Children and Adolescents “Flying Under the Radar”: Understanding, Assessing, and Addressing Hidden Distress Among Students

Abstract

This chapter is about two interconnected main premises that follow from acknowledging the presence of young people who suffer in silence. First, the prevalence of anxiety and depression and other mental health problems among adolescents is not only large and growing, but it is also very much underestimated; that is, we are facing a much bigger problem than most people realize. Second, many young people are hiding their problems behind a facade, and they never seek help or even confide in friends or family members. In essence, they are ``flying under the radar,{''} and the people in their lives are largely unaware of this hidden psychological pain. This chapter examines this hidden psychological pain and the reasons for it. While our focus is primarily on depression and anxiety, it is acknowledged that secret mental health issues can take many forms, including secret acts of intentional self-harm and eating behavior (e.g., bulimia). It is also likely that some of the experiences that potentiate the false self are kept hidden due to the anticipated reactions of other people (e.g., the feelings of loneliness that often accompany depression and social anxiety).