Mental Health is the foundation for teens’ success and overall well-being.

Nearly 40 percent of high school kids reported constant feelings of sadness, while 20 percent considered suicide, and almost 9 percent actually attempted it. 

This shows how under-looked teen mental health is and how urgent the need for better teen mental health support is. I’m always hearing about why teens shouldn’t feel sad or like something’s wrong with them because “you’re young and don’t have anything to be sad about” but that’s just not true.

So many American students ages 12-18 will experience some kind of mental disorder, with 21 percent suffering from severe disorders that affect daily functioning. Especially now, I feel like most adult figures don’t have the understanding or the resources to provide the appropriate support, which can potentially lead to more distress or invalidation of the teenager’s feelings.

Addressing teen mental health is really important because early intervention can prevent long-term problems. I believe teenagers are more likely to use healthy coping skills and maintain their well-being with the proper resources and support.

This can include access to certain counseling, strong family and friend support, and much better mental health education in schools. Ignoring teenage mental health can risk worsening emotional distress and lead to harmful behaviors like substance abuse and poor life choices that you’ll likely later regret. I feel like creating much safer spaces for teenagers to have honest and open conversations about their health and feelings, and ensuring access to professional help, us teens will have the tools needed to succeed.