A recent study is also shining a light on parents and caregivers of struggling teens.
The Harvard Graduate School of Education looked at the link between parents and teens’ mental health and found both are deeply interwoven.
Researchers say the parents of teenagers in the United States are suffering from high rates of anxiety and depression and that healthcare professionals should be sounding the alarm about parent mental health, just as much as youth mental health.
According to the research, teens who are depressed and anxious are far more likely to talk to their friends about their troubles.
And the data found the more worried youth are about their parents’ emotional health, the more uncomfortable they are reaching out to them about their own struggles.
So, what can be done to help make things better for both gorups?
Researchers say parents need to really listen to their children and take an emphatic approach when they’re opening up to you, and you have to open up too.
Advise them, and if you’re struggling — you can speak appropriately about those emotional struggles as well.
In addition to listening, parents also need to know basic facts about anxiety and depression, and should know when it’s time to get a professional involved in your teen’s life.
The same goes for parents.
And finally, 36% of the teens surveyed reported little or no “purpose or meaning in life.”
Researchers say parents can help by getting them involved in activities that focus on other people — maybe giving back to their communities in different ways, like volunteer opportunities and give them goals that are larger than themselves.
