Areas we work in / Ngā Wāhi Mahi

Mental Health and Wellbeing / Youth Mental Health

Being a teenager is a roller coaster. Sometimes life's fantastic, there's so much to look forward to and the future looks bright. The next moment it all comes crashing down and it seems like nothing's going right. Parents, teachers, doctors and other adults often say that these ups and downs are "just part of growing up."

Because it's a time of many changes and challenges, it's really important to keep a check on our mental health during this time. Having good mental health allows us to:

Develop a sense of who we are; our identities, values and beliefs
Cope with the intense emotions we're feeling
Work out how to best get on with the people around us
Get by at school, work and home
Have respect for ourselves and others
Express what we're thinking and how we're feeling
Accept responsibility for our own thoughts and actions.

Adolescence is also a time when we're at risk of developing mental health problems, because of:

Changes in our relationships with family and friends
Pressure to succeed at school
The need to work out who we are and where we fit in
Feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness because of puberty, our changing body shapes and not living up to a certain image
The stress associated with moving out of home and having to sort things out for ourselves
Peer pressure
Experimentation with alcohol and drugs
Worries about sexuality.

For most people, these are a normal part of growing up. Mental illness, however, is not a normal part of growing up. It's important to distinguish between mental health problems and life's flat spots. Depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts may be caused by a combination of some of the things listed above (or many others), but they are mental illnesses, not just a tough time.

Mental health problems often start when we're young and it's important to recognise them and get treatment early in order to have a successful and long lasting recovery. If left untreated they can lead to long-term health problems, as well as stop us getting on with our lives and being all that we can be as adults.

Source: Youth Beyond Blue (Australia)

Downloads

	Te Raukura: Mental health and alcohol and other drugs: Improving outcomes for children and youth (2007, Ministry of Health)
	Depression in Young Children and Adolescence (Mental Health Foundation)
	Depression in Young People
	Mental Health and Growing Up Factsheets (Royal College of Psychiatrists UK)