In an article in Nature.com, co-directors of the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent at the University of California, Los Angeles, Andrew J. Fuligni and Adriana Galván, would like to reframe the conversation on youth and mental health. Rather than simply focusing on the rising prevalence of depression and suicidality in youth over the last 15 years – or pinpointing one culprit, like social media – they’d like to focus on what we know helps young people thrive.

Three decades of research in neuroscience and developmental psychology suggest “adolescence can be supported as a key developmental window of exploration and discovery,” and parents, educators, and all those who work with young people have a role to play. Specifically, Fuligni and Galván argue, young people need four key things:

• Safe ways to try new things
• Opportunities to contribute to other people’s lives
• Healthy relationships with parents and other caring adults
• Enough sleep to enable the discovery and learning that is so important at this time of life.

It is true that one in seven adolescents worldwide is experiencing a mental health disorder, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the need for youth mental health care. In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics partnered with other organizations in declaring a national emergency. And U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an urgent public advisory, calling for a “whole-of-society effort” to address youth mental health.

While it’s important to address the urgent needs of youth in mental health distress, the authors argue that “in our view, much more could be done to prevent mental-health crises from developing in young people in the first place.”

Multiple studies indicate that brain development in adolescence “supports a crucial period of learning and discovery that involves — appropriately — more risk-taking.” A 2012 study showed that “ adolescents are more tolerant of uncertainty than are adults,” and, the authors add, “adolescents’ greater willingness to take risks than other age groups can be understood as an adaptive, essential part of exploring the world around them.” Teens can thrive when adults support them by enabling them to explore and grow in key ways.

First, they need “healthy ways to channel their motivation to explore their world,” through “school-based extracurricular activities, special-interest clubs and sports or community-based activities, such as volunteering.” A 2014 meta-analysis of research showed that community service positively impacted young people aged 12-20 in everything from how they thought about themselves to how motivated they were in school––if, significantly, they were allowed to process their experiences through discussion or journaling.

Second, young people need opportunities to contribute to the lives of others, and doing so has positive impacts on mental and physical health. Through work, emotionally supporting one another, and volunteering, teens are primed to contribute to their families, friend networks, and communities. A 2013 clinical study showed that teens who volunteered with younger kids for two months were physically healthier than a control group. Contributing also provides a sense of purpose and meaning especially significant to those from marginalized groups.

Third, teens need healthy relationships with parents and other caring adults, which are essential for their mental health and well-being. The authors explain that “data from questionnaires show that adolescents who have secure and supportive relationships with their parents or other carers have lower levels of depression and a stronger sense of identity than do those with insecure relationships.” Similarly, positive relationships with caring adults outside the home – coaches, teachers, and mentors – shape young people in important ways, especially for those experiencing unstable home lives or living situations.

Finally, sleep is key to adolescent physical and mental health. Mental health is particularly sensitive to lack of sleep, as studies show “there is a consistent link between sleep problems and most of the psychiatric disorders that are evident during this period, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression.” Adults can help teens prioritize the sleep their bodies and brains need.

To learn more about the science behind supporting youth mental health and well-being, read the full article here.

Fuligni, Andrew and Galván, Adriana. “Young people need experiences that boost their mental health.” Nature.com, 10 Oct 2022, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03172-y.

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash