As teenagers grow older, their brains are developing, and the way they process certain events and spend their time is critical to one’s development. They need experiences like getting a driver’s license or forming new relationships in order to develop but a mental health challenge can complicate that development. It is crucial that a teen’s mental health is addressed properly. 

Mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and experiences with trauma can affect a teen’s usual way of thinking, feeling, and acting, as well as hinder their daily life. These feelings are far more different than situational sadness and fatigue. It is more intense and longer-lasting. Ignoring a teen’s mental health challenge leads to other problems that aren’t only affecting their mental but also their physical health. Substance use, disruption in sleeping patterns, and a change in eating habits affect the body just as much as it does the mind and often occur if a teen’s mental health is ignored.

A teen’s mental health should be worked out adequately. . They need to know it is okay to feel the way they do. Teens need a tool or person to be able to vent these emotions. More recurring problems may be pointing to something more severe, and these early signs in teens need to be recognized and handled in an appropriate manner. 

According to the article “The Impact of Mental Health Challenges on Teens”, when these challenges are left unchecked, it can lead to more severe mental and physical health problems in later adulthood. That is why it is so important that teens have something to confide in now so they can grow as a person.