Amidst the Youth Mental Health Crisis, Parents Are Struggling, Too
In the midst of an unprecedented youth mental health crisis, parents are suffering roughly the same rates of anxiety and depression as their teen children, Good Morning America reports.
A Harvard University research team analyzed two nationally-representative surveys involving teens and young adults as well as parents or caregivers. The results were striking:
- While 18% of teens reported suffering anxiety, approximately 20% of mothers and 15% of fathers experienced anxiety as well.
- While 15% of teens reported depression, about 16% of mothers and 10% of fathers did, too.
- An estimated 1/3 of teens had at least one parent who reported anxiety or depression.
- Almost 40% of teens also reported being at least “somewhat worried” about the mental health of one or more of their parents.
- Depressed teens are about 5x more likely than their peers to have a depressed parent.
- Anxious teens are about 3x more likely than non-anxious teens to have a parent with anxiety as well.
“Teens are deeply impacted by their parents’ emotional states in big and small ways,” said Richard Weissbourd, lead author of the report and faculty director of Harvard’s “Making Care Common” project. “If we really want to understand what is going on with teens, we have to understand them in the context of their families. One crucial way we can support teens is by supporting their parents.”
Parent needs often go unmet, especially when a child is suffering. “When there is an ill child in the home, whether that be physical or mental illness, the child’s needs usually take precedence over anything else,” said New York City-based psychiatrist Dr. Yalda Safai, who was not involved in the study.
“Some parents even fall prey to feeling a sense of shame or guilt in spending time on their own needs,” she added. But failing to attend to one’s own needs leads to burnout.
“It’s really hard for parents that work, or even parents that don’t work but have other obligations and other children, to navigate caring for a child with mental health issues,” said Dr. Panagiota Korenis, a psychiatrist and associate professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
What can parents do to support their children and their own mental health?
Here are five research-backed tips:
- Start by listening to teens – which can reduce stress for the whole family
The Harvard survey found that 40% of teens wanted their parents to reach out more, ask how they’re really doing, and really listen.
“Teens are far more likely to do better if instead of judging or trying to fix, [parents] listen with openness and curiosity,” noted Weissbourd. “It can also help you become closer and really strengthen your relationship with your teen.”
- Get the facts about common mental health issues
Parents should learn more about anxiety and depression – basic facts like what causes them, what is considered normal, and what are signs of significant anxiety and depression that require professional treatment.
Weissbourd recommends parents educate themselves about coping strategies – cognitive behavioral practices, healthy sleeping, and healthy eating habits – so they can be the first line of defense when teens start to struggle mentally.
- Invest in their own mental health wellness
Parents need to tend to their own mental health and seek support from their communities, Korenis advises.
“You can’t help anyone if you yourself are not well,” Korenis said. “Do your best to prioritize your health despite the challenges and struggles. Parents should be encouraged to ask for help, be open to accepting help whether it’s from family members or community agencies.”
- Normalize talking about mental health struggles
Experts say parents need to model talking about their own mental health struggles so that kids don’t internalize their parents’ negative moods. “I think parents need to reassure their kids … that they are dealing with their anxiety and depression,” Weissbourd said.
“Storytelling is extremely powerful in shattering stigmas. By sharing our own stories and struggles with mental health, albeit uncomfortable, we are creating a culture where we are encouraging our teens to speak up and come to us with their own stories and struggles,” said Safai.
- Help teens discover their own sense of purpose
The Harvard survey showed that 36% of participating teens reported little or no “purpose or meaning of life,” a sentiment strongly correlated with depression and anxiety.
“We live in an age that is often very self-focused, and I think a lot of kids need relief from this intense focus on the self,” said Weissbourd. “Focusing on other people can give them relief and can be a vital source of meaning and purpose.”
Read the full article here.
Or read the Harvard study Caring for the Caregivers: The Critical Link Between Parent and Teen Mental Health.
Dutta, Shalini. “As the nation grapples with a youth mental health crisis, parents are suffering too.” Good Morning America, 28 Jul 2023, https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/nation-grapples-youth-mental-health-crisis-parents-suffering-101766305