Blog - Teen Mental Health in India

Being a teenager is hard.

From mood swings to stress-related problems, they face it all

in school and at home. Teenagers face challenges every day, which puts them in a bad
position because of the toll this can take on their mental health..While this does not
apply to everyone and some kids can handle the pressure by themselves, many may
experience a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. . In India, a recent survey was
conducted and the results show that one in every four teenagers suffers from
depression while anxiety is common with 3 in 4 children aged 8-18 years, and others
are experiencing different behavioural and social issues.. So it is high time to consider
the importance of mental health within the context of young teenagers who are still
figuring out life as a whole. Before we deep-dive into teen mental health and how we
should treat mental disorders with therapy, it is important to clear some of the common
misconceptions people have towards teenagers.
Few Common Misconceptions

#1 Teenagers want to be popular
Many adults, even teachers or professors, think students behave with such mental
differences to draw attention from their peers. Still, they don't understand that teenagers
don't have much control in these situations. It is very much real, and no one should take
them for granted.
#2 Mental problems are common nowadays in all teenagers
Many parents are wrong here because they think it is just a trend among young
teenagers. At first, they normalize these mental health issues, and before they know it,
these issues take over their entire life. It is high time to educate ourselves on what
mental disorders look like so we better understand what teenagers nowadays are going
through in school and relationships.
# 3 Hormonal fluctuation is the main reason why teenagers face mental health issues.
We so often observe people dismissing teenage mental problems because they think
hormones fluctuate during puberty, and it entirely affects their poor mental health. The
problem here is that- even if emotional difficulties stem from hormones' fluctuation, we
should still address those issues and find the right solution, and not wait till they fade
away. We should never decide what someone feels, and it shouldn't matter what age
group they belong to.
Things Parents should pay attention to when it comes to their teen's mental
health
Bullying at School
When kids are constantly picked on at school, they tend to experience feelings of
sadness and worthlessness. In some cases, those same mental issues may persist into
adulthood. Bullies create a real power imbalance, and they go into self-doubt. Try to get
in touch with your kid's friends and ask them how they behave around school or
campus. If you find something odd is happening, then show them your support and give
them the required strength to stand up for themselves in tough situations.
Family Dysfunction
Dysfunctional families affect almost every member of the house, especially young
teenagers.They tend to carry the same load of the dysfunctional dynamic and be in the
same cycle of parenting problems. When going through divorce or death, let them know
you will always be with them- no matter what happens from here on. If people in your
family engage in drugs and alcohol, it can also cause traumatic stress on your child,
and it can lead to depression and anxiety.
Social Withdrawal
Physical distancing can have adverse effects on one’s mental well-being and as time
goes-by, they start to experience anger, loneliness, and reduced immune function. Self-
isolation is dangerous for teenagers facing mental health issues because it makes them
experience negative thoughts, and they can even try to harm their body physically.
Withdrawal from society and friends is not healthy, resulting in more fights with their
close relations.
Peer Pressure
Teenagers face peer pressure almost every day, but those desires to be perfect can
change their original behaviour. Peer pressure takes a huge hit on one’s self confidence
and for young teenagers, it creates feelings of low self-worth and inadequacy. When
things go out of hand, peer pressure can result in teenagers consuming drugs and
alcohol. They also start to distance themselves from family and friends. If it is not
addressed, teens will remain in a constant cycle of self-doubt.
Learning Difficulties
When teenagers face problems in the classroom because of their learning disabilities,
they tend to experience more abuse and neglect. Their peers start to ignore them and
they may start to display masked emotional and behavioral behavior. This also leads to
peer bullying because students with learning disabilities tend to display more problems
in social competence. Teenagers facing learning problems have a completely different
conversation pattern, so they often are misunderstood and excluded from social
gatherings.
What to Expect When Sending Your Child or Teen to therapy
Therapy sessions are very different when it comes to teenagers than adults because
they have a completely different mental wiring. The first few sessions are never about
strategies or treatments because the mental health expert needs to build a strong
relationship with your child. As parents, you should also let therapists know some key
things that can help communicate with your child.
Once the child feels comfortable, the therapist will offer psycho-education to increase
self-awareness and understanding of their mental health issues. One common
misunderstanding parents have is that therapists are there to make their child happy.
That is not accurate because it is entirely on the child how they effectively cope with
emotions. Therapists are active listeners for so many reasons, and it impacts teenagers
a lot because they feel accepted and understood for once in their life.
Therapists always monitor the child's progress, and if there is something wrong with the
child's emotional well being, they try to understand their thought process and provide a
much better treatment plan.
Here's how Heyy can help
We here at Heyy provide a safe platform for any and all conversations by allowing our
users to get in touch with our active listeners and experts. Our mental health experts are
always available to help you find your inner strengths and answers to solve your mental
health issues.
Heyy sets no barriers for any user, and they can openly converse to understand people
who have been in the same situation before. We try to understand our user at a more
personal level without attaching any tag of therapists that they might find troubling.
The process to achieve mental wellness starts with a conversation, and with Heyy- you
can chat your way through it. We promise to maintain complete confidentiality, and you
can choose to be anonymous as well. Teenage life is hard but you don’t have to go
through it alone, so if you want to take that next step and take control of your mental
health, just send us a heyy.
Reference links
https://www.westernyouthservices.org/13-reasons-why-talk-teen-mental-health/
https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-conclave-mumbai-2019/story/india-leads-the-
world-in-teenage-depression-brave-youngsters-share-their-trigger-moments-1601368-
2019-09-20
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/child-teen-counseling/
https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/12/dismiss-teenagers-mental-health/

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Being a teenager is hard.

From mood swings to stress-related problems, they face it all

Few Common Misconceptions

#1 Teenagers want to be popular

#2 Mental problems are common nowadays in all teenagers

What to Expect When Sending Your Child or Teen to therapy

Here's how Heyy can help

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