Parenting a teenager can be hugely rewarding…and at the same time emotionally draining. What happens when the pressure builds up and your own mental health starts to take a hit? The all-round demands of raising a teen can lead to you feeling burnt-out, anxious, or depressed, which affects not only you but your family too.
In this blog, we are going to explore how parenting a teenager can impact your well-being, how to spot the signs of mental health struggles in yourself, and how your mental health can affect your teen. Finally, we’ll dive into five tips to help you top-up your self-care and protect your mental health, all while surfing the highs and lows of raising a teenager.
Parenting teens is tough, but with the right support, you can enjoy the ride while feeling more confident in handling challenges that come your way.
How Does Parenting a Teen Affect Mental Health?
Parenting can be the best job ever – but also one of the hardest. It’s no surprise that parents often feel stressed. In fact, parents are more likely to feel very stressed compared to other adults, with 41% of parents saying that most days they are so stressed that they cannot function.1
If you’re parenting a teen, there can be so many things to worry about, like peer pressure, if they are starting to drink or smoke. As they become more independent you may worry about where they are or what they get up to. There are so many stresses and demands placed on you as a parent, and if you don’t have family or friends around you can end up feeling isolated. Trying to juggle everything can be a recipe for burnout.
A small amount of stress isn’t a bad thing, it can give you motivation and is usually temporary. However, parenting and mental health collide when stress becomes a constant in your life. While being a parent isn’t a cause of mental health conditions on its own, stress and emotional exhaustion can make pre-existing mental health conditions worse or could trigger new ones, such as anxiety or depression.2,3
What Percentage of Parents Have Mental Health Issues?
Being a parent with a mental health issue is more common than you might think. In the US, roughly 12.8 million parents have a mental health condition – for example, anxiety, depression, bipolar – with mothers being affected more than fathers.4 If you are reading this as a parent with a mental health issue, know that you are not alone and that you can get help and treatment to feel better.
Signs of Mental Health Struggles in Parents
More than one in five adults in the U.S. have a mental health condition, but would know what signs to look for in yourself or your partner?5 If you’re not sure, here’s a list of signs and symptoms to look for:6
- Sleep changes
- Appetite changes
- Mood changes and mood swings
- Problems with concentration or memory
- Increased sensitivity to light, sound, smell, or touch
- Loss of interest in doing anything
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling disconnected
- Uncontrollable worries or nervousness
- Unusual behaviour
- Changes in work performance
If a couple of these symptoms resonate with you, it may be worth checking in with your doctor to see if anything can be done to help.
How Does Parental Mental Health Impact on the Child?
Have you ever asked, “How does mental health affect parenting?” Perhaps you have, but are a bit scared of what the answer might be. Well, we are going to answer it right now.
Let’s get one thing clear – having a mental health condition does not mean that you are a bad parent. It can, however, sometimes affect how we cope and how we interact with people, including our children.
Research shows that parental mental health problems can affect their children. It can directly impact their children through genetics, and indirectly through their environment and circumstances.7 Mental health issues can affect your emotions, responsiveness, and the consistency of care you give a child at home, which can affect their development and is linked to worse mental and physical health for the child generally.
The big factor in this is how your mental health affects you – how you function and behave around your child, whether you can provide the care they need, bond with your child, and keep them safe as much as possible.1 If you can do all of these things, your mental health may not have a negative impact on your child.
Studies also show that children who have parents with mental health conditions can be at a higher risk of developing their own mental health struggles.1 If you’ve been struggling with your mental health, it is important both for yourself and your child that you are supported to feel well again.
5 Mental Health Tips for Parents of Teenagers
Parenting can be a huge challenge, and finding any time for yourself can feel like an impossible task. There’s so much pressure to do more and be more, and it’s just plain exhausting. It’s really important to be feeling mentally well when you are juggling so much, so we have come up with five mental health tips for you.
1. Prioritize Your Self-Care
Self-care isn’t just about going to spas or getting your nails done. It comes in different forms. It’s really about finding something that can help replenish and fulfill you – mind, body, and soul. Whether it’s a bath, having 5 minutes to read before bed, getting a quick bit of yoga in before the kids wake up, or heading out for a walk around the block to clear your head and get some peace and quiet, find something that helps you to find some calmness and feel balanced. You deserve to feel healthy and to prioritize your well-being.
2. Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries on what is acceptable behavior can be really helpful for parents. Let your teen know what’s expected of them, such as when their curfew is, and the consequences if they don’t meet the expectations laid out. It can be tricky, but as your teen is becoming more independent, now might be the right time to have a chat and lay down some new rules, especially if there are things that will help with your well-being too.
3. Connect With Others
It’s good to connect with others, and sometimes we could use a little extra help, support, and understanding. Whether it’s making time for a coffee with a friend, or attending an exercise class with another parent from your teen’s school, it can feel good to socialize as ‘you’ rather than as ‘the parent of someone else’. By talking with other parents, you might discover that they have some of the same challenges that you have, or that they can understand how it feels to parent a teen.
4. Be Kind to Your Mind
Let’s face it – things don’t always go to plan, do they? That’s ok. You don’t need to criticize yourself or beat yourself up about it. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Be proud of what a great job you are doing raising your teenager and remember how far you’ve both come.
5. Seek Support
Being a parent is a full-time job, filled with unique challenges, that can bring you joy but also leave you feeling drained. Seeking help through therapy or support groups is a great way to get some extra guidance when things become overwhelming. Your mental health matters, and you deserve to get the support you need.
Parent Mental Health Support Services
Parenting can be tough, but it can be made easier when you have the right support to help you. If you’re struggling with your mental health, talking to a licensed therapist can be a really good option. They can provide a non-judgemental, safe space for you to talk about your feelings and struggles, and help you to navigate your challenges and understand your feelings.
If your teen is struggling with their mental health, we know that they are not the only one who may need support – you may be struggling too. That’s why at Mission Prep we hold family support groups so that you’re kept informed and supported through your teen’s treatment, every step of the way.
Reach Out to Our Team Today
If you’re worried about your teen’s mental health, there is always help available. At Mission Prep, we offer premier treatment for teens and adolescents. We create completely individualized treatment plans and programs to help your teen in the best way possible. Mission Prep recognizes the importance of family, which is why you will be involved in your teen’s care every step of the way.
Whether you are looking for residential or outpatient treatment options, or just want to find out more, give us a call at (866) 649-1223, or contact us here to discover how we can help support your child on their healing journey.
References
- Office of the Surgeon General. (2025, March 13). Parental mental health & well-being. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/parents/index.html
- Tafet, G. E., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2015). The links between stress and depression: Psychoneuroendocrinological, genetic, and environmental interactions. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 28(2), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.15030053
- Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Chronic stress puts your health at risk. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037
- Stambaugh, L. F., Forman-Hoffman, V., Williams, J., Pemberton, M. R., Ringeisen, H., Hedden, S. L., & Bose, J. (2016). Prevalence of serious mental illness among parents in the United States: Results from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, 2008–2014. Annals of Epidemiology, 27(3), 222–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.12.005
- National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Mental illness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
- American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Warning signs of mental illness. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness
- Manning, C., & Gregoire, A. (2006). Effects of parental mental illness on children. Psychiatry, 5(1), 10–12. https://doi.org/10.1383/psyt.2006.5.1.10
