, anxiety
How it looks at school • Diminished attention and concentration • Fatigue, low energy • Difficulty retrieving known information – “Freezing” when called on in class – Poorer performance on tests than on assignments • Difficulty learning new information • Difficulty with various mental processes – problem solving, flexibility and creativity, processing speed
QUESTIONS
Schizophrenia • Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that often begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. • It is an illness of the brain that affects how a person perceives the world, how they think and how they behave. • Individuals experiencing schizophrenia have some of these symptoms. delusions, hallucinations as well as disorganized speech and behaviour. • Schizophrenia usually takes many years to develop.
Schizophrenia • Many young people with schizophrenia will demonstrate a slow and gradual onset of the illness (often over the period of 6 ‐ 9 months or more). Early signs include: • Social withdrawal • Odd behaviours • Lack of attention to personal hygiene • Excessive preoccupation with religious or philosophical constructs • Young people may share bizarre ideas or may complain of being persecuted by others • They may begin abusing substances – particularly alcohol and marijuana and develop a substance abuse disorder concurrently • Difficulty concentrating • Flattened mood, decreased speech, lack of will
Suicide • Why do youth attempt suicide ? • Unlike adults, youth are unable to think about life and events in terms of the "big picture". They tend to believe that their unhappiness or pain will go on forever. • Everything that is happening to them is in the "here and now" and they struggle to think that there might be a brighter future just around the corner. They often don't believe that anyone can help them, or feel shame to talk about it. They feel helpless and hopeless within their situation. • They believe that they can either choose to live with the pain, or end it by ending their life. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. • The reasons for suicide are long standing and complicated. The teen that attempted suicide right after his girlfriend broke up with him as an example, likely had a history of low self ‐ worth that was magnified by the upsetting event.
What parents can do Communication is key! Ask open ended questions. Use empathy as it will create a connected relationship with your teen. Create connected moments. Talk regularly with your teen about their life, including friends. Tune out the “emotional noise” and focus on the issue. Respect privacy, but refuse to accept secretive behavior Support your teen’s involvement in a sport, art or extra curricular activity It is important to empathize with anxiety but encourage your child to face their fears (with support) and discourage avoidance of fears If your teen claims nothing is wrong but has no explanation for what is causing the changes in behavior and mood you need to TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS and seek help
Importance of Communication with School If you recognize that your child is struggling with a mental health issue – communicate with the school as it this allows teachers to have a: • Better understanding of the student’s ability within the classroom • Particularly helpful if child previously seen as oppositional • Can assist school in supporting the child through the difficulty • Given amount of time a child spends in school every day, important to ensure that staff are aware/can give them support
Mental Health Resources in your Community • Your family doctor and/or local hospital Teacher, Guidance counsellor or school social worker • • Distress Centre – 416 408 ‐ 4357 (24 hours) • Kids Help Phone – 1 800 668 ‐ 6868 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – (416) 595 ‐ 6111 • • Hincks ‐ Dellcrest – (416) 924 ‐ 1164 • Youthdale – (416)368 ‐ 4896 OOlagen Community Services – (416) 395 ‐ 0660 – Also a walk in clinic • • Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) – (416) 924 ‐ 2100 • Youthdale Crisis – (416) 393 ‐ 9990 Parkdale Community Health Clinic – (416) 537 ‐ 2455 • • Queen Street Community Health Clinic – (416) 703 ‐ 8482
QUESTIONS
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