Recognizing When Professional Help Might Be Needed

With today's instant access to news channels and social media, you don't have to look far to find tragic stories of suicide, school shootings and mental health debates.  Depending on age and a wide variety of other circumstances, young people react to and process sad news in very different ways.  Hearing stories like these can be especially difficult for a young person dealing with anxiety or depression.  

According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 50% of all mental health disorders show their first signs before the age of 14.  Without intervention of some kind, these disorders have the potential to escalate into a situation where a young person may consider harming themselves.  As a supportive adult, you should not take on the role of therapist or medical professional. If you suspect that a child you know is struggling, you should underscore the importance of self-care and connect them to professional resources that can help, if needed. 

Self-care should be a priority for everyone! Check out this Buzzfeed article on how Mr. Rogers taught us about the importance of taking care of ourselves. For 5 tips on starting a conversation about mental health with a young person, click here.