An overview of adolescent mental health

Abstract

The journey to adulthood includes a number of challenges. Often called “the tasks of adolescence,” they include the achievement of biological and sexual maturation, the development of personal identity, the development of intimate sexual relationships with an appropriate peer, and the establishment of independence and autonomy. It is no surprise that the road may be rocky. It is critically important for clinicians who provide care for adolescents to be able to sort out what are “normal” behaviors for this age group, what are problems that are caused by life situations, and what are problems that have a diagnosis and need professional intervention. Up to a third of teens feel overwhelmed or sad. And it is estimated that 25% will have an anxiety disorder during their teen years and 12.5% will have an episode of depression. The prevalence of ADHD is 11%. Thirty-five percent of high school seniors reported drinking some alcohol in the past month, 21% reported using marijuana, and 11% reported smoking cigarettes. Many of these problems are transitory and are resolved by the beginning of adulthood, with few long-term consequences. And most teens are doing well—the most recent CDC data show that close to 83% of teens are in excellent or very good health and another 15% are in good health. This chapter discusses each of the most common mental health conditions that teens experience, as well as likely causes of related worrisome behaviors. It also provides information on each, including prevalence and the most effective interventions.