6 Tips for Parents Who are Worried About Their Kid’s Mental Health

Finding the right parenting tips for your kid’s mental health can feel like searching for a perfect snowflake in a blizzard. You may not know for sure if a teen is finding coping with their well-being challenging, understand what they’re going through, or feel certain about the right steps to take. 

The important thing is that you’re trying to become more aware of their mental health. As a parent, you’re in the best position to notice changes in your child’s behavior and personality – so you can support them in ways no one else can. You also don’t have to wait until you’re concerned to talk to a teen about mental health; regular, open conversations can help them understand they have support whenever they need it. 

However, if you are worried about your child’s mental health, support and advice are available to you. In the meantime, the following six parenting tips for teen mental health can help.

Parenting Tips for Teen Mental Health

1. Observe Their Patterns

If you’re reading up on children and teens’ mental health, then, chances are, you may have noticed some worrying changes to their behaviors. Paying attention to the patterns in these behavior changes can give you some insight into how they’re struggling and where they may need support.¹

There are many ways mental health challenges can be addressed, so to help a teen make the right decision for them, pay attention to their:

• Sleeping patterns: Are they seeming more tired recently? If so, this may indicate some disruption to their sleeping patterns or quality of sleep. 
• Relationships: How are they getting along with friends or family? If there’s recent conflict, withdrawal, or isolation, this might indicate something deeper going on.
• Academic performance: Has there been any drop in grades of late? If a teen has recently been struggling to concentrate, this may be a sign of mental health issues.  
• Emotions: Has a teen become more emotionally withdrawn? Or have they become more prone to outbursts? Noticing when they act in such ways can give you an insight into when and where they’re struggling. 

It’s good to note that there may be no discernable patterns to how a teen’s behaviors and emotions have changed. Instead, these changes may be more of a consistent shift in their personality – which can indicate issues such as depression. A mental health professional can give you advice on such issues and the best ways to approach them.

2. Understand What They’re Going Through

A child or teen’s mental health is shaped by many factors, including their genetics, biology, environment, relationships, and experiences. If they show signs that they’re struggling with their mental health, it can be good to look at the whole picture: What potential challenges are they facing and where?²

Also, it’s important not to minimize what a teen is feeling by assuming that they’re a normal part of the teenage experience. While mood swings are often typical for a teen, persistent sadness, worry, emotional outbursts, withdrawal, and a drop in academic performance are not. 

3. Talk to Them

It might seem obvious, but one of the best steps you can take if worried about a kid’s mental health is to chat to them. Plus, there are certain ways to broach a conversation about mental health which can make it more likely that a teen will share how they’re feeling. 

Teens might not always want to talk about their emotions, especially with adults, but taking the following approach can help.³

How to Talk to a Teen About Mental Health

1. Pick a suitable time and place: Choosing the right moment is important. A teen may be more distracted or stressed at certain times of the day, so pick a moment when they’re likely to be emotionally available. Another tip is to make sure phones, screens, or other people aren’t present. 
2. Gently approach the topic of mental health: You can do this indirectly or directly, based on your knowledge of your teen’s communication style. For example, if they’re more open, you could directly say “I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself recently. I was wondering if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed and if there’s anything I can do to help. Alternatively, if they’re a bit more closed off, you might say “I’ve been reading about mental health challenges in teens, and I’m wondering if these are issues you’ve ever encountered. I’d like to be here for you if it’s the case.”
3. Ask them how they’d like to be supported: Teenagers often feel like they don’t have a say in their routines or care. Allowing them to share what they need gives them an important role in their own care. For instance, you could ask if they would like to speak to a mental health professional and suggest helping them find someone appropriate. 

Every child and teenager is different. Even if you attempt all these steps, you cannot force someone to talk about their mental health if they don’t want to. However, you can try again, continuing to let them know you’re there for them. It’s also important not to wait if you’re concerned about a teen’s well-being. Professionals such as doctors, counselors, and therapists can help. 

4. Help Them Support Their Body and Mind

Mental health isn’t just an emotional experience – it’s also felt and contributed to by the body. During times of stress and upset, children and teens may neglect basic self-care, such as diet, exercise, and sleep, but these are also the times when these factors matter most. 

As a parent, assisting your child in taking care of these aspects can not only help them feel more nourished and rested, but also more supported and loved, so it’s a win-win. There are many ways to help a teen support their body and mind, but the following is a quick tip for each area.

• Exercise: You could encourage them to join a local sports activity or team. However, even simple activities such as going on regular mindful walks can boost “happy hormones” and help them naturally feel better.⁴
• Diet: Balance is key. Aim for a range of fruit and veg, wholegrains, and proteins in their intake. It’s also OK for them to have treat meals, as long as these are in moderation. Plus, don’t forget hydration, as water can improve mood and concentration.⁵
• Sleep: When a kid is tired, their emotions and concentration suffer. Even though what they’re going through may be affecting their ability to sleep, you can help improve their well-being by assisting them in creating a sleep routine. For instance, going to bed at a set time, no screens before bed, making sure the bedroom is a comfortable temperature, and so on, can all contribute to a restful night. 

Another tip for supporting a teen’s body and mind is making sure their social media use is healthy. Social media can help a teen feel connected, but it can also damage their mental health – especially during vulnerable times. Our article “Social Media and Depression: What Teens Need to Know” can help. 

5. Promote Their Relationships

As adults, we often romanticize our youth, remembering it as a carefree time. However, teens often face a lot of stress and challenges. This has especially been the case in recent years, due to factors like increasing competition to get into top colleges and the aftermath of the pandemic. 

When faced with high amounts of stress, teens may become so focused on their achievements and progress that they might start to neglect their relationships. Encouraging teens to spend more time with friends can be protective to their well-being and a great buffer against the effects of stress. You could suggest movie nights at your house, joining local community groups on social media, or group activities like a local sports club.⁶

Also, many schools often offer peer mentorship programs in which an older teen helps a child cope with their mental health in healthy, adaptive ways. 

6. Reach Out for Support

It can be difficult to know how to manage a child or teenager’s mental health by yourself, but you don’t have to. If your child has been showing symptoms of a mental health condition, there are a variety of professionals who can give you advice and support, including:

• Doctors: A doctor can give an initial assessment of your child’s health, making sure that nothing physical is leading to mental health symptoms. Often, kids with mental health issues present with unexplainable physical illnesses, so this assessment may be important. Plus, a doctor can suggest or make a referral to a mental health professional. 
• Schools: Educators typically receive regular mental health training, so are well-placed to understand and advise on childrens’ and teenagers’ mental health. Additionally, schools often collaborate with mental health services in the community or have a member of staff on board who fulfils the role of school counselor. These trained professionals can offer school-based mental health services to a teen.
• Mental health professionals: Professionals, such as therapists, can tailor a treatment plan to a child or teenager’s specific needs. With such carefully thought out treatment, your child can feel like they have some control over the process, and start to recover from their challenges. 

How Mission Prep Can Help

If you’re worried about a kid’s mental health, it’s important to seek support. Certain mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, can have long-term impacts on a teen’s emotional and physical well-being if left untreated. Fortunately, mental health conditions are treatable – and don’t have to affect a teen in long-term ways. 

Mission Prep can help a teenager understand where their symptoms are coming from, what factors contribute to them, and how to cope in healthy ways. Our team of trained professionals deliver empathetic, personally tailored treatment programs in various locations to help teens manage their mental health and overcome challenges. Contact us today for support and advice.

References

1. Berman, H. (2018). An overview of adolescent mental health. In M. Moreno & A. Radovic (Eds.), Technology and adolescent mental health (pp. 1–14). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69638-6_1
2. Stoewen, D. L. (2022). Nature, nurture, and mental health Part 1: The influence of genetics, psychology, and biology. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 63(4), 427. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8922370/
3. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Talking to adolescents and teens: Starting the conversation. Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/talking-adolescents-and-teens-starting-conversation
4. Guo, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Study on the Interactive Factors between Physical Exercise and Mental Health Promotion of Teenagers. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2022, 4750133. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4750133
5. Quirk, S. E., Housden, S., Brennan, S. L., Williams, L. J., Pasco, J. A., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. N. (2014). Relationship Between Diet and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(10), e31. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110
6. Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). (2021). Protecting youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK575986/