10 Facts About Teens and Mental Health

My name is Gianna and I am a teen. I am experiencing one of the most crucial points in my life. I am growing and discovering more about myself every day and I am building the person I am to become. At this time, caring for my mental health is a very important task. After reading ten of the facts I learned about mental health at this crucial time of being a teen I hope you will see the importance too.

1. One in five young people suffer from a mental illness.
2. Of those teenagers, only thirty percent will be diagnosed and will be able to receive proper care.
3. Around 20 to 30% of teenagers will experience one episode of major depression before reaching adulthood.
4. Teenagers with undiagnosed mental disorders are at risk for committing suicide, for doing self-harm, for dropping out of school and for spending time in juvenile detention–for over ninety percent of individuals who commit suicide are reported to have suffered from a mental disorder.
5. Therefore more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease
6. Approximately 1 in every 12 children and teenagers exhibit self-harm and over ninety-five percent of these cases are due to a mental illness.
7. Over 50% of teenagers with severe mental illnesses drop out of high school.
8. About 95% of children in juvenile detention suffer from a mental disorder and may times suffer from more than one disorder.
9. Today in America, 4 million kids and adults suffer from a serious mental disorder.
10. But unfortunately, only four percent of the total health care budget is spent on protecting the mental health of the American citizen. [i]

Being a teenager is tough. If you are experiencing any symptoms of a mental disorder, know that in no way are you alone and that there are many people that want to help. Always be kind to yourself and make sure to properly care for your mental health. For more information on teen mental health check out the Teen Page on the Cogtoolz website.

For relief, check out the apps Pacifica and Mindshift as tools for self-help. However in no way does this replace seeing a physician or professional mental health. For more immediate relief call the suicide hotline at 1 (800) 273- 8255.

[i] Citation: "Federal & State Policy Legislation." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI, July 2010. Web. 12 June 2015.

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.