More drastically, 25% of kids aged 5 to 17 with fair or poor mental health had difficulty making friends compared to only 1% of kids with good or excellent mental health. They found that 32% of kids aged 3 to 17 with fair or poor mental health had grades at a C or lower, compared to just 9% of kids with good or excellent mental health. However, studies show that seemingly inconspicuous teen behaviour can be real indicators that there are issues to address.įor example, mental health data from Statistics Canada show that kids with poor mental health tend to receive lower grades and have more trouble making friends. Teens often display shifting moods and energy levels, so it can be easy and understandable that parents or caregivers might chalk up their struggles to regular teenage behaviour. Signs a teen might be struggling with their mental health While eating disorders are a risk for all teens, they are the third most common chronic illness amongst adolescent girls. This can result in a number of challenges, including eating disorders. In particular, there is ongoing attention on teens and body image- one-in-seven Canadian teens are teased about their appearance. Societal and external pressures can lead to a number of other issues like increased stress, worry and low self esteem. This can be very disruptive to a teen’s sense of self when they should be developing a healthy outlook on life and strong coping mechanisms.

Psychosis can make teens anxious, confused, have exaggerated mood swings or lack emotion. Psychosis may be a symptom of another mental health condition, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or it may be caused by other medical conditions, substance use (including prescription drugs), or even sleep deprivation. Psychosis is particularly important to recognize in earlier years because it can be a lifelong illness, but is often treatable many people with psychosis experience their first episode in adolescence. Teenage years are also when diagnosable mental health disorders tend to manifest-according to the World Health Organization, half of all mental health conditions start by the age of 14. Common mental health disorders affecting teensĮmotional and mood disorders, like anxiety and depression, are common for teens, especially given the unique life challenges and stressors for this age group.

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