tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/teen-anxiety-22692/articlesTeen anxiety – The Conversation2024-01-04T13:44:51Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2196992024-01-04T13:44:51Z2024-01-04T13:44:51ZStories about war, violence and hate crime can cause anxiety, anger and depression in kids – here’s how to discuss bad news with your children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565047/original/file-20231212-27-4c2nj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7348%2C4912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For younger children in particular, checking in on what they're seeing on social media is critical.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/looking-for-some-entertainment-online-royalty-free-image/1049816596?phrase=kids+watching+violent+images+on+social+media&searchscope=image%2Cfilm&adppopup=true">Tassii/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Violent photos and videos – whether from conflicts abroad or shootings near home – are commonplace, even ubiquitous, on television and social media today. The impact on children can be debilitating.</em></p>
<p><em>SciLine interviewed <a href="https://psychiatry.duke.edu/profile/robin-gurwitch">Dr. Robin Gurwitch</a>, a psychologist and professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center, who discussed how these images and stories affect a child’s mental and emotional health; how the conversation about war and violence differs with young children, tweens and teens; and how to recognize signs that children are struggling with recent events.</em></p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/881835248" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Robin Gurwitch discusses how children react to scenes and stories of war, violence and hate.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.</em></p>
<p><strong>How do images and stories about war and violence affect children’s mental and emotional health?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> The very short answer is, it’s not good. These events take a toll on our youth. We know from much academic <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2016.00026">work in this area</a> that we see an increase in anxiety, in worries, in fears, in depression and, sometimes, an increase in anger. We see an increased sense of hopelessness, and then, at the extreme, an increase in risk for suicide. </p>
<p><strong>How should parents prepare for a conversation with their children about hate and hate crimes, war and violence?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> Before we even begin to talk to our children, as adults we have to put in place our thoughts and feelings. What are the values and beliefs that we hold in the face of these types of events? Talk to friends and other trusted relatives to make sure that you have a handle on your emotions. </p>
<p><strong>What specific advice do you have for talking to very young children – and to older children?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> With really young children, under preschool age and younger, they probably don’t know and won’t understand what’s going on. Yet they <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/helping-children-with-tragic-events-in-the-news">can sense your distress</a>. So making sure you keep their routines as consistent as possible will be helpful. </p>
<p>When we start talking about school-age children – assume they know. They’ve heard about it on the school bus. They’ve heard about it from friends. They’ve <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/parenting/kids-current-events.html">seen it on TV</a> when they’ve walked through the living room. </p>
<p>With them, I think you start the conversation saying, “There’s been …” And then fill in the event you’re going to talk about. “There’s been a shooting in Maine.” “There’s been a hurricane in Mexico.” “There’s been a terrorist attack in Israel and now there’s a war, and that’s really hard, but I want to talk to you about it. Tell me what you’ve heard about it.” </p>
<p>Allow them to have that ability to tell you what they’ve heard. Listen for and gently correct misinformation, rumors and misinterpretations. And then follow that up with, “How is that making you feel?” As they share their feelings with you, accept those rather than try to talk them out of them. It doesn’t work for adults, and it won’t work for children.</p>
<p><strong>What specific advice do you have for talking to tweens and teens?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> Sometimes when we talk or try to talk to our tweens and teens, they give us the shoulder shrug, or they say, “I’m fine,” or nothing, or “Why do I need to tell you what I think?” So sometimes we may <a href="https://parentandteen.com/tragic-events/">take a different approach with them</a>. </p>
<p>Instead of saying, “Tell me what you know about the war happening between Israel and Hamas,” you may phrase it a little differently and say, “You know, the war between Israel and Hamas has been going on for several weeks. Tell me what your friends are saying about that,” or “What are you seeing on social media about the war?” </p>
<p>This approach gives them a little bit of distance from you. That is, they may be more willing to share about their friends and social media. And it gives you some insight on what they understand, what they believe, and gives you an opportunity to check in about any misperceptions or misinformation that they may have.</p>
<p><strong>What specific advice do you have for talking to college students?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> There’s still a tether that binds the two of you as they’re continuing to grow into their own person. So, it is important to reach out. “Tell me what’s happening on campus related to the war in Israel and Gaza. What are professors saying? What are your classmates saying?” Check in to make sure that they feel safe and supported. And to let them know that you are there if they have any concerns, or any worries about anything, to give you a call and you’ll talk it through with them. </p>
<p><strong>How can parents monitor their children’s media diet and social media use while respecting their privacy?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> When we’re talking about school-age children, parents and caregivers truly need to know what their social media is all about. They need to look at it. They need to make sure that it’s appropriate. </p>
<p>As children get older, they do <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/01/07/how-parents-monitor-their-teens-digital-behavior/">expect a little bit more privacy</a>. But I think it’s important for parents to say, “You know, I’ve heard from other parents” – you can throw other parents under the bus – “I’ve heard from other parents that there’s a lot of things on social media about the war in Israel,” or whatever the topic is. And let them know that oftentimes there are things on social media that just aren’t true. And to come to you if they have any questions about what they’re seeing or hearing, and you’ll tell them what you know to be true. </p>
<p>Also tell them that sometimes there are images that no one should see. If they see them, tell them to come to you so you can talk it through with them. Acknowledge that while their friends are seeing it, and they may be drawn to it, this can interfere with their sleep and their focus, because those images are hard to get out of our minds. </p>
<p><strong>What are some signs and symptoms that children or teens may be struggling with recent events?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robin Gurwitch:</strong> We may see <a href="https://www.healthday.com/mental-health-information-25/behavior-health-news-56/violent-tv-shows-keep-young-kids-awake-study-667375.html">sleep problems</a>. Either problems falling asleep or staying asleep, so they may be more tired. Because of that and because of <a href="https://theconversation.com/disaster-news-on-tv-and-social-media-can-trigger-post-traumatic-stress-in-kids-thousands-of-miles-away-heres-why-some-are-more-vulnerable-173627">other reactions to stress</a>, children may be more irritable. </p>
<p>Younger children may have more meltdowns and temper tantrums, and even our tweens and teens – where we expect some of it – it’ll be above and beyond. We may see more conflict between you and your children, but also between your children and their peers. </p>
<p>We may see a lack of enjoyment with the things that they used to really look forward to or want to do. Sometimes we see problems with attention and focus and concentration. That can lead to difficulties with schoolwork. It’s not that they’re not studying hard. It’s not that they’re not trying their best. But being able to process and retain new information becomes really hard. </p>
<p>So a little bit of extra patience, maybe a little bit more help, attention and love really will go a long way these days.</p>
<p><em>Watch the <a href="https://vimeo.com/881835248">full interview</a> to hear more.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.sciline.org/">SciLine</a> is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219699/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robin Gurwitch receives funding from SAMHSA. Some of my efforts are funded as part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which is funded by SAMHSA. All work is non-profit. All funds for salary support go through my employer, not directly to me. </span></em></p>Talking about violence with teens and tweens is very different from the conversation you’ll have with younger children.Robin Gurwitch, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2184262023-11-29T00:03:08Z2023-11-29T00:03:08ZWhat are young Australians most worried about? Finding affordable housing, they told us<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561724/original/file-20231127-29-kf67ur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5619%2C3743&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-looking-sunrise-321921797">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many of us were anxious and fearful during the COVID pandemic, but we’ve probably started to feel a lot better since lockdowns have stopped and life looks more like it did previously.</p>
<p>But new data shows that hasn’t been the case for Australia’s young people.</p>
<p>Our wide-ranging survey of youth across the country reveals many young people fear they’ll never be able to own a home and will end up worse-off than their parents.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/listening-to-youth-voices-was-missing-in-the-covid-19-pandemic-response-214106">Listening to youth voices was missing in the COVID-19 pandemic response</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Affordable housing is their top concern</h2>
<p>Data from the 2023 <a href="https://doi.org/10.26180/24087186.v2">Australian Youth Barometer</a>, which surveyed 571 young Australians aged 18-24 and interviewed 30 more, highlight young people’s interconnected and confronting attitudes about their futures.</p>
<p>In this third iteration of the annual survey, we expected improvements in young people’s attitudes following the worst of the pandemic.</p>
<p>But the pressures have intensified following increases to costs of living and multiple disruptions to young lives, leading to anxieties about their future.</p>
<p>The clear majority of young people (70%) said affordable housing was their top concern (15% increase since last year), while 51% nominated employment opportunities (up 9%) as the second. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1724947893780406553"}"></div></p>
<p>Concern about affordable housing is unsurprising. The fear is real. </p>
<p>Aside from skyrocketing rents and house prices, many young people face the prospect of having nowhere to live. According to 2021 Census data, almost <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/what-are-real-costs-housing-crisis-australias-young-people">one in four</a> of all people experiencing homelessness (23%) are 12 to 24 years of age. </p>
<p>A 23-year-old woman from the ACT, who’s living in a caravan she doesn’t own, told us housing was her biggest concern:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m very lucky to have it [the caravan]. And if it gets taken away from me, I’m back out on the streets again […] I need to be able to shower, have a place to get ready, eat, all that. That’s really the only concern in life. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Seeing a pathway to affordable accommodation is all the more challenging given young people’s current circumstances. </p>
<p>Some 90% of those surveyed experienced financial difficulties in the past year, a continuation of last year’s trend. Around one in five (21%) experienced food insecurity.</p>
<p>Surviving <em>now</em> is a concern, let alone affording a roof tomorrow. Just 35% of young people feel confident that they’ll be able to afford a place to live in the next year.</p>
<h2>Feeling unprepared for the future</h2>
<p>Only 52% of young people we surveyed feel their education has prepared them for the future</p>
<p>Three issues arise here. First, some young people are critical of education in their schools and post school institutions. </p>
<p>One 23-year-old woman from South Australia said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The learning system in Australia is absolutely appalling is what I have to say about it. It is so behind, it is so backdated, it has not kept up with the times, their learning ways are just inaccurate, and a waste of everyone’s time […] It wasn’t catered to what would be best for learning in the classroom, it was just, ‘This is what the system is, that’s what we’re doing’.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Second, there is a growing awareness that in a competitive labour market, greater qualifications might not lead to desirable, secure jobs. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A teenage girl studies in class" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561741/original/file-20231127-28-hfexsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Only around half of the young people surveyed believed education had prepared them for the future.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/high-school-student-taking-notes-book-1958383675">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The third is understanding what is required to get that desirable work. Upheavals to the workforce, including technological developments such as automation, have led to questioning what skills, knowledge and experience are required for job futures that are decreasingly knowable. </p>
<p>Other factors such as climate change (the third top issue requiring immediate action) and geopolitical insecurity amplify uncertainty about the future. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-young-people-are-concerned-about-climate-change-but-it-can-drive-them-to-take-action-171300">Yes, young people are concerned about climate change. But it can drive them to take action</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Challenges to youth mental health</h2>
<p>The challenges outlined above intersect. One 20-year-old woman from Queensland told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m just worried that it’ll be harder for me to get a job from my course or whatever, or that if stuff like cost of living and everything keeps going up, no matter if I get a job, I wouldn’t be able to, like, stay on top of that, as well. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Only 52% of young Australians think that it is likely or extremely likely that they will achieve financial security in the future.</p>
<p>More young Australians think they will be financially worse off than their parents (from 53% in 2022 to 61% in 2023). Most (97%) felt worried, anxious or pessimistic in the past year (an increase of 14% on last year’s data). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-teach-children-about-climate-change-inspire-hope-and-take-action-to-change-the-future-174036">How to teach children about climate change, inspire hope and take action to change the future</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Just over a quarter (26%) characterised their mental health as poor or very poor (up 8% on last year). Nearly one in four (24%) received mental health care in the past year.</p>
<p>Young people see their health and wellbeing as interconnected to other factors, such as affordable accommodation, jobs and food security. A 24-year-old man from New South Wales said that: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Financial independence is kind of a healthy thing. I think that knowing that you could afford your rent, knowing that you can afford food […] knowing that you have a roof over your head is something that I measure for healthiness.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Attitudes that are here to stay?</h2>
<p>Conditions for young people typically deteriorate during economic downturns. The question is whether the trends above reflect a tremor or a quake. </p>
<p>We saw during previous recessions how young people were disproportionately and negatively affected compared to older age groups. That tremor is already visible, despite relatively <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release">good</a> employment figures in recent years (which insufficiently capture the quality, security and desirability of current employment). Even so, youth unemployment rate has increased to 8.7%.</p>
<p>So are these attitudes likely to remain? </p>
<p>A youthquake is typically defined as a marked <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/youthquake">shift</a> in cultural norms brought about by changing values, tastes and attitudes of young people. Such shifts are associated with wider social, economic and political seismic upheavals. </p>
<p>Our findings suggest that conditions for the next youthquake might have begun.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218426/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We thought after the worst of a global pandemic, young people’s outlook for the future might have improved. Our survey shows they’ve actually gotten worse.Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash UniversityBlake Cutler, Researcher and PhD Candidate in Education, Monash UniversityThuc Bao Huynh, Research Assistant, Monash UniversityZihong Deng, Research Fellow, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2101182023-10-23T12:24:57Z2023-10-23T12:24:57ZHow much time do kids spend on devices – playing games, watching videos, texting and using the phone?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544091/original/file-20230822-5267-868e99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C10%2C6699%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Today, nearly all U.S. teens have a smartphone.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenage-boy-using-smartphone-at-home-royalty-free-image/1218225082?phrase=teen+on+social+media+looking+unhappy&adppopup=true">MoMo Productions/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>How many hours does the average American spend on devices each year? – Maxwell P., age 10</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>Think about your favorite devices – your smartphone, laptop, tablet, computer or console – the things you use to play cool games, watch hilarious videos and connect and chat with friends. </p>
<p>Many young people spend a lot of free time looking at them. Turns out that teens spend an average of <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-2021">8½ hours on screens per day</a>, and tweens – that’s ages 8 to 12 – are not far behind, at 5½ hours daily.</p>
<p>Keep in mind those numbers are for only social media, gaming and texting. They do not include the time that kids <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/cover-kids-screens">used screens for schoolwork or homework</a>.</p>
<p>What’s more, much of the time taken up by social media and texting is apparently not even enjoyable, much less productive. A 2017 study of teens ages 13 to 18 suggests they spend most of those hours on the phone <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/">in their bedroom, alone and distressed</a>. </p>
<p>These lonely feelings correlate with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519836170">rise in the use of digital media</a>. In 2022, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">95% of teens had smartphones</a> compared with only 23% in 2011. And 46% of today’s teens say they use the internet almost constantly, compared with 24% of teenagers who said the same in 2014 and 2015. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.med.wayne.edu/profile/aa3409">Our team of psychiatrists</a> who treat young people with digital addiction have many patients who spend over 40 hours per week on screens – and some, up to 80 hours. </p>
<p>Think about it: If you spend “just” an average of 50 hours per week on devices from ages 13 to 18 – the total time you will spend on screens equates to more than 12 years of school!</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wl-TJyPKu_s?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The U.S. surgeon general says too much screen time can increase anxiety and depression in teens and tweens.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Find the right balance</h2>
<p>All this is not to say that everything about devices is bad. In this digital age, people embark on exciting journeys through the screens of their devices. Sometimes, screens are the windows to a magical adventure. </p>
<p>But too much screen time can lead to problems. As human beings, we function best when we’re in a state of balance. That happens when we eat well, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.</p>
<p>But spending too much time using digital devices can cause changes in the way you think and behave. Many teens and tweens developed the “fear of missing out” – <a href="https://saferkidsonline.eset.com/sg/article/5-tips-for-combating-fomo">known as FOMO</a>. And one study shows <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020580">some people develop nomophobia</a>, which is the fear of being without your phone, or feeling anxious when you can’t use it. </p>
<p>Moreover, digital addiction in high school may predict serious <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010086">depression, anxiety and sleep disruption</a> in college. </p>
<p>Rates of depression and anxiety <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.11.015">are skyrocketing among college students</a>. The fear of missing out is pervasive, resulting in sleep disruption; too many college students <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159693">sleep with smartphones turned on</a> and near their bed – and wake up to respond to texts and notifications during the night. Sleep disruption itself is a core symptom of <a href="https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2008.10.3/dnutt">both depression and anxiety</a>. </p>
<h2>How to avoid device addiction</h2>
<p>A 2016 poll indicated that half of teens felt they were <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/new-report-finds-teens-feel-addicted-to-their-phones-causing-tension-at-home">addicted to their mobile devices</a>. </p>
<p>Getting hooked on screens means missing out on healthy activities. To achieve a better balance, <a href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx">some experts recommend the following</a>: Turn off all screens during family meals and outings. Don’t complain when your parents use parental controls. And turn off all the screens in your bedroom 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime – this step will improve sleep. </p>
<p>You may be a “<a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/are-video-games-and-screens-another-addiction#:%7E">screen addict</a>” if you: </p>
<ul>
<li>Feel uneasy or grumpy when you can’t use your device.</li>
<li>Don’t take breaks while spending hours on your device.</li>
<li>Ignore other fun activities you enjoy, like going outside or reading a book.</li>
<li>Have trouble sleeping, or falling asleep, because your screen time is too close to bedtime.</li>
<li>Experience eye, lower back and neck strain.</li>
<li>Struggle with weight gain or obesity because you’re inactive.</li>
<li>Have difficulty with real-life, face-to-face social interactions.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you notice these signs, do not dismiss them. But also realize you’re not alone and help is out there. You can find balance again.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8e1ezeq3C9c?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A kid breaks his addiction to gaming and social media.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A healthy approach</h2>
<p>Exercise – riding a bike, playing sports, lifting weights or going for a jog or walk – <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-exercise-pill-how-exercise-keeps-your-brain-healthy-%20and-protects-it-against-depression-and-anxiety-155848">keeps your brain healthy</a> and protects it against depression and anxiety, as well as limiting your screen time.</p>
<p>Another way to be happier and healthier is to spend time with people – face to face, not via a screen. Seeing people live and in person is the <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/">best way to bond with others</a>, and it may be even better for life span than exercise. </p>
<p>Creative hobbies are good, too. Cooking, playing an instrument, dancing, any arts and crafts, and thousands of other fun things make people happier and more creative. What’s more, hobbies make you well rounded <a href="https://fordhamram.com/2023/04/19/learn-how-to-meet-people-with-social-hobbies#:%7E">and more attractive to others</a> – which leads to more face-to-face interactions. </p>
<p>It’s also critical for parents to practice healthy screen habits. But about one-third of adults <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/03/26/about-three-in-ten-u-s-adults-say-they-are-almost-constantly-online/">say they use screens “constantly</a>.” This is not exactly a great example for kids; when adults take responsibility to minimize their own screen time, the whole family gets better.</p>
<p>Our research team used magnetic resonance imaging, <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/mri.html#:%7E">also known as MRI</a>, to scan the brains of teens who had digital addiction. We found impairment in the brain’s decision-making, processing and reward centers. But after a digital fast – meaning the addicted teens unplugged for two weeks – those brain abnormalities reversed, and the damage was undone. </p>
<p>Our findings also showed that kids with a desire to overcome digital addiction did better with a digital fast than those who were less willing or who denied their addiction. </p>
<p>A balanced lifestyle in the digital age is all about finding joy in screenless activities – being active, connecting with others and exploring your offline interests.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210118/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Rosenberg receives funding from the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation, Detroit, MI, and a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH59299). This work was also supported in part by the State of Michigan Lycaki Young Fund and the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalia Szura does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Up to 50% of US teens feel they are addicted to their devices. But help is out there.David Rosenberg, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Wayne State UniversityNatalia Szura, Research Assistant in Psychiatry, Wayne State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2074762023-08-16T12:28:50Z2023-08-16T12:28:50ZAs the mental health crisis in children and teens worsens, the dire shortage of mental health providers is preventing young people from getting the help they need<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534699/original/file-20230628-23-9wa1lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5584%2C3731&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Anxiety, depression and suicide among U.S. teens continue to increase. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-girl-in-trouble-feeling-sad-and-depressed-royalty-free-image/1135281941?phrase=distressed+teenager&adppopup=true">Paolo Cordoni/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The hospital where I practice recently admitted a 14-year-old girl with <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder#">post-traumatic stress disorder</a>, or PTSD, to our outpatient program. She was referred to us six months earlier, in October 2022, but at the time we were at capacity. Although we tried to refer her to several other hospitals, they too were full. During that six-month wait, she attempted suicide. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common story for young people with mental health issues. A 2021 survey of 88 children’s hospitals reported that they <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db471.htm">admit, on average, four teens per day</a> to inpatient programs. At many of these hospitals, more children await help, but there are simply not enough services or psychiatric beds for them. </p>
<p>So these children languish, sometimes for days or even a week, in hospital emergency departments. This is not a good place for a young person coping with grave mental health issues and perhaps considering suicide. Waiting at home is not a good option either – the family is often unable or unwilling to deal with a child who is distraught or violent. </p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/28534">professor of psychiatry and pediatrics</a> at the University of Colorado, where I founded and direct the <a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/psychiatry/PatientCare/STARTcenter">Stress, Trauma, Adversity Research and Treatment Center</a>. For 30 years, my practice has focused on youth stress and trauma. </p>
<p>Over those years, I have noticed that these young patients have become more aggressive and suicidal. They are sicker when compared to years past. And the <a href="https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2023/06/15/7396/#">data backs up my observation</a>: From 2007 through 2021, suicide rates among young people ages 10 to 24 increased by 62%. From 2014 to 2021, homicide rates rose by 60%. The situation is so grim that in October 2021, health care professionals <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/">declared a national emergency</a> in child mental health. </p>
<p>Since then, the crisis has not abated; it’s only gotten worse.
But there are <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2023/may/understanding-us-behavioral-health-workforce-shortage#">not enough mental health professionals</a> to meet the need. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tuCuFddCaqM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How school bullying led to tragedy.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The numbers behind the suffering</h2>
<p>The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reported in May 2023 that there is a <a href="https://www.aacap.org/aacap/zLatest_News/Severe_Shortage_Child_Adolescent_Psychiatrists_Illustrated_AACAP_Workforce_Maps.aspx">drastic shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists</a> across the U.S. </p>
<p>For every 100,000 children in the U.S. – with 1 in 5 of those children having a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder in a given year – there are only 14 child and adolescent psychiatrists available to treat them, <a href="https://www.aacap.org/aacap/Advocacy/Federal_and_State_Initiatives/Workforce_Maps/Home.aspx">according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>. At least three times as many are needed. </p>
<p>There is also a significant shortage of child therapists – social workers, psychologists, licensed professional counselors – as well. This is particularly the case in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5399">rural areas across the country</a>. </p>
<p>Studies show that young people in the U.S. are <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/">increasingly stressed and traumatized</a>. The <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437#">constant barrage of information</a> via social media and the demand to participate in it is complex, and interactions can be harmful to a child’s mental health. </p>
<p>Young people deal with <a href="https://cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-statistics-age-gender-sexual-orientation-race">cyberbullying</a> and endless exposure to social media content <a href="https://theconversation.com/mounting-research-documents-the-harmful-effects-of-social-media-use-on-mental-health-including-body-image-and-development-of-eating-disorders-206170">focused on body image</a>.</p>
<p>But what children and adolescents see online is not the only problem. Much of life still happens offline, and a lot of it is not good. Millions of young people deal every day with <a href="https://ncsacw.acf.hhs.gov/research/child-welfare-and-treatment-statistics.aspx#">alcoholic, drug-abusing or neglectful parents</a>; peers who <a href="https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/">drink, vape and use drugs</a>; violence at <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/communityviolence/index.html">their schools or in their streets</a>; and overwhelmed caregivers – whether parents or others – preoccupied with financial or other personal problems. </p>
<p>For an adolescent already struggling to make sense of the world, any one of these issues can be overwhelming. </p>
<h2>Not enough time or money</h2>
<p>The U.S. health care system does very little to support these children or their families. This pattern begins at the moment of birth, and it is baked into the system. </p>
<p>Ideally, prospective parents or those who are pregnant would receive parenting classes that continue through the child’s developmental phases. That generally <a href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/19/08/parent-approved">does not happen</a>. Then, many new parents do not have <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/universal-home-visiting-models-can-support-newborns-families/">nursing and maternal care visits</a> or <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/12/16/u-s-lacks-mandated-paid-parental-leave/">paid parental leave</a>. And for those families struggling financially, there is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02322-0">not an adequate safety net</a>. </p>
<p>Nor can some families afford mental health treatment to support their children’s needs. <a href="https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Public-Policy-Reports/The-Doctor-is-Out/DoctorIsOut">Many mental health providers don’t take insurance</a> and instead opt for out-of-pocket payments from patients. This is due to the low reimbursement rates from most insurers, which makes it very difficult to sustain a practice. Depending on the service, the cost could be anywhere from US$100 to $600 per session. </p>
<p>To see providers that do take insurance, there are usually co-pays – typically between $20 to $50 a week. But it can often be challenging for the insured to find a suitable in-network provider to meet a child’s needs.</p>
<p>The payments add up, particularly when mental health treatment takes many months, and sometimes years, to have an effect. There is a reason why it takes so long. Unlike medical doctors, mental health professionals do not simply make a diagnosis and provide medication or surgery. Instead, for treatments to work and to change the outcome for young people who are struggling, an ongoing – and lengthy – <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/11/ce-corner-relationships">relationship between the therapist and the patient is needed</a>. </p>
<p>Treating a child is significantly more difficult than treating an adult. That is, in part, because children are constantly developing and changing. But perhaps the most formidable challenges are the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-021-00094-6">multiple entities</a> a child therapist may have to work with: caregivers, the school system, the courts and child welfare agencies. What’s more, getting a diagnosis, treatment or both often involves working with multiple providers, such as a primary care doctor, individual therapist, family-focused therapist and psychiatrist. </p>
<p>In the institute where I work, the psychiatry department loses money on almost every patient we treat. If it weren’t for fundraising and fostering relationships with donors, the department could only provide care to a select few. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EHCeodippgo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Emotional abuse by parents includes threats, bullying, humiliation and insults.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Possible solutions</h2>
<p>Struggling children and teens in the U.S. need earlier interventions. Although schools are ideal places to teach social skills, they still do not offer enough activities to help young people <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/behaviour/understanding-behaviour/resilience-how-to-build-it-in-children-3-8-years">develop resilience to cope with adversity</a>. </p>
<p>Sometimes, young patients see primary care doctors who don’t have enough training in this area. Telephone hotline programs, which offer these doctors free consultations from mental health professionals to help assess problems in young patients, should be available throughout the U.S. But right now, <a href="https://www.rand.org/news/press/2019/07/15.html">only 19 states have such programs</a>. One bright spot: The <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-suicides-rise-in-the-us-the-988-hotline-offers-hope-but-most-americans-arent-aware-of-it-210356">988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline</a>, which launched in July 2022, is available 24/7. </p>
<p>When a young person needs treatment, parents should prioritize finding a mental health provider right away. Asking the child’s primary doctor and school counselors for a reference is a good start. If the child is already on a waiting list, a parent or guardian should call the provider weekly to check in and make sure the child is not forgotten. </p>
<p>The process can be discouraging and daunting, but in our current environment, which provides limited support, that’s the way it is. And without a heavy lift from parents, the child remains at great risk.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207476/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven Berkowitz is affiliated with Sensye, inc. I am a consultant to Senseye, Inc. a startup developing a device to make objective psychiatric diagnoses</span></em></p>Millions of young people in the US are suffering, whether from abuse at home, pressure from social media or exposure to violence. But navigating the mental health care system can be disheartening.Steven Berkowitz, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2053042023-06-20T20:13:34Z2023-06-20T20:13:34ZIs it anxiety or ADHD, or both? How to tell the difference and why it matters<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531037/original/file-20230608-13385-suqccx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5593%2C3717&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-stressed-woman-8810553/">Pexels/Los Muertos Crew</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“Cassie” is an anxious adult. She stresses and puts off tasks that should be simple. Seeing others succeed makes her feel inadequate. It’s easier to avoid challenges than risk failing again. She has taken anxiety medication but it didn’t help much.</p>
<p>This hypothetical example illustrates a situation many people have faced. Social media abounds with stories of people who have, without success, taken medication for anxiety and are now wondering about possible undiagnosed ADHD. </p>
<p>So, how can you tell if it’s anxiety or ADHD, or both? And why does it matter?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531039/original/file-20230608-27-r1mlll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Both anxiety and depression can mimic ADHD.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/upset-black-woman-on-bed-in-house-5700165/">Pexels/Alex Green</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/myths-and-stigma-about-adhd-contribute-to-poorer-mental-health-for-those-affected-161591">Myths and stigma about ADHD contribute to poorer mental health for those affected</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>ADHD and anxiety can go hand-in-hand</h2>
<p>Anxiety and depression can mimic ADHD. Either can be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22498754/">associated</a> with lack of motivation and difficulty focusing the attention. </p>
<p>On the other hand, a pattern of being late, missing deadlines and forgetting appointments due to ADHD may <em>lead</em> to anxiety and a sense of failure.</p>
<p>Anxiety and depression are both commonly associated with ADHD, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4976041/">particularly in women</a>. Anxiety tends to be more severe and persistent and with a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28830387/">younger age of onset</a> in people with ADHD.</p>
<p>Generalised anxiety features <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t15/">symptoms</a> such as frequent and excessive worry about different aspects of life (such as work, school and family). The worry can be difficult to control. Restlessness, fatigue, irritability and sleep problems are common.</p>
<p>For some, anxiety can be controlled through therapy, mindfulness techniques, a change in life or at work and/or medication.</p>
<p>For others, no amount of anxiety treatment seems to help. The problems persist. For these people, it could be worth investigating whether undiagnosed ADHD is a factor.</p>
<p>Successful treatment of co-existing ADHD may, for some, be the best way of getting relief from chronic anxiety. </p>
<h2>Could ADHD be a factor?</h2>
<p>ADHD is often subtle in girls and women, who are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20591126/">less likely</a> to show the disruptive hyperactive behaviour that draws attention to ADHD in men and boys.</p>
<p>This matters because women with ADHD have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4976041/">higher rates</a> of depression, anxiety, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22498754/">eating and sleep disorders</a>.</p>
<p>Old school reports may give telling clues, such as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Cassie spends more time socialising than working. She is capable, but is frequently distracted and is not achieving her potential.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“Cassie’s” parents may recall hearing such comments from teachers. She may remember feeling bored in class and looking out the window instead of listening and concentrating. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25998281">not all adults</a> with ADHD showed signs of it in childhood.</p>
<h2>ADHD in adulthood</h2>
<p>ADHD is generally diagnosed according to the <a href="https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596">criteria</a> of the American Psychiatric Association.</p>
<p>Problematically, these criteria require that to be diagnosed with ADHD, an adult should have experienced difficulties before the age of 12. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25998281">Studies</a> have identified ADHD in adults who didn’t show evidence of it when previously assessed in childhood.</p>
<p>And ADHD is generally assessed in adults as if it were a continuation of the childhood condition. The diagnostic criteria – such as interrupting, fidgeting, not completing tasks, losing things, forgetting things – are derived from observations of children.</p>
<p>When applied to adults, these criteria still relate to behaviour seen from the outside by an observer. They miss the depth and insight an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36981985/">adult can provide</a> about their inner world and mind.</p>
<p>A woman with no history of ADHD-related problems in childhood and no overt signs of restlessness or hyperactivity may have had her ADHD missed, particularly if she’s developed coping skills to seemingly stay on track. </p>
<p>She may feel <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33769111/">stigmatised</a> by those who believe ADHD is being self-diagnosed in treatment-seeking adults who are over-influenced by social media.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531058/original/file-20230609-29-ixpw6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Only consider a diagnosis of ADHD if you’re facing significant difficulties in life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/young-annoyed-female-freelancer-using-laptop-at-home-3808008/">Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>If I suspect ADHD, what now?</h2>
<p>If you suspect ADHD but are able to get on fine in life, you probably don’t need a diagnosis. You should only consider a diagnosis of ADHD if you’re facing <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2021/march/recognising-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disord/">significant difficulties</a>. </p>
<p>This could <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2021/march/recognising-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disord/">mean</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20591126/">disorganisation, inefficiency, difficulty with relationships</a> at work or in the family, or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8552915/">depression</a> or anxiety so severe it affects your ability to function. </p>
<p>To be assessed for ADHD, you’ll need a GP referral to a psychiatrist. However, many people who outwardly appear to be coping well may find it difficult to convince a GP an assessment is necessary. </p>
<p>You could bring copies of school reports if they suggest ADHD. <a href="https://novopsych.com.au/assessments/diagnosis/adult-adhd-self-report-scale-asrs/">Checklists</a> with ADHD criteria can help, but <a href="https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au">cannot</a> reliably either diagnose or exclude ADHD.</p>
<p>Clear descriptions of difficulties you experience when attempting mentally demanding task can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10049217/">help</a>.</p>
<p>These may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10049217/">include</a> repeated lapses in attention, or having to multitask to provide sufficient stimulation to keep working. </p>
<p>You might detail, for example, the average number of minutes per hour of your working day you are actually working productively or how long you can focus on a hard task before losing concentration. How often do you get distracted? How long does it take to get back on task? What strategies have you tried?</p>
<p>An ADHD diagnosis can be a relief for some, who may find treatment helps alleviate problems they’d previously blamed on anxiety. It can also provide an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22498754/">explanation</a> for past difficulties attributed to personal inadequacy.</p>
<p>ADHD <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22498754/">treatments</a> can include medication, learning more about it, developing new strategies, counselling and having an ADHD coach.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/adhd-claims-were-diagnosing-immature-behaviour-make-it-worse-for-those-affected-72180">ADHD: claims we're diagnosing immature behaviour make it worse for those affected</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205304/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison Poulton is affiliated with the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA). Dr Poulton discloses personal fees and non-financial support from Shire/Takeda, and royalties from Disruptive Publishing for her book: ADHD Made Simple.</span></em></p>For some people, successful treatment of co-existing ADHD may be the best way of getting relief from chronic anxiety.Alison Poulton, Senior Lecturer, Brain Mind Centre Nepean, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2000522023-02-23T13:17:13Z2023-02-23T13:17:13ZHow to help teen girls’ mental health struggles – 6 research-based strategies for parents, teachers and friends<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511459/original/file-20230221-22-bwnz8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6038%2C4019&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Social media can sometimes damage the self-esteem of teen girls.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/bad-news-over-the-phone-royalty-free-image/614833928?phrase=teenage%2Bgirl%2Bdepressed">stock-eye/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s a well-established fact that children’s and teens’ mental health <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F20503121221086712">took a hit during the pandemic</a>. But new research suggests that teen girls in particular are suffering in unprecedented ways.</p>
<p>A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was published in early February 2023 found that, in 2021, 57% of high school girls reported experiencing “persistent feelings of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_Data-Summary-Trends_Report2023_508.pdf">sadness or hopelessness in the past year</a>,” <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/13/teen-girls-sadness-violence-cdc-report">up from 36% in 2011</a>. That’s nearly twice as high as the 29% of males who reported having those feelings in 2021.</p>
<p>What’s worse, 30% of the girls surveyed reported seriously considering suicide and 13% attempted suicide one or more times in 2021. That is beyond shocking. It’s appalling.</p>
<p>We are a <a href="https://www.marccenter.org">research team</a> that studies children and their <a href="https://www.marccenter.org/research-resources">social and emotional development</a>, and during the pandemic we’ve been specifically focused on mental health in children and adolescents. Since 2020, we’ve seen more changes in girls, overall, including increases in depression and thoughts of suicide. </p>
<p>In our view, a number of key factors have converged to create this mental health crisis in teen girls.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5q7BwQeOZsU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The stress experienced by teens is unique and significant.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A perfect storm of factors</h2>
<p>Previous CDC research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nssp/partners/Understanding-the-impact.html">disproportionately affected girls</a>. And in a 2021 study that our team conducted with 240 teens, 70% of girls said that they “very much” <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric13030064">missed seeing people</a> during the pandemic, compared with only 28% of boys reporting that sentiment. </p>
<p>A second factor is social media, which can be a <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/prin/csj/2018/00000052/00000004/art00009">wonderful source of support</a> but also, at times, a crushing blow to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101304">self-esteem and psychological well-being of girls</a>. </p>
<p>Finally, we think that all young people are struggling with issues like climate change and social upheaval. These aren’t just abstractions for many boys and girls: They are their future. Children and teens are usually neither <a href="http://www.ourenergypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/American-Teens-Knowledge-of-Climate-Change.pdf">indifferent to nor unaware of political realities</a>. </p>
<p>So how can parents, teachers and friends help girls through this crisis? </p>
<p>Here are six strategies that research shows can work.</p>
<h2>1. More emphasis on social support</h2>
<p>Social and emotional connectivity between humans is likely one of the most potent weapons we have against significant stress and sadness. Studies have found strong links between a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.03.001">lack of parental and peer support</a> and depression during adolescence. Support from friends can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9844-7">help mitigate the link</a> between extreme adolescent anxiety and suicidal thoughts. In one study of teens, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.2000.0353">social support was linked to greater resilience</a> – such as being better able to withstand certain types of social cruelty like bullying. </p>
<h2>2. Supporting one another instead of competing</h2>
<p>During the 1970s and 1980s, competition between women was seen as something that held women back. Unfortunately, this message seems to have been lost in the <a href="https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/">tsunami of media coverage</a> about bodies, looks and social achievement. Research has found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.09.011">social media encourages competition between girls</a>, particularly around their physical appearance. </p>
<p>Teaching girls at young ages to be cheerleaders for one another – and modeling that behavior as grownups – can help ease the sense of competition that today’s teens are facing.</p>
<h2>3. Showcasing achievements</h2>
<p>Thinking about your own appearance is natural and understandable. But an overemphasis on what you look like is clearly not healthy, and it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00265.x">strongly associated with depression and anxiety</a>, especially in women. </p>
<p>Adults can play a key role in encouraging girls to value other qualities, such as their artistic abilities or intelligence. Childhood can be a canvas for children to discover where their talents lie, which can be a source <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21066">of great satisfaction in life</a>.</p>
<p>One way that adults can help is simply by acknowledging and celebrating those qualities. For instance, at the <a href="https://www.marccenter.org/">Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center</a>, an organization we direct and manage that is focused on prevention of bullying and cyberbullying, staff members post female achievements – be they intellectual, artistic, scientific, athletic or literary – on social media channels every Friday, using the hashtag #FridaysForFemales. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g-aBn7SDHeA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">This young woman once felt sad, anxious and trapped.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. Empowering women</h2>
<p>Girls look to grown women for examples of how they can behave and what they can do. You may not be the chief executive officer of a huge corporation, but maybe you are a wonderful teacher, or maybe you run a small business that provides an important product or service. Modeling pro-women attitudes means valuing <a href="https://globalvolunteers.org/global-role-of-women/">all of the roles</a> that people play in a society.</p>
<p>In addition, teaching the history behind women’s movements and other important steps toward equality, such as the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-amendment">women’s right to vote</a>, is key to empowering girls to value themselves and their roles. Women played central roles in <a href="https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/women-wwii">war efforts during World War II</a>. Women have led <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/sites/default/files/images/black_women_civil_rights_movement_5.pdf">social movements and fought for people’s rights</a>. And women have been <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1903/marie-curie/biographical/">renowned scientists</a>, <a href="https://oxfordsummercourses.com/articles/famous-female-writers-in-history/">writers</a>, <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/g7916/best-female-artists/">artists</a> and experts in virtually every other profession you can name.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black and white image of Marie Curie sitting in front of a work table watching as her daughter adjusts an instrument." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=850&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=850&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=850&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1068&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1068&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511780/original/file-20230222-20-xuao0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1068&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marie Curie, seated, was a Polish-born physicist and pioneer in radioactivity. Together with her husband she won a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903. Her daughter, Irene, standing in photo, won a joint Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1935.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/marie-curie-and-her-daughter-irene-1925-mc-polish-born-news-photo/171191031?phrase=marie%20curie&adppopup=true">Culture Club/Hulton Archive via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>5. An honest look at social media</h2>
<p>Social media represents a unique form of human interaction that has taken on an outsize role in the lives of teens. This is magnified for teenage girls, for whom every social media interaction may feel <a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119886025">consequential and potentially cataclysmic</a>.</p>
<p>Interacting in a fun and positive way with peers on social media platforms can be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.15804/tner.2016.46.4.01">positive and affirming experience</a>. On the other hand, seeing the things that others post, and comparing it with your own stuff, can make people of any age feel anxious about how they’re appearing, and whether they’re being socially included or excluded. This anxiety applies to both boys and girls, but the potential for emotional distress <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.0079">seems to be higher for girls</a>. </p>
<p>Awareness of how social media has the capacity to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.09.001">influence your feelings and mental health</a> seems to help people keep some distance from their interactions on social media. Adults can help girls by discussing with them how social media influences their feelings, their self-perception and even their body image. </p>
<h2>6. Teaching kids to recognize their feelings</h2>
<p>Learning to recognize and label feelings doesn’t come automatically for many people. The good news, though, is that kids can learn ways to help themselves when they’re experiencing <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9103064">anxiety or depression</a>. Kids can learn to appreciate how hugging their dog, playing a board game, or talking with their parent(s) can help reduce anxiety, once they understand the feelings.</p>
<p>We think it’s worth noting that everything discussed here can also be helpful for boys, who are by no means <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-childrens-mental-health">immune to mental health problems</a>. Encouraging achievement recognition, understanding how moods can be influenced by social media, and increasing support for both boys and girls is a positive step as we move toward a post-pandemic world.</p>
<p><em>This article has been updated to correct Marie Curie’s place of birth.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200052/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The mental health of teenagers has grown far worse over the last decade. But a new report shows that, compared with boys, teen girls are disproportionately experiencing sadness and hopelessness.Elizabeth Englander, Professor of Psychology, Bridgewater State UniversityMeghan K. McCoy, Adjunct Faculty in Psychology and Childhood Studies, Bridgewater State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976762023-02-20T13:20:19Z2023-02-20T13:20:19ZResearch on teen social media use has a racial bias – studies of white kids are widely taken to be universal<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510724/original/file-20230216-26-kwzkku.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C23%2C5123%2C3382&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">White teens and teens of color do not have identical online experiences.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenagers-laying-on-floor-using-technology-royalty-free-image/543195707">JGI/Jamie Grill/Tetra images via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most research on teen social media use has been conducted on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813520477">white teens</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650208321782">and college students</a>. As a result, it is unclear to what extent overlooked populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities and other vulnerable adolescent populations may be using social media in different ways.</p>
<p>You may have read about research on teen social media use in newspapers or other media outlets, but you might not be aware of the limitations of that research. Rarely do press reports mention the details of the sample populations studied. Instead, they generalize research that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35665564/">is often based largely on white teens</a> to all youths.</p>
<p>What is missing, then, especially when it comes to teens of color? We are a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZuHbDP0AAAAJ&hl=en">senior research scientist</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PaaNZUwAAAAJ&hl=en">doctoral student</a> who study the benefits and challenges of <a href="https://www.wcwonline.org/Youth-Media-Wellbeing-Research-Lab/youth-media-wellbeing-research-lab">teen social technology and digital media use</a>. We and our colleague <a href="https://wellesley.academia.edu/RachelHodes">Rachel Hodes</a> recently published a <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/handbook-of-adolescent-digital-media-use-and-mental-health/marginalized-and-understudied-populations-using-digital-media/11A8E212846491FFEA02A32EAFDC401E">book chapter</a> on how marginalized and understudied populations use social media. </p>
<p>We found that commonly accepted portrayals of teens online distort or obscure the experiences of teens of color. These teens often have different online experiences, face different harms and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108976237.011">may be using social media to share and present</a> underrepresented aspects of themselves and their experiences.</p>
<h2>Particular harms</h2>
<p>On the negative side, teens who are members of racial and ethnic minorities face discrimination online, including racial slurs or jokes, negative stereotyping, body shaming and even threats of harm. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13350">first study of its kind</a> to investigate the mental health implications of online discrimination for Black and <a href="https://theconversation.com/stop-using-latinx-if-you-really-want-to-be-inclusive-189358">Latino</a> sixth through 12th graders over time found that these groups had increased risk of depression and anxiety. </p>
<p>In our work at the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, we demonstrated that Black and Latino fifth through ninth graders <a href="https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/lsoe/sites/isprc/Diversity%20Challenge/DC%20Presenter%20Program%20as%20of%209_25_20.pdf">adopt social media at a younger age</a> than their white peers, further exposing them to behavioral health difficulties like sleep disruption. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="an Asian teenage girl wearing headphones in a dark room types on a laptop keyboard" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Asian American teens often face racism and bullying online.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/asian-young-woman-playing-online-games-on-laptop-royalty-free-image/1249868515">staticnak1983/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite having the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2001/12/12/asian-americans-and-the-internet/">highest reported access</a> to the internet and social media, Asian American youths still remain underrepresented in studies on digital media and well-being. Asian Americans in later adolescence and early adulthood – 18- to 24-year-olds – are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000109">more likely to be cyberbullied</a> than their white or Latino counterparts. </p>
<p>They are also the least likely to report negative experiences on social media in order to avoid embarrassment and maintain a positive image to the outside world. The global pandemic <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00039">triggered a rapid resurgence</a> of hate toward and racial profiling of Asian American communities, which has driven an increase in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000275">discrimination against Asian Americans</a>, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-03-asian-americans-biggest-incidents-online.html">including online</a>.</p>
<h2>Community and coping</h2>
<p>But there is also a growing body of research on the positive effects on youths of color of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120928488">social media that’s designed to be inclusive</a>. Our lab demonstrated that Black and Latino youths ages 11 to 15 were more likely than white and Asian adolescents to <a href="https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/lsoe/sites/isprc/Diversity%20Challenge/DC%20Presenter%20Program%20as%20of%209_25_20.pdf">join online groups that made them feel less lonely and isolated</a>. These online communities included group chats on Snapchat, House Party, WhatsApp, Discord, anime fanfiction sites and sports and hobby-related groups. </p>
<p>There were differences between the Black and Latino youths we studied. Black adolescents preferred YouTube video content about relationships or friendships, whereas Latino youths were more likely to seek ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Latino youths were also more likely to use social media to stay in touch with relatives. In general, <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">having a sense of belonging on social media</a> has profound effects for young people of color.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a black teenage boy looks at a smart phone he's holding in both hands" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black teens often seek video content about relationships.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/low-angle-view-of-serious-teenage-boy-using-mobile-royalty-free-image/1136196122">Maskot via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is limited research that delves into the opportunities and experiences of Asian American and Indigenous adolescents as they explore racial and ethnic identity, especially during early (ages 10 to 13) and midadolescence (ages 11 to 17), and the role that social media plays in this process. </p>
<p>In a study of older adolescents and young adults (ages 18 to 25), Asian Americans reported using social media to seek social support during difficult times <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000109">in more private online channels</a>, which could be a way of avoiding the stigma around mental illness that persists in many Asian cultures. Our current <a href="https://www.thebobaproject.com/">NIH collaboration</a> with Brigham and Women’s Hospital is in the early stages of investigating how Chinese American parents and peers discuss racism and discrimination in online and offline contexts. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120948223">Recent research</a> conducted in response to the rise in racism aimed at Asian Americans has found camaraderie and resistance to discrimination in online spaces. This is similar to what has been seen on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476413480247">Black Twitter</a>. While this effect has yet to be documented in adolescents, it is another example of the power of collective racial and ethnic identity in an online community. </p>
<h2>Recognizing differences</h2>
<p>Across all marginalized populations there are untapped opportunities for research and design of social media. Offline risk factors such as bullying, victimization and behavioral problems spill into online spaces, heightening the risk of negative experiences on social media. We believe that researchers and technology developers can avoid amplifying online risks associated with different racial and ethnic identities. </p>
<p>At the same time, we also believe that researchers can focus on positive minority youth development on social media. Being a member of a group that is overlooked or faces discrimination can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.06.022">galvanize people and give them a sense of purpose</a>. They can tackle a mutual goal of community building and authenticity, which, in turn, may promote healthy youth development.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197676/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linda Charmaraman receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, Morningstar Family Foundation, and Boston Children's Hospital Digital Wellness Lab. Occasionally, she is a consulting expert with the Jed Foundation and Meta's Wellbeing Creator Collective.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>J. Maya Hernandez, Ph.D. does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Black, Latino, Asian and Indigenous teens have different online experiences – both positive and negative – than their white peers. These differences are overlooked when research focuses on white kids.Linda Charmaraman, Director of Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, Wellesley CollegeJ. Maya Hernandez, Ph.D., Ph.D. Candidate in Social Ecology, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1929272022-12-01T13:41:18Z2022-12-01T13:41:18ZHow parents can play a key role in the prevention and treatment of teen mental health problems<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494260/original/file-20221108-24-2nnrfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C12%2C4015%2C2653&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Early detection is key to treating depression in teenagers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sad-young-girl-royalty-free-image/888960804?phrase=teen%2Bdepression">dragana991/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than 44% of teens reported <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/su/su7103a3.htm">persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness</a> in the first half of 2021, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The early 2022 report, which was based on an online survey, also found that nearly 20% had seriously considered suicide, and 9% attempted suicide. </p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic is a likely contributor to these startling figures, but rates of teen mental illness have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.04.033">rising over the past decade</a>. </p>
<p>One crucial factor that has received little attention in supporting teen mental health is the role that parents can play.</p>
<p>This is surprising, since research has clearly established that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10567-015-0182-x">participation by a caregiver</a> in their child’s mental health treatment is directly related to a successful outcome. A key reason for this is that parents generally interact with their teen on a daily basis and can model and cultivate coping skills. </p>
<p>Yet, for mental health professionals, it can be challenging to integrate parents into teens’ treatment when there are discrepancies between the perspectives, goals and expectations of teens and parents. In addition,
<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2000/08/minors-and-right-consent-health-care">consent and privacy</a> laws sometimes limit providers’ abilities to disclose key details about a teen’s mental health to parents. </p>
<p>As researchers <a href="https://www.solutionsnetwork.psu.edu/t32-grant/fellows">studying childhood trauma</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wcuxj5gAAAAJ&hl=en">and adolescent development</a>, we see parents and caregivers as a critical link in addressing the urgent mental health crisis among teens. </p>
<h2>The teenage years can be brutal</h2>
<p>Parents often <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2022/10/18/teen-years-dread-parenting/">dread the teenage years</a>, anticipating mood swings, risk-taking behaviors and endless arguments. Some of this is developmentally normal: Teens are developing their identities, testing limits and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12278">asserting their autonomy</a>. These combined factors can lead to hostility and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12278">a lower-quality</a> parent-teen relationship. </p>
<p>Physically, <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-start-times-and-screen-time-late-in-the-evening-exacerbate-sleep-deprivation-in-us-teenagers-179178">teens are sleep-deprived</a>, in part due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1697">overly early</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/schools-start-too-early.html">school start times</a> and hormonal changes associated with puberty. As a result, teens can be irritable and sensitive to stressors. They also haven’t developed the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721413480170">self-control to manage their reactions</a>. </p>
<p>And it’s important to note that half of all mental illness emerges <a href="https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-conditions">by age 14 and 75% by age 24</a>, making adolescence a <a href="https://theconversation.com/anxiety-detection-and-treatment-in-early-childhood-can-lower-risk-for-long-term-mental-health-issues-an-expert-panel-now-recommends-screening-starting-at-age-8-192380">highly sensitive period for the prevention</a> and treatment of mental health problems.</p>
<h2>Signs and symptoms of a mental health concern</h2>
<p>Mental health problems in teens can sometimes take unexpected forms. Depression and anxiety can manifest as irritability and noncompliance, which parents may reasonably view as disrespect and laziness. Understanding what is beneath those behaviors is challenging. Teens are quite secretive, so they may not disclose the extent of their struggles. </p>
<p>Traumatic experiences like <a href="https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mental-health-impact-bullying-kids-and-teens">bullying</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastfact.html">dating violence</a> and <a href="https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications/2019-02/Teenagers_508.pdf">sexual harassment and assault</a> are unfortunately too common in adolescence and can cause drastic changes in behavior and affect.</p>
<p>Although anxiety is a normal emotional response at any age, about a third of adolescents <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder#part_155096">have some type of anxiety disorder</a>, and about 10% experience severe impairment as a result. Teens struggling with chronic anxiety may experience agitation or irritability, issues with sleep, perfectionist tendencies, or may try to avoid stressful things altogether. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wr4N-SdekqY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Keeping a journal, exercising regularly and maintaining a sleep routine are three ways for teens to cope with stress.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Among teens, <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression">17% struggle with depression</a>. Depression generally involves a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, but it is more than feeling blue. For teens, symptoms of depression may look like withdrawing from family or social activities, shutting down during conversations or conflict, lethargy, difficulty concentrating, hopelessness about the future or negative feelings of self-worth. </p>
<p>Depression can also be associated with <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-teens-engage-in-self-harm-clinical-psychologists-explain-how-to-help-teens-reduce-their-emotional-distress-181419">self-harm</a> and suicide.</p>
<p>In determining whether a teen is experiencing a mental illness, parents should consider how behaviors are affecting their teens’ everyday lives and plans for the future. Those who are falling behind in school, damaging important relationships or engaging in high-risk behaviors may be most likely to be experiencing a mental health issue – as opposed to typical teenage challenges. </p>
<h2>A shortage of mental health care</h2>
<p>Despite the growing need for mental health care, the U.S. has <a href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Press/Press_Releases/2018/Severe_Shortage_of_Child_and_Adolescent_Psychiatrists_Illustrated_in_AAACP_Workforce_maps.aspx">a dire shortage of professionals</a> to meet the demand. Insurance companies create barriers to accessing mental health care by restricting the numbers of <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104597.pdf">in-network providers</a> and approved sessions. As a result, many providers prioritize patients who will <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/the-struggle-of-seeking-therapy-while-poor/484970/">pay out of pocket</a>. </p>
<p>Parents and teens may wait months for an appointment, and the quality and effectiveness of the services they receive are highly variable. All the while, symptoms may worsen, straining the family and compromising teens’ social and academic opportunities.</p>
<h2>The powerful role parents can play</h2>
<p>This is where parents come in, since they can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00389.x">serve as role models</a> for teens’ coping and emotional development. </p>
<p>While good sleep, consistent exercise and quality meals can often be the first line of defense in preventing and managing symptoms of mental health problems, there are several behavioral strategies for parenting struggling teens. Indeed, foster parents care for children with complex histories of trauma, and many of the <a href="https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/together-facing-the-challenge/detailed">behavior management strategies</a> taught to foster parents may be useful for traditional family settings as well. </p>
<p>When teens are unkind or disrespectful, parents may take it personally. But parents who are aware of and able to manage their own triggers can react calmly to challenging behavior, creating opportunities for effective communication with their teen. </p>
<p>Building and maintaining the parent-teen connection, such as by watching a TV show together or other low-pressure opportunities to be together, is key. These experiences <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2014.05.004">create safe spaces and opportunities for teens</a> to communicate about difficult emotions or situations. Parents who assist teens in recognizing, talking about and dealing with difficult thoughts and feelings help them to understand how their thoughts and feelings can affect their behavior. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OVE_JmOK4hs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Set up a behavior contract with your teen.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Parents can also help their teens manage negative emotions by <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/self-esteem.html">reinforcing their self-esteem</a> and strengths and encouraging self-efficacy. Parents who offer praise to their teens who are working hard to overcome challenges – as opposed to focusing solely on the outcome – can help teens see their worth beyond their accomplishments. </p>
<p>At the same time, teens require boundaries that allow them to build self-reliance, exercise independence and practice compromise in certain situations. Behavior contracts – in which teens and their parents agree to certain conditions in writing – can provide a structured way to establish shared expectations. </p>
<p>When consequences are necessary, natural consequences allow teens <a href="https://sites.duke.edu/tftc/files/2020/06/March-2020-DB-TH-article.pdf">to learn without parental intervention</a>. For example, if a teen stays up late the night before a big softball game, their coach may bench them for playing poorly. Parents can help teens to connect the frustration and disappointment they experience to their choices regarding sleep, which can be more helpful for their future decision-making than getting into an argument with a parent about their decision or receiving a parent-imposed consequence, such as removing phone privileges. </p>
<p>When natural consequences are not an option, discipline should be specific, time-limited and focused on a specific outcome, such as not allowing preferred activities until homework and chores are complete.</p>
<p>It is also important that parents <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/promoting-empathy-your-teen/201707/how-avoid-power-struggles-your-teen">avoid power struggles</a> with their teens by modeling respectful communication without trying to manage the teen’s reaction or perspective. Teens are unlikely to admit to being wrong – particularly in a heated moment – and if the point is made, there is rarely a benefit to insisting upon a particular reaction such as a forced apology.</p>
<p>Parents can best support their teens by maintaining connection alongside enforcing structure and discipline. While challenging behaviors can be the status quo of adolescence, parents should be on the lookout for signs that might reflect a pervasive mental health issue, since early detection and treatment is crucial.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192927/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Nearly 1 in 5 US teenagers battle depression. But parents can help by communicating openly, creating a behavior contract and finding low-pressure opportunities to interact with their teen.Toria Herd, Postdoctoral Researcher in Psychology, Penn StateSarah A. Font, Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Policy, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1814192022-04-28T15:50:24Z2022-04-28T15:50:24ZWhy do teens engage in self-harm? Clinical psychologists explain how to help teens reduce their emotional distress<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459399/original/file-20220425-22-7zvx20.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6720%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Nearly 1 in 5 young people worldwide intentionally injure themselves every year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sadness-teenage-girls-sitting-in-tunnel-royalty-free-image/1309858578?adppopup=true">xijian/E! via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Emotions are tricky things. They allow for humans to fall in love, wage war and, as it turns out, engage in self-harm. </p>
<p>It is hard to imagine an era in which young adults were more distressed than today. Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicates that more than 40% of high school students <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html">reported they felt</a> persistently sad or hopeless over the past year. In the same survey, about 20% reported that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/03/31/student-mental-health-decline-cdc/">they seriously considered suicide</a>. Worldwide, approximately 17% of youths ages 12-18 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.018">intentionally injure themselves each year</a>.</p>
<p>By all accounts, young people are experiencing a seemingly <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/health/mental-health-crisis-teens.html">unprecedented level of emotional distress</a>. </p>
<p>Humans tend to behave in a way to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104904">seek pleasure and avoid pain</a>. Why then would some intentionally hurt themselves? In a new meta-analysis, a summary of research studies that we and our colleagues published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, we reported that people felt better <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01340-8">immediately after they self-injured or thought about suicide</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SeU_WBkAAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1">We are a doctoral candidate</a> in clinical psychology at the University of Washington, researching why youths and young adults self-injure, and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ifgFwvcAAAAJ">a clinical psychologist</a> studying young adult substance use. Our research suggests that this reduction in emotional distress following acts of self-harm and suicidal thoughts likely maintains these types of thoughts and behaviors. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZFl3rlNz2mw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Research shows that people often cut as a way to deal with strong emotions.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The challenges with studying self-harm</h2>
<p>In his book “<a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/about-behaviorism/oclc/805018">About Behaviorism</a>,” the preeminent psychologist <a href="https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/b-f-skinner">B.F. Skinner</a> coined the term “reinforcement” to explain why behaviors are more likely to occur if that same behavior previously resulted in a desired outcome. Over the past 20 years, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.72.5.885">leading theories have hypothesized</a> that self-injury operated in the same manner. That is, if someone experienced relief from emotional suffering after they injured themselves, they would be more likely to repeat the behavior in the future. </p>
<p>Self-injury is difficult to research. Until the last decade, most researchers asked people to reflect on what they were thinking or feeling when they were self-injuring, but those episodes could have been months or even years ago. We humans, though, are remarkably bad at accurately reporting on our own behaviors, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.3563494">especially when we try to explain why things happened</a>. It’s especially challenging for researchers to get a clear timeline of events, which makes it difficult to pinpoint how someone was feeling immediately before or after they self-injured. </p>
<p>Recently, researchers have tried to fill those gaps by making use of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.07.026">ubiquity of cellphones</a>. In those studies researchers asked participants to complete brief surveys about how they’re feeling multiple times per day over their cellphones as they go about living their lives. </p>
<p>Our meta-analysis <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01340-8">analyzed 38 such survey-based studies</a>, with data contributed from researchers around the U.S. and Europe, involving 1,644 participants. In all the studies, participants rated the intensity of their emotions and indicated whether they had thought about self-injury in the past few hours. </p>
<p>We found that the participants reported higher levels of distress right before they self-harmed or thought about suicide, and reported significantly reduced levels of distress immediately following. Together, this suggests that relief from distressing emotion acts as a powerful reinforcer, likely increasing the probability that people continue to experience self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. It also implies that treatments should focus on how to help people replace self-injury with alternative ways of relieving stress. </p>
<p>Since roughly 40% of people who attempt suicide <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/health/suicide-attempts-us.html">do not receive mental health services</a>, we think it is important to share strategies for helping individuals at risk of self-harm talk about their emotions and to offer resources for finding professional help. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D_z2rfL1BC0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Family and the broader community play a role in reducing suicide risk.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Strategies for discussing self-harm</h2>
<p>Teens who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12841">self-injure and/or think about suicide are a heterogenous group</a> – people are unique, after all. However, our finding suggests that self-harm serves an important function for youth: to help regulate emotions. </p>
<p>It is essential that teens experiencing self-injurious thoughts and behaviors <a href="https://doi.org/doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4358">find adults and/or peers</a> to whom they feel connected. The previously mentioned CDC survey showed that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html">youths who felt connected</a> were much less likely to contemplate or attempt suicide than those who did not feel connected. Thus, ensuring that teens feel cared about and supported or that they “belong” at home and school may be one way to protect against self-injury.</p>
<p>We’ve found in our clinical work with youths who self-injure that it’s important to balance validating their emotions – in other words, acknowledging and accurately understanding their feelings – while not responding to self-injury in ways likely to inadvertently reinforce it. If, for example, teens felt as if the only way they received support or validation were to self-harm, then it would be important to ensure that validation is provided when they are not self-harming. </p>
<p><strong>Here are some key ways to validate and show support:</strong></p>
<p>– Pay attention: We all know what it feels like to speak with someone who is not paying attention or is looking at their phone. Make eye contact and show you’re interested in what the person is feeling. </p>
<p>– Reflect back: Summarize what the person is saying to demonstrate that you are listening and taking in the information. You could say something like, “Let me make sure I understand …” and then paraphrase what you’re hearing.</p>
<p>– Try to read their thoughts: Imagine yourself in the person’s shoes or guess what they may be feeling, even if they haven’t said it directly. You could say something like, “I imagine you must be feeling like nobody understands what you’re going through.” If the teen says you’re wrong, give up on being right and try again later. </p>
<p>– Validate based on prior events: Show that you understand how the feelings make sense given what you know about the person. For example, you could ask, “Are there times when you’ve had experiences similar to now?” You could say something like, “I could totally see how you would feel afraid about failing this test, since you studied hard for the last one but didn’t do as well as you wanted.” </p>
<p>– Acknowledge how the feelings make sense in the present: Would other people in that exact same situation have the same feelings? For example, “Anyone would feel afraid.” This communicates to the other person that there isn’t anything wrong with the way they’re thinking and feeling. You won’t be able to validate everything; for instance, you shouldn’t validate that self-injuring is an effective response to distress. However, you can validate that self-injuring is understandable because it can provide temporary emotional relief even if it causes problems in the long run.</p>
<p>– Be “radically genuine”: Be authentic and try to show the other person you respect them and care about them. Treat them as a person of equal status who has important expertise about how to help solve the problem of their self-harm.</p>
<h2>Extending a helping hand</h2>
<p>It’s important for people to know that help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) is free for anyone experiencing emotional distress. <a href="https://nowmattersnow.org/">Now Matters Now</a> is another free resource that offers coping strategies to manage self-harm and suicidal thoughts from individuals with lived experience. </p>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Prior research has shown that certain behavioral interventions, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-0869">cognitive behavioral therapy</a> – an approach that focuses on the interplay among thoughts, emotions and behaviors – or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2019.1591281">dialectical behavioral therapy</a> – a comprehensive treatment package that teaches mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal coping skills – are effective at reducing self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Both treatments are designed to provide individuals with skills for recognizing their emotions as well as changing their feelings without self-injuring. </p>
<p><a href="https://services.abct.org/i4a/memberDirectory/index.cfm?directory_id=3&pageID=3282">Find a cognitive behavioral therapist</a></p>
<p><a href="https://behavioraltech.org/resources/find-a-therapist-app/">Find a therapist who provides dialectical behavioral therapy</a>, ideally a therapist who has been certified by the <a href="https://dbt-lbc.org/index.php?page=101163">DBT-Linehan Board of Certification</a> who has demonstrated the knowledge and ability to deliver DBT with adherence to the manual.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181419/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Kuehn received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin King receives funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism</span></em></p>New research shows that many young people report a sense of temporary relief following episodes of self-harm. But there are clear ways to help teens replace injurious behaviors with healthy ones.Kevin Kuehn, PhD Student in Clinical Psychology, University of WashingtonKevin King, Professor of Psychology, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1316052020-02-12T13:15:55Z2020-02-12T13:15:55ZSchools should heed calls to do lockdown drills without traumatizing kids instead of abolishing them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314816/original/file-20200211-146674-1ghrxxh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Do kids need to practice how to do this?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/kindergarten-teacher-closes-the-windows-as-her-students-news-photo/1802127?adppopup=true">Phil Mislinski/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an advocacy group, has joined with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Educators Association, the nation’s two biggest teachers unions, to produce a report on <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/school-safety-drills/">lockdown drills</a> in schools. The report calls for drastic changes in how these drills are conducted today. They say that drills <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/11/804468827/2-big-teachers-unions-call-for-rethinking-student-involvement-in-lockdown-drills">shouldn’t be a surprise, involve realistic details or include kids</a>.</p>
<p>These concerns reflect questions I consider in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NPCGC0YAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">my research about the impact of lockdown drills</a>: Is it possible to be prepared without being scared? And do kids need this training or just teachers and other school staff?</p>
<p>I agree with some of the teachers’ and Everytown’s concerns, but I don’t agree that kids shouldn’t participate in drills.</p>
<h2>Lockdown drill excesses</h2>
<p>There’s been no shortage of troubling headlines about lockdown drills and similar practices in recent years.</p>
<p>Teachers in <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/21/active-shooter-training-for-schools-teachers-shot-with-plastic-pellets/3231103002/">Monticello, Indiana</a>, in March 2019, were hurt when they got shot in the back with plastic pellets.</p>
<p>Students in <a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/shotgun-blanks-shot-inside-school-today-part-drill/YzcCV3bXeJA3tM35oZyIHL/">Franklin, Ohio</a>, were exposed to sounds of simulated gunfire.</p>
<p>Sometimes, role-playing kids and teens, covered in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47711020">fake blood</a>, are scattered throughout their schools – screaming.</p>
<p><iframe id="DDwRu" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/DDwRu/4/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Holding emergency drills</h2>
<p>Today, more than <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019047">95% of public schools</a> conduct lockdown drills. They became considerably more commonplace and focused on active attacker situations after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, in which 12 students and a teacher were murdered. </p>
<p>But U.S. schools have held emergency preparedness drills for decades.</p>
<p>In the 1950s, students <a href="https://www.history.com/news/duck-cover-drills-cold-war-arms-race">practiced duck-and-cover drills</a> to prepare for the atomic attacks Americans feared would occur during the Cold War.</p>
<p>Fire drills became <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/NFPA-Journal/2008/July-August-2008/Features/When-the-Angels-Came-Calling">commonplace in schools after 1958</a> – when a student at a Chicago parochial school started a fire in the building’s boiler room. The conflagration killed 93 students and two teachers.</p>
<p>Across the nation, students, faculty and staff participate in drills to prepare for <a href="https://www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon/">earthquakes</a> and <a href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/school.html">tornadoes</a> without hesitation or second thoughts. These practices have become routine.</p>
<p>So why is resistance to lockdown drills rising to the point where teachers and activists are <a href="https://www.yang2020.com/policies/end-active-shooter-drills/">calling for their abolition</a>?</p>
<h2>The importance of practicing</h2>
<p>There are two key reasons why there is such an aversion to lockdown drills. </p>
<p>The first comes from a muddling of two things that are related but not the same: <a href="https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-362.a">exercises and drills</a>. Exercises incorporate realistic sights and sounds, such as the simulated screaming and bleeding that might occur during a mass shooting.</p>
<p>Drills, on the other hand, only require practice, such as evacuating a building or locking doors and getting as many people as possible out of sight.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20190816/school-shootings-and-lockdowns-how-do-kids-cope">Nobody sets schools on fire</a> during fire drills to make them seem realistic. Instead, everyone practices how to respond so that it’s easier to do the right thing in frightening situations.</p>
<p>Exercises and drills are often talked about as if they are the same. But they are different, a point that often is lost in the call to end the practices associated with them because both are often perceived as traumatic. </p>
<h2>Three studies</h2>
<p>A second reason that lockdown drills are misunderstood is the lack of available research.</p>
<p>Anecdotes about the impact of lockdown drills are everywhere. Evidence, however, is scarce. To date, just three studies published in academic journals have examined the effects of a lockdown drill on students.</p>
<p>In 2007, psychologists <a href="https://www.moravianacademy.org/academics/upper-school/faculty--staff">Elizabeth Zhe</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=16nAfxIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Amanda Nickerson</a> found that when conducted in accordance with <a href="https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/sites/dcjs.virginia.gov/files/publications/law-enforcement/virginia-educators-drill-guide.pdf">best practices</a>, drills can increase awareness of how to respond to a situation without increasing anxiety or making people feel less safe. </p>
<p>Ten years later, researchers at Sam Houston State University, Misty Jo Dickson and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BScl0TUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">Kristina Vargo</a>, found similar results: With continued practice, kindergarten students were able to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.369">master most of the steps</a> required during lockdown drills.</p>
<p>Most recently, Nickerson, Syracuse school safety leader <a href="http://www.syracusecityschools.com/districtpage.cfm?pageid=510">Thomas Ristoff</a> and I found that participation in training and accompanying lockdown drills <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2019.1703720">makes students feel more prepared</a>. Building confidence enhances the ability to do what’s needed during an emergency, our research indicates.</p>
<p>Consistent with the calls made in the report by Everytown and the teachers unions, I believe <a href="https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/systems-level-prevention/best-practice-considerations-for-schools-in-active-shooter-and-other-armed-assailant-drills">schools should use best practices</a> when conducting lockdown drills. According to the National Association of School Psychologists and others, this doesn’t include simulation exercises that involve fake blood and screams. </p>
<p>Experts agree that participants should know that they’re experiencing a drill, rather than a real situation, to minimize the <a href="https://www.nbc12.com/story/38326397/parents-outraged-over-unannounced-active-shooter-drill/">possibility of trauma</a>. School administrators can schedule these drills in advance so they aren’t completely unexpected. Mental health professionals should help with planning. And these drills should be appropriate both for the ages involved and for special needs such as prior traumatic experiences.</p>
<p>Also, teachers and staff should always talk with students afterward to answer any questions they may have.</p>
<p>Although lockdown exercises have become more elaborate since 2007, lockdown drills have remained largely the same. </p>
<h2>Defining objectives</h2>
<p>Lockdown drills, like fire drills, should help people respond correctly in emergency situations by making them practice. Along with training, having <a href="https://emergencypreparednesspartnerships.com/emergency-drills-exercises-utilities/">clearly defined objectives</a> is critical. Students must learn what to do and why. </p>
<p>Schools typically have <a href="https://iloveuguys.org/srp.html">three clearly defined goals</a> during lockdown drills: lock doors, turn off lights and remain silent and out of view of anyone in the hallway.</p>
<p>In real life, situations that would result in a lockdown being called – such as an armed attacker on school grounds – usually <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-incidents-in-the-us-2018-041019.pdf/view">end within minutes</a>. Locking doors slows down assailants, giving first responders more time to stop them.</p>
<p>Turning lights off makes it harder for an attacker to find their targets, as does remaining out of sight and staying quiet.</p>
<p>Each emergency situation is different. Each has unique circumstances dictating the right response. This is why I believe that training is so important: It empowers students, teachers and others to make critical decisions in a crisis.</p>
<p>The nature of an active shooting means that adults can’t always make all of the decisions. In both the <a href="https://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Sandy-Hook-children-ran-to-neighbor-s-4136455.php">Sandy Hook</a> and <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-ne-full-commission-report-20181212-story.html">Parkland</a> shootings, teachers were killed, leaving rooms full of students vulnerable. Students must have the necessary skills to respond on their own. That’s why I consider calls to only train teachers and staff shortsighted.</p>
<h2>Being prepared</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students and parents gathered a year after the Parkland mass shooting at a memorial event.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Parkland-Victims-Memorial-Service/234506c717ad4b60be40583796b2330c/63/">mpi04/MediaPunch /IPX via AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/6-7-of-students-skip-school-out-of-fear-worry-over-school-shootings-is-up-yet-school-violence-is-down-what-does-this-mean">school shootings have become a matter of grave public concern</a>, public schools remain <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2018/02/26/schools-are-still-one-of-the-safest-places-for-children-researcher-says/">among the safest places</a> for children to be. <a href="https://theconversation.com/have-we-become-too-paranoid-about-mass-shootings-125364">Mass shootings at schools are rare</a>. Yet they do occur.</p>
<p>I believe kids should be prepared, but also that drills don’t have to be scary to be effective. Schools can take steps to <a href="https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/systems-level-prevention/mitigating-psychological-effects-of-lockdowns">minimize the anxiety and trauma</a> surrounding lockdown drills and still help students, rather than just their teachers, know how to respond.</p>
<p>While I don’t recommend exercises featuring plastic pellets and fake blood, the evidence available indicates that practicing what to do when an emergency arises is worthwhile.</p>
<p><em>This article incorporates material from an article published <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-lockdown-drills-do-any-good-126913">Nov. 22, 2019</a>.</em></p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jaclyn Schildkraut receives grant funding from The Syracuse City School District to support her research on lockdown drills. </span></em></p>Teachers unions and gun-control advocates who decry the use of fake blood and simulated shootings have cause for concern. But getting students ready does take training and practice.Jaclyn Schildkraut, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, State University of New York OswegoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1269132019-11-22T13:41:15Z2019-11-22T13:41:15ZDo lockdown drills do any good?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302529/original/file-20191119-111686-8hv7q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C94%2C1915%2C1118&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Drills can help people learn how to respond when an active shooter situation arises, as recently occurred in Santa Clarita, Calif.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/APTOPIX-California-High-School-Shooting/7134b4882b93422cba856da3461a7352/6/0">AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>School lockdown drills and exercises are controversial today, due in large part to some troubling examples making headlines.</p>
<p>Teachers in <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/21/active-shooter-training-for-schools-teachers-shot-with-plastic-pellets/3231103002/">Monticello, Indiana</a>, for example, were hurt when they got shot in the back with plastic pellets.</p>
<p>Students in <a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/shotgun-blanks-shot-inside-school-today-part-drill/YzcCV3bXeJA3tM35oZyIHL/">Franklin, Ohio</a>, were exposed to sounds of simulated gunfire.</p>
<p>Sometimes, role-playing kids and teens, covered in <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fake-blood-blanks-schools-stage-active-shooter-drills-n28481">fake blood</a>, are scattered throughout their schools – screaming.</p>
<p>Parents who fear that these experiences could be traumatizing their children are <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/andrew-yang-end-active-school-shooter-drills-proposal-gun-safety-mass-shooting-education-1469673">objecting and calling for schools to stop holding them</a>. Rather than reduce the harm caused during mass shootings, they say, dramatic approaches cause harm by amplifying students’ fears about the danger of being shot at school.</p>
<p>This raises a good question I seek to answer through <a href="http://www.jaclynschildkraut.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SCSD-SRP-Final-Project-Report.pdf">my research</a>: Is it possible to be prepared without being scared?</p>
<p><iframe id="DDwRu" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/DDwRu/4/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Holding emergency drills</h2>
<p>Today, more than <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019047">95% of public schools</a> conduct lockdown drills. They became considerably more commonplace and focused on active attacker situations after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, in which 12 students and a teacher were murdered. </p>
<p>But U.S. schools have held emergency preparedness drills for decades.</p>
<p>In the 1950s, they <a href="https://www.history.com/news/duck-cover-drills-cold-war-arms-race">practiced duck-and-cover drills</a> in preparedness for the atomic attacks Americans feared would occur during the Cold War.</p>
<p>Fire drills became <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/NFPA-Journal/2008/July-August-2008/Features/When-the-Angels-Came-Calling">commonplace in schools after 1958</a>. A student in a Chicago parochial school in that year started a fire in the building’s boiler room, killing 93 students and two teachers.</p>
<p>Across the nation, students, faculty and staff participate in drills to prepare for <a href="https://www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon/">earthquakes</a> and <a href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/school.html">tornadoes</a> without hesitation or second thoughts. They have become routine.</p>
<p>So why is resistance to lockdown drills apparently on the rise?</p>
<h2>Doing research</h2>
<p>There are two key reasons why there is such an aversion to lockdown drills. The first comes from a muddling of two things that are related but not the same: <a href="https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-362.a">exercises and drills</a>. </p>
<p>Exercises incorporate realistic sights and sounds, such as the simulated screaming and bleeding that might occur during a mass shooting.</p>
<p>Drills, on the other hand, only require practice, such as evacuating a building or locking doors and getting as many people as possible out of sight.</p>
<p>During fire drills, for example, <a href="https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20190816/school-shootings-and-lockdowns-how-do-kids-cope">nobody sets schools on fire</a> to make them seem more realistic. Instead, everyone practices how to respond so that it’s easier to do the right thing in a frightening situation.</p>
<p>Exercises and drills are often talked about as if they are the same. But they are different, a point that often is lost in the call to end the practices associated with both of them that are often perceived as traumatic.</p>
<p>A second reason that lockdown drills are misunderstood is the lack of available research.</p>
<p>Anecdotes about the impact of lockdown drills are everywhere. Evidence, however, is scarce. In fact, to date, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289071568">just one study</a> published in an academic journal has examined the effects of a lockdown drill on students.</p>
<p>In 2007, psychologists <a href="https://www.moravianacademy.org/academics/upper-school/faculty--staff">Elizabeth Zhe</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=16nAfxIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Amanda Nickerson</a> found that when conducted in accordance with <a href="https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/sites/dcjs.virginia.gov/files/publications/law-enforcement/virginia-educators-drill-guide.pdf">best practices</a>, drills can increase awareness of how to respond to a situation without increasing anxiety or making people feel less safe. </p>
<p>These <a href="https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/systems-level-prevention/best-practice-considerations-for-schools-in-active-shooter-and-other-armed-assailant-drills">best practices for lockdown drills</a>, according to the National Association of School Psychologists and others, do not include simulation exercises that involve fake blood and screams.</p>
<p>Participants should know that they’re experiencing a drill, rather than a real situation, to minimize the possibility of trauma. Mental health professionals should be involved in the planning and carrying out of drills. And these exercises should be appropriate both for the ages involved and for special needs such as prior traumatic experiences.</p>
<p>Also, teachers and staff should always talk with students afterward to answer any questions they may have.</p>
<p>Lockdown exercises have become more elaborate since the 2007 study was conducted. Drills have remained largely the same. </p>
<h2>Defining objectives</h2>
<p>Lockdown drills, like fire drills, are intended to help people respond correctly in emergency situations by making them practice.</p>
<p>Along with training, having <a href="https://emergencypreparednesspartnerships.com/emergency-drills-exercises-utilities/">clearly defined objectives</a> is critical to success. Students must be taught what they are expected to do and why they are expected to do it. </p>
<p>The team I head has found that <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/19/715193493/how-effective-are-school-lockdown-drills">training helps make everyone feel better prepared</a>. Building confidence enhances the ability to do what’s needed during an emergency, our research indicates.</p>
<p>Schools typically have <a href="https://iloveuguys.org/srp.html">three clearly defined goals</a> during lockdown drills: lock the doors, turn off the lights and remain silent and out of view of anyone in the hallway.</p>
<p>In real life, situations that would result in a lockdown being called — such as an armed attacker on school grounds — usually <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-incidents-in-the-us-2018-041019.pdf/view">end within minutes</a>. Locking doors slows down assailants, giving first responders more time to stop them.</p>
<p>Turning lights off makes it harder for an attacker to find their targets, as does remaining out of sight and staying quiet.</p>
<p>Another commonly taught strategy is “<a href="https://www.ready.gov/active-shooter">Run, Hide, Fight</a>,” introduced as a collaboration between the Houston Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security several years after the Columbine shooting. That plan instructs kids to run and escape the building, hide if that is not an option, and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/safe-place-colorado-school-training-kindergartners-high-schoolers/story?id=65123554">fight back</a> as a last resort.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-act-violence/201408/the-truth-behind-the-run-hide-fight-debate">critics argue</a> that Run, Hide, Fight is not necessarily the best practice <a href="https://apnews.com/d178ff553b20418e93f299dd52e56291">for schools</a>. They say that running makes sense only when locking down isn’t an option, such as when someone gets stranded in a common area or hallway. And most school security experts discourage <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-who-tackle-shooters-die-heroes-some-experts-worry-we-n1003951">fighting attackers</a>, as most people aren’t trained in self-defense, especially against armed assailants.</p>
<p>Each emergency situation is different. Each has unique circumstances that dictate the right response. This is why training is so important: It empowers students, teachers and others to make critical decisions in a crisis.</p>
<h2>Being prepared</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302536/original/file-20191119-111655-b30v9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students and parents gathered a year after the Parkland mass shooting at a memorial event.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Parkland-Victims-Memorial-Service/234506c717ad4b60be40583796b2330c/63/">mpi04/MediaPunch /IPX via AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I can speak about this issue not just from my professional observations but based on my own perspective. I grew up in the Parkland, Florida, area where an armed former student entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day in 2018, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article221646125.html">lack of training for how to respond during active-shooter situations</a> left everyone in the <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-ne-full-commission-report-20181212-story.html">building vulnerable</a>, according to an official investigation.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/6-7-of-students-skip-school-out-of-fear-worry-over-school-shootings-is-up-yet-school-violence-is-down-what-does-this-mean">school shootings have become a matter of grave public concern</a> over the past two decades, public schools remain <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2018/02/26/schools-are-still-one-of-the-safest-places-for-children-researcher-says/">among the safest places</a> for children to be and <a href="https://theconversation.com/have-we-become-too-paranoid-about-mass-shootings-125364">mass shootings at schools are rare</a>. Yet they do occur.</p>
<p>I believe that kids should be prepared, but also that drills do not have to be scary to be effective. Schools can take steps to <a href="https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/systems-level-prevention/mitigating-psychological-effects-of-lockdowns">minimize the anxiety and trauma</a> surrounding lockdown drills. </p>
<p>While I don’t recommend exercises featuring plastic pellets and fake blood, the evidence available indicates that practicing what to do when an emergency arises is worthwhile.</p>
<p>[ <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=expertise">Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day.</a></em> ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126913/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jaclyn Schildkraut does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Being ready takes training and practice. But it might not require fake blood and simulated shootings.Jaclyn Schildkraut, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, State University of New York OswegoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1233572019-09-19T20:55:29Z2019-09-19T20:55:29ZIgnoring young people’s climate change fears is a recipe for anxiety<p><strong><em>This story is part of <a href="https://www.coveringclimatenow.org/">Covering Climate Now</a>, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.</em></strong></p>
<hr>
<p>Thousands of school students across Australia are expected to join in the <a href="https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/sept20">global protest today</a> calling for action on climate change.</p>
<p>This isn’t the first time students in Australia have rallied against climate change – <a href="https://theconversation.com/students-striking-for-climate-action-are-showing-the-exact-skills-employers-look-for-113546">many took to the streets in March</a>. But today is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/14/going-to-the-streets-again-what-you-need-to-know-about-fridays-climate-strike">expected to be one of the biggest protests</a> as they’ll be joined by others, including <a href="https://www.notbusinessasusual.co/#participants">many workers</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/everyones-business-why-companies-should-let-their-workers-join-the-climate-strike-122976">Everyone's business: why companies should let their workers join the climate strike</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The participation of our school students is a sign of how seriously they see climate change. As the <a href="https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/about">organising website says</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We are striking from school to tell our politicians to take our futures seriously and treat climate change for what it is – a crisis.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>By the end of this century, average temperatures on the surface of our planet are predicted to be <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-climate-statement-past-4-years-warmest-record">more than two degrees Celsius or higher</a> than today. The average level of the ocean surface could be <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2203700-sea-level-rise-could-hit-2-metres-by-2100-much-worse-than-feared/">more than a metre higher</a>. Such changes will challenge the ways we live now. </p>
<p>There are plenty of evidence-based projections of future climate readily available, such as the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC</a>). </p>
<p>But then there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-old-school-climate-denial-has-had-its-day-117752">denial</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-why-are-climate-change-skeptics-often-right-wing-conservatives-123549">scepticism</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-climate-change-science-misconceptions-debunked-122570">misconceptions</a> about climate change that confuse people and create unnecessary fear and anxiety, especially in school-age students.</p>
<p>Young people are still developing their ability to critically reason, contextualise and realistically assess risk. They are vulnerable to emotion-charged information and less likely to understand the possible agendas of people with differing ideas.</p>
<h2>Fear and anxiety about climate change</h2>
<p>Anxiety is a form of fear we experience when a threat is not immediate or catastrophic but has the potential to be so. It can be useful when it mobilises us to act on a problem.</p>
<p>Two important criteria underpin both fear and anxiety. You find yourself faced with a potentially dangerous situation that appears to be uncontrollable and unpredictable.</p>
<p>Either unpredictability or uncontrollability on their own can lead to a fear or anxiety response. In concert together they form a perfect storm of stress and confusion.</p>
<p>Looking at climate change through this emotional lens, we can certainly see the element of uncontrollability. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48964736">Some climate scientists</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gloves-are-off-predatory-climate-deniers-are-a-threat-to-our-children-123594">activists</a> believe we have started a chain reaction that is almost irreversible. </p>
<p>Most climate scientists are careful not to talk about predictions of future climate and favour model-informed projections. That still gives us an idea of the nature of our future world, at least for most of the rest of this century.</p>
<p>This knowledge encourages the perception that we can <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/">control or mitigate certain aspects of climate change</a>. From a human point of view, this brings us some relief.</p>
<p>But the <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203094402/chapters/10.4324/9780203094402-11" title="The difficult problem of anxiety in thinking about climate change">anxiety related to the impending climate change</a> should not be underestimated. Some researchers list it as a top concern for population <a href="https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1752-4458-2-13" title="Hope, despair and transformation: Climate change and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing">mental health</a>.</p>
<p>It is therefore not surprising that many of our younger generations feel particularly anxious about the impacts of climate change.</p>
<p>On the one hand, teenagers are especially sensitive to fear-based messages as they have a tendency to catastrophise – they imagine the worst possible outcome.</p>
<p>For example, in the last century, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219180/" title="Children's and Adolescents' Perceptions of the Threat of Nuclear War: Implications of Recent Studies">it was the threat of a nuclear war</a> that caused anxiety in many children. </p>
<p>Fast forward to today and climate change is seen as the next big threat for future generations.</p>
<h2>How to ease the anxiety</h2>
<p>Today’s school students know they will inherit the fallout of climate change. They will live to see their children and grandchildren doing the same. So they have reason to be concerned, and anxiety may mobilise useful action. </p>
<p>So what can we reasonably say to teens who are feeling shut out of the debate and experiencing heightened anxiety about their future?</p>
<p>Adaptation is one of the most valuable skills of the human species. Understand that we can and must adapt to the impacts of climate change.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-attending-a-climate-strike-can-change-minds-most-importantly-your-own-122862">Why attending a climate strike can change minds (most importantly your own)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Climate change isn’t new so we will need to work together to care for the Earth and one another. Importantly, taking an interest in understanding why and how things happen helps us to manage them (rather than sticking our collective heads in the sand and engaging in denial).</p>
<p>While there is genuine cause for some anxiety, a fear reaction that is out of place or disproportionate to the actual threat serves very little actual purpose other than leaving a person in great distress.</p>
<p>Listening to the valid concerns of school students, and engaging them in discussions about the mitigation and adaptation strategies we will need to adopt, will go some way towards easing their fears and anxieties.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123357/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patrick D. Nunn receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Natural Environment Research Council (UK).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachael Sharman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Young people have reason to protest today and call for action on climate change. But they risk anxiety if they feel they are not heard and nothing is done.Rachael Sharman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of the Sunshine CoastPatrick D. Nunn, Professor of Geography, School of Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1231832019-09-15T10:18:54Z2019-09-15T10:18:54ZI’m a psychotherapist – here’s what I’ve learned from listening to children talk about climate change<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-psychotherapy-can-do-for-the-climate-and-biodiversity-crises-116977">Eco-anxiety</a> is likely to affect more and more people <a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/">as the climate destabilises</a>. Already, studies have found that <a href="https://www.apha.org/%7E/media/files/pdf/topics/climate/climate_changes_mental_health.ashx">45% of children suffer lasting depression</a> after surviving extreme weather and natural disasters. Some of that emotional turmoil must stem from confusion – <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030117405">why aren’t adults doing more</a> to stop climate change?</p>
<p>Talking with children gives a fresh perspective on the absurdity of doing so little about climate change, but it also exposes a troubling disconnect between what we say and what we do. </p>
<p>Adults are often guilty of cognitive dissonance when it comes to climate change. The UK parliament <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-expand-airports-after-declaring-a-climate-emergency-lets-shift-to-low-carbon-transport-instead-120740">declares a climate emergency</a> after voting to expand an airport. Scientists conclude that the Amazon rainforest is one of the world’s best assets for <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-49452736/amazon-fires-why-the-rainforest-helps-fight-climate-change">storing climate-warming gases</a> while large swathes of it are <a href="https://theconversation.com/amazon-fires-explained-what-are-they-why-are-they-so-damaging-and-how-can-we-stop-them-122340">burnt deliberately</a> to make room for methane-belching cattle. A vast <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/adani-mine-would-be-unviable-without-44bn-in-subsidies-report-finds">coal mine is approved</a> near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef while its condition is downgraded from “poor” to “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-barrier-reef-is-in-trouble-there-are-a-whopping-45-reasons-why-122930">very poor</a>”.</p>
<p>Perhaps young people are simply less cynical and more capable of seeing clearly how irrational these decisions are. When I interviewed teenagers in the Maldives, one said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We saw online that people in Iceland held <a href="https://theconversation.com/iceland-is-mourning-a-dead-glacier-how-grieving-over-ecological-destruction-can-help-us-face-the-climate-crisis-122071">a funeral for a glacier</a> today, but who is going to do that for us? Don’t they see that we will be underwater soon and our country will be gone? No one cares. How can you grieve for ice and ignore us? </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Because of sea level rise, people in the low-lying Maldives have more to fear from climate change than most. The sense of injustice that young people felt here was palpable. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Climate change is like Thanos, wiping out half the world so the rest can survive … we are being sacrificed.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292430/original/file-20190913-8674-blizyo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Maldives may disappear entirely by 2100 due to sea level rise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/gulhi-maldives-september-14-2017-children-1433043119?src=BGQ-QyVMqoRsSY7wE-eYow-1-39">Guadalupe Polito/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There’s moral clarity in the things young people say about climate change, but even at their age, there’s a weariness. After all, young people use social media and are bombarded with bad environmental news as much as adults. Some may begin to normalise the mass extinctions they read about. A 10-year-old in the UK told me</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s normal for us now to grow up in a world where there will be no polar bears, that’s just how it is for us now, it’s different than it was for you.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My dilemma was in trying talk to children about climate change without upsetting them even more. But I also wanted to know how they really felt, subconsciously. Rather than hearing them repeat what they’re told in school or hear from adults, I wanted to hear what this generation – people who have never known a world without the looming threat of climate catastrophe – thought about what’s happening to the planet and their futures.</p>
<h2>Healing the generational rift</h2>
<p>I asked the children to personify climate change – to see it as an animal and give it a voice. If climate change could talk, what would it say? I hoped that by externalising that voice, they could talk more honestly than they otherwise would. Even so, I wasn’t fully prepared for their responses.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You created me, and now you must face the consequences… You spoilt the planet for the children and animals, now I’m going to spoil it for you… Adults have made the world a worse place, so now I’m here for revenge. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Anger was the most common emotion that surfaced with this technique. These complicated emotions about climate change – perhaps difficult to express or articulate in conversation – surprised me, but they probably shouldn’t have. Given the severity of climate change and biodiversity loss <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-weve-created-a-civilisation-hell-bent-on-destroying-itself-im-terrified-writes-earth-scientist-113055">predicted in their lifetimes</a>, anger seems appropriate.</p>
<p>What was also uncovered in these conversations was an enduring empathy for the creatures they share the world with. These children could recognise their own vulnerability in the face of climate change, but it didn’t eclipse their concern for the natural world. Instead, they expressed solidarity and empathy with other species. One said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Climate change is like the bug spray of nature, and people are the bugs.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I believe children are bearing the emotional burden of climate change more courageously than adults, but we owe it to them to share it. Listen to your children when they talk about climate change, you’ll learn more about how we should take responsibility for the mess, say sorry, and start to act.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=560&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=560&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290123/original/file-20190829-106524-1w6rzla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=560&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>This article is part of <a href="https://www.cjr.org/covering_climate_now/covering-climate-partnerships.php/">The Covering Climate Now</a> series</em></strong>
<br><em>This is a concerted effort among news organisations to put the climate crisis at the forefront of our coverage. This article is published under a Creative Commons license and can be reproduced for free – just hit the “Republish this article” button on the page to copy the full HTML coding. The Conversation also runs Imagine, a newsletter in which academics explore how the world can rise to the challenge of climate change. <a href="https://theconversation.com/imagine-newsletter-researchers-think-of-a-world-with-climate-action-113443?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=CoveringClimateNow">Sign up here</a></em>.</p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123183/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Caroline Hickman is affiliated with The Climate Psychology Alliance. </span></em></p>Children are more receptive to the climate crisis than adults realise. We must listen to them.Caroline Hickman, Lecturer, Department of Social & Policy Sciences and PhD Candidate in Education, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/843252017-09-25T10:14:11Z2017-09-25T10:14:11ZTeens and parents in Japan and US agree – mobile devices are an ever-present distraction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/187252/original/file-20170923-17306-1vgrpgw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How does technology affect family relationships?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/people-family-internet-addiction-concept-girl-651763030">Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a university professor and a mother of teen boys, I am immersed in a world of young faces buried in their phones. To be fair, adults, too, are enamored with the tiny, powerful computing devices in the palms of their hands. The patterns of daily life have been forever altered by the ubiquity of digital devices. The world has been rewired. And nobody wrote a user’s manual.</p>
<p>Advances in digital media and mobile devices, and the rising power of social media, are changing the way people engage not only with the world but also with close friends and family. This generation of parents faces rapidly emerging and unprecedented challenges in managing digital devices and the activities they enable – and must simultaneously wrestle with these issues in their own lives and in the lives of their children. </p>
<p>I recently led a research project investigating the effects of digital devices on family life in Japan. As part of that work, we compared our results from Japan to <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/technology-addiction-concern-controversy-and-finding-balance-infographic">studies asking similar questions</a> of U.S. families, conducted by our collaborator Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focusing on children and technology. We found Japanese and U.S. families <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/digitaldevices">struggling in very similar ways</a> with the impact of technology on their lives, their relationships and each other.</p>
<p>Parents and teens in both societies use online media for long periods every day, which at times causes family stress and arguments. Some feel addicted to their devices, and many worry about family members’ apparent addictions to technology. And in both countries, there are children who feel their parents neglect them in favor of digital devices.</p>
<h2>Shared feelings of anxiety</h2>
<p>We polled 1,200 Japanese parents and teens to find out how the saturation of cellphones and other devices in family life is playing out in homes and child-parent relationships. We compared their answers to <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research">Common Sense’s existing research</a> on U.S. teens and parents.</p>
<p>The findings are clear: Parents and teens in the high-tech societies of Japan and the U.S. find it hard to imagine life without mobile phones and tablets. And they share similar struggles with the role of technology in their lives: In both countries, the “always-on” media environment leads a great many teens and parents to feel the need to check their devices frequently, often several times an hour. </p>
<p>And large numbers of parents and teens feel the need to “respond immediately” to texts, social networking messages and notifications.</p>
<p><iframe id="bjPE5" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/bjPE5/6/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Feelings of distraction</h2>
<p>We also took a closer took at how parents and teens perceive their own, and each others’, dependency on mobile phones. In both the U.S. and Japan, the answers were surprisingly consistent: Roughly half of teens reported feeling “addicted” to their mobile devices, and so did more than a quarter of parents. </p>
<p><iframe id="ri1MS" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ri1MS/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Many parents and teens surveyed in both countries feel that the always-available mobile devices have interfered with their family connections. More than half of parents in both the U.S. and Japan think their teens spend too much time on their mobile devices. More than half of American teens think the same about their parents, though far fewer Japanese teens share that view.</p>
<p><iframe id="s2QXi" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/s2QXi/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Both parents and teens often feel the other is frequently distracted and not able to be fully present when they’re spending time together.</p>
<p>These conflicts play out in frequent disagreements – roughly one-third of U.S. parents and teens argue about device use every day. The numbers are lower in Japan, but families there are having the same fight.</p>
<p>And some parents and teens in both countries say mobile device use has hurt the relationship between parents and children. In particular, one in four Japanese parents expressed concern about the damaging effects of digital device use.</p>
<p>Teenagers voiced concerns of their own. In both countries, teens watch their parents engage with their own devices and it’s not always a comfortable experience: 6 percent of U.S. teens, and more than three times as many Japanese teens, say they have sometimes felt that a parent thinks their mobile device is more important than their child.</p>
<p><iframe id="1AmRr" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/1AmRr/4/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>A complex relationship</h2>
<p>While these results highlight the ways in which mobile devices have become a source of tension in family life, they also reveal a common belief that using them prepares teens for jobs in the 21st century. It’s not just teens who see the benefits of digital device use: 25 percent of Japanese and 88 percent of U.S. parents feel it helps their children acquire new skills.</p>
<p>This study focused on patterns of use and exposure to digital media, but leads to further questions about what content families engage with and their reasons for using media. For instance, what do people mean when they use the term “addicted” in reference to mobile technology? What drives people’s need for digital connection? How might social and cultural differences alter the effects of digital devices on family life? And, of course, expanding these questions beyond just two countries will help inform a global conversation about how families can integrate technology into their lives in thoughtful and productive ways.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84325/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Willow Bay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research shows that families in Japan and the US struggle in very similar ways with how technology is affecting their lives, their relationships and each other.Willow Bay, Dean and Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and JournalismLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/810182017-08-22T23:14:13Z2017-08-22T23:14:13ZHow to help your kids transition to high school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182853/original/file-20170821-12584-c4e514.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The challenges of making new friends, managing schedules and the hormones of puberty can be overwhelming for new high school students. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Benjamin Voros)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At this time of year, it can sometimes be hard to tell who’s more excited about returning to school, youth or their parents.</p>
<p>But the excitement for kids about new friends, teachers and ventures can be overshadowed by anxiety and stress, particularly if they’re moving into high school.</p>
<p>The sheer size of a high school building can be overwhelming to the uninitiated. The <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035500000252">potential loss of social status among a larger group of peers</a> and the increased number of teachers — each having different styles and expectations – can be intimidating for newcomers. Add to this the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3410522/">hormonal changes that accompany puberty</a> and drive physical, emotional and cognitive growth, and the demands on young people can be overwhelming.</p>
<p>In high school, teachers tend to stay in one place while the students rotate through their classrooms. This can be difficult for students who are used to having a homeroom teacher for the majority of their subjects. </p>
<p>Some high schools have instituted <a href="https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/my_foundation/my_education.pdf">homerooms for core subjects</a> such as language arts and social studies. These allow students to connect daily to at least one key adult who knows them and ostensibly has their best interests in mind. Regrettably, this practice is rare past Grade 8.</p>
<p>Fortunately, parents and their children can take some steps to make the transition easier. As an educator and a psychologist from the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, I offer you a few simple strategies:</p>
<h2>1. Get to know the school space</h2>
<p>Familiarity helps to <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED397832">reduce anxiety</a>. If possible, youth should try to tour the school halls in advance to get to know where specific rooms are located. Of course, it helps if they can have a school map to help them navigate. It’s always important to learn where key spaces are such as the administrative offices, washrooms, cafeteria and water fountains.</p>
<h2>2. Make the leap with a few friends</h2>
<p>The adolescent years are significant in the transition from relying on parents to <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0272431604274174">learning to trust and rely on peers</a>. During this time, peer socialization becomes critically important and being part of a peer collective can make the transition smoother while <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035500000264">helping to ease stress</a>. Confidence in social interactions with peers <a href="https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/67358/10.1177_027243169401400205.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y">contributes to positive self-evaluation and successful school transitions</a>. </p>
<p>Youth can identify friends from their previous school who plan to attend the same high school. If they live close together, they can travel together to school or plan to meet up before school, at lunch breaks and during times when they might not have scheduled classes. Among other things, this will give them the opportunity to share and compare experiences — essentially normalizing what they are going through, while brainstorming solutions to challenges they might be facing.</p>
<h2>3. Identify clubs and interest groups</h2>
<p>These hobby-based groups tend to be smaller than regular classes and have supportive teacher sponsors with an interest in the subject area. This can be an easy way to connect with others who have similar interests, while building a support network at school. </p>
<p>Since the high school years are ones of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8457355_Risk_Taking_and_Novelty_Seeking_in_Adolescence_Introduction_to_Part_I">exploration, novelty seeking and even risk-taking</a>, such groups offer an opportunity to explore interests in a safe environment.</p>
<h2>4. Help with planning and organization</h2>
<p>In high school, there’s an increased expectation for students to take responsibility for planning and organizing materials for themselves, as well as getting to class on time, handing in homework and assignments and coming prepared for quizzes and exams. This also includes managing class materials, unique clothing for sports and clubs, musical instruments and other school equipment. Most schools offer a personal planner booklet that can help students to overcome some of these challenges. However, most will require support to be able to use and maintain them properly. </p>
<p>It’s true that adolescence is a time of cognitive growth and consolidation. This comes from the <a href="http://www.brainfacts.org/brain-basics/neuroanatomy/articles/2015/myelin/">myelination of nerves</a> (insulation for faster signals) and the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20803-brains-synaptic-pruning-continues-into-your-20s/">pruning of neural networks</a> (specialization for efficient brain function) that improve thinking capacities. However, the adolescent brain keeps developing well into the early 20s. Higher order thinking, planning and foresight can take time to develop.</p>
<h2>5. Organize a study schedule</h2>
<p>Family support and parental engagement are <a href="https://www.horizonsd.ca/Services/Literacy/Documents/Pushor-Parent%20Engagement%202007.pdf">linked to academic success</a>. It’s important to start building study habits early, even if there is no assigned homework to do. Students should plan for 30 to 60 minutes of study, homework and project work per night. It is often best to schedule a regular time, such as just before or after the family dinner. </p>
<p>Whatever the schedule, it’s also important to take breaks after school. And try to plan time carefully so that such work does not drag on and become demotivating.</p>
<h2>6. Monitor stress</h2>
<p>Even after settling into the new environment, getting to know teachers and their expectations and collecting a group of friends, the level of stress in high school can still be intense. Schools can be competitive environments. Exams (particularly high-stakes final exams) can be stressful to the point of debilitation. And social demands can be overwhelming. </p>
<p>Challenges like these can be exacerbated if students have unique needs such as physical or sensory impairments, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. In cases where such challenges are known in advance, it is important to connect to the receiving school’s specialized supports, which often come in the form of guidance and counselling services and accessibility services. </p>
<p>Kids should also be monitored to ensure they’re coping with the demands being placed on them. Their ability to cope can change day to day and month to month, and parents should be ready to offer support when it’s needed. In some cases, stress can become overwhelming or persistent to the point of immobilization. If they aren’t experiencing <a href="http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED482301.pdf">reduced anxiety within a month, they likely need help</a>. </p>
<p>If so, specialized professional support may be needed to identify the underlying problem and intervene appropriately. School counsellors can be a good place to start, while family doctors can often point the way toward a good child psychologist or counselling specialist.</p>
<p>With the right kind of planning and support, the transition to high school can be a life-changing and empowering one that can set your youth on the path toward an amazing future. Start now to plan for success.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81018/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Lee Zwiers consults with the CanLearn Society in Calgary, Alberta, a non-profit society that supports people with attention and learning problems, as well as autism. He has a small independent consulting company that supports and trains psychologists and mental health professionals.</span></em></p>An education psychologist offers tips for parents of new high school kids on everything from navigation to time management.Michael Lee Zwiers, Assistant Professor Educational Psychology, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/803512017-08-16T01:37:07Z2017-08-16T01:37:07ZHow parents can help their freshman teens cope with stress<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182151/original/file-20170815-21358-o7z2f8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Starting a new school can be stressful. But as a parent, you can help.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teenager-problems-mother-comforts-her-troubled-210886180">Kamira/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Entering high school can be an exciting experience, but for some teenagers it can also be scary, intimidating and confusing.</p>
<p>According to one study, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2015.01028">approximately half</a> of all high school students feel a great deal of stress on a daily basis. As author and film producer <a href="http://www.racetonowhere.com/film-team">Vicki Abeles</a> writes, there’s a “<a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beyond-Measure/Vicki-Abeles/9781451699234">nationwide epidemic of school-related stress</a>.” The cause? Abeles says that “expectations surrounding education have spun out of control,” with excessive loads of activities, homework and sports.</p>
<p>As I explain in my book, “<a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781475829839/Raise-Your-Kids-to-Succeed-What-Every-Parent-Should-Know">Raise Your Kids to Succeed</a>,” this stress can be excessive <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8p3TBwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA137">and even toxic</a> if kids are ill-prepared. Like many parents, I’ve wondered what I could have done to help my teenagers adjust well to the first year of high school. As a parent and teacher, here’s what I’ve learned.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182155/original/file-20170815-26751-fjny9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t let your teenager go through this alone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stressed-kid-sit-on-bench-autumn-324331094">Sabphoto/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why all the anxiety?</h2>
<p>A few of the factors that can cause <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/high-stress-high-school/409735/">anxiety for high school freshmen</a> include going to school for the first time with <a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo16468748.html">older, bigger, physically mature students</a> who are essentially adults. Your teen is now one of the youngest in the school, having come from a school where she was among the oldest and most senior. The change can be jarring.</p>
<p>Your teen also has to get used to a new school building as well as new teachers and classrooms for every subject. I know from experience that teens might worry, perhaps even obsess, about their new teachers: Will I like them? Will they be too strict? Too hard to understand? They’ll also likely worry about the work being too difficult, how they can achieve satisfactory grades and if they’ll be able to make new friends.</p>
<p>In some unfortunate cases, teens may also have to deal with <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-bullying-needs-more-efforts-to-stop-it-58678">bullying</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-cyberbullying-all-that-goes-over-the-line-when-kids-are-online-45150">cyberbullying</a>, intimidation or <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-disturbing-connection-between-bullying-and-sexual-harassment-68033">sexual harassment</a>. Studies have shown that between <a href="https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html#stats">20 and 30 percent</a> of students in grades 6-12 have been bullied.</p>
<h2>What can parents do?</h2>
<p>How can you, as a parent, help your teen manage their anxieties in a healthy way? Here are six ideas:</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182142/original/file-20170815-27845-s26t62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Just talking to your teenager can be the first step in helping her cope with a new school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/depressed-college-student-talking-counselor-284521187?src=KPjrIZE1HYQgiAZbloXj2g-1-49">Monkey Business Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p>Be caring, empathetic and affectionate. Listen to teens intently and give them emotional security. Be as supportive as possible. Try not to give advice too quickly. Let them <a href="http://www.journalofplay.org/sites/www.journalofplay.org/files/pdf-articles/5-3-interview-play-as-preparation.pdf">solve their own problems</a> if they can. In fact, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2012.29">some research</a> suggests that extreme levels of parental protection can be counterproductive.</p></li>
<li><p>Listen. More importantly, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9920-9">listen without making judgements</a> and without rushing to offer your own solutions. Remember their roiling anxiety and that they need you now more than ever – even if they try to be “cool” and push you away. Expect your teen to be occasionally grumpy, moody and cantankerous. Try not to take it personally.</p></li>
<li><p>Be supportive. Emphasize that you love your teen unconditionally, and that you admire and respect him for the effort he’s making to tackle the challenges of starting high school. Research shows us that diligence, effort and hard work <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805">can increase intelligence</a>. Grit is <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087">something to be encouraged</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Attend to the basics. When teenagers are stressed, the essentials can be neglected. Do whatever you can to help them get enough <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06149.x">sleep</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1499-4046(06)60031-6">eat healthily</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2430">and exercise regularly</a>. All of those things will help them to manage their stress.</p></li>
<li><p>Help them get involved. Find out – or have your teen find out – about extracurricular activities at the high school. Joining a club, sport or activity can be a great way to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023%2FA%3A1012285729701">build a community of friends</a> quickly and adjust to new surroundings.</p></li>
<li><p>Get help. If you think it advisable, reach out to the <a href="https://www.unigo.com/admissions-advice/how-do-you-build-a-good-relationship-with-your-high-school-guidance-counselor/112/3">school counselor</a> before school begins and set up a meeting for your teen to meet the counselor to talk about the transition to high school. This may not be the right move for all teens, but consider whether it would help with your child.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182135/original/file-20170815-21358-p39yz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Helping your teenager to get involved in new activities can help her make the transition to high school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/en/softball-girls-team-mates-happy-1570671/">Keith Johnston/Pixabay</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Stress can be good. And bad</h2>
<p>Your teen cannot – <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/stress-report.pdf">and should not</a> – avoid all stress. Stress arising from challenging situations that they can successfully handle is healthy and even desirable.</p>
<p>Even biologically, stress prompts the body to produce <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-youre-stressed-81789">adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol</a>. In short bursts, these hormones raise our performance, keep us focused and increase our capabilities, which is good. However, over the long-term, prolonged and excessive stress can be damaging.</p>
<p>In short, some anxiety is natural and to be expected. It will help your teen get prepared for the start of school. But if you sense your teen has a damaging level of anxiety, reach out to the school counselor (or another appropriate professional) for help.</p>
<p>Helping your teen face stress head-on at the start of high school will help him or her prepare for potentially higher levels of stress associated with getting into college or finding a job.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80351/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Palmer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>School can always be stressful, but starting high school for the first time comes with its own fears and anxieties. Here’s some simple advice for parents to help their freshmen navigate the new year.Chris Palmer, Professor of Film and Media Arts, American University School of CommunicationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/679632016-11-01T10:28:19Z2016-11-01T10:28:19ZWe shouldn’t worry so much about our kids’ anxiety – it’s a normal part of growing up<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143953/original/image-20161031-15821-1137kty.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s been a big rise in the number of young people seeking help for their anxieties, according to Childline. The telephone counselling service has suggested exposure to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/31/childline-anxiety-calls-spike-uk-children-express-fears-global-events-brexit-syria">social media reports on global issues</a> such as Brexit and the war in Syria may be behind the 35% increase in the number of calls it receives from anxious children.</p>
<p>Yet while some may see this as further evidence of a wider <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/teenage-mental-health-crisis-rates-of-depression-have-soared-in-the-past-25-years-a6894676.html">mental health crisis</a> among young people, it’s important to remember that worrying is a normal part of life. Kids usually learn to cope with worries as they grow up, but worrying can also <a href="http://knowpain.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/pain-misdirected-problem.pdf">enhance problem-solving skills</a> in children.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I have been examining data from the “<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/">Children of the 90s</a>” study, which has been following a large group of families for over 25 years. We’ve found that it’s common for children to worry frequently, often more so than adolescents.</p>
<p>These worries during childhood are a normal part of growing up and tend to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=26663675">lessen naturally</a> over time as children learn more ways to deal with them. The reason to be concerned about your child’s worries would be when these high anxiety levels <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26042587">carry on into adolescence</a> and interrupt daily life.</p>
<p>The Children of the 90s study – or Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) – involves a large group of children born in the Bristol area in the early 1990s. At several stages throughout the children’s development, their mothers were asked to complete questionnaires about themselves and their kids. We looked at over 2,200 families to see how mothers rated their children’s worries at the ages of 7, 10 and 13.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143957/original/image-20161031-15810-xsr3mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Learning to cope.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=26663675">We found</a> that the pivotal age for childhood worries was 10 years. This was when mothers reported their children worried most often and had a low ability to control those worries. Unsurprisingly, these worries mainly concerned troubling thoughts about schoolwork. Worries about bad things happening to others and the future were also prevalent at this age. However, these worries didn’t necessarily impact the daily activities of the 10-year-olds studied, such as their ability to play with friends, attend school or play sports.</p>
<p>For 13-year-olds, the mothers reported that their children worried less frequently and had better control over worries compared to when they were 10 years old. But worrisome thoughts at 13 were more likely to impact daily activities and cause emotional distress, particularly for girls. This interruption of daily activities should be taken seriously.</p>
<p>Although the 10-year-olds worried more often and had less control, because the anxiety didn’t interfere with their daily activities, it can be considered a normal part of growing up. While it’s important to acknowledge children’s worries and reassure them that things are okay, children at this age who worry about what’s going on in the world aren’t necessarily a cause for concern.</p>
<h2>When to worry</h2>
<p>But if anxiety starts to disrupt your child’s daily life, this may be key to identifying potentially problematic worries. Our research found that this is most likely to happen during early adolescence and occurs more often in girls compared to boys. </p>
<p>Other data from the Children of the 90s study showed that 17-year-olds who experienced high levels of anxiety due to pain and disability were <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26042587">more likely to</a> have had higher levels of worries at age 13. This suggests a link between anxiety during early adolescence and later life.</p>
<p>So, while we shouldn’t immediately worry if our kids get anxious about what’s going on in the world, it’s still important to be aware of how they cope with these worries as they grow up. Being aware of anxiety early on and giving young people the tools to deal with their worries can help prevent more serious problems later on in life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67963/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Line Caes has received funding from the Fund for Scientific Research (Flanders); Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation; Wellcome Trust; International Association for the Study of Pain; Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry; IWK Health Centre; & The Southwood Adolescent Chronic Pain Visiting Studentship Award.</span></em></p>The number of children calling Childline with anxiety is rising – but kids do learn to cope.Line Caes, Lecturer of Psychology, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/634282016-08-04T07:10:42Z2016-08-04T07:10:42ZMany wealthy countries face a mental health crisis – here’s what governments can do<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132807/original/image-20160802-17180-17bxo0y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Deprivation makes it worse.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The evidence suggests that the UK, among other high-income countries, is in the midst of a mental health crisis. A recent <a href="http://www.nhsconfed.org/%7E/media/Confederation/Files/Publications/Documents/MHN%20key%20facts%20and%20trends%20factsheet_Fs1356_3_WEB.pdf">report</a> by the Mental Health Network, found that 19% of adults had been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, while as many as <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/fundamental-facts-15.pdf">one in four</a> people experience a mental health problem in any given year. Even more worryingly, mental illness is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216853/CYP-Mental-Health.pdf">high among the young</a>, suggesting that the burden on the NHS and other social services will grow in the years to come.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1278510/Depression-Its-just-new-trendy-illness.html">It is commonly thought</a> that depression and mental illness are “middle class problems”, yet this idea is not supported by evidence. Although mental health issues have risen among affluent social groups, studies have repeatedly shown that mental health remains inversely associated with social class. The risk of developing a mental disorder <a href="http://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB06116/ment-heal-chil-youn-peop-gb-2004-rep2.pdf">rises alongside socioeconomic disadvantage</a> and the odds of reporting depression are almost <a href="http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/157/2/98.short">twice as high</a> among those in the lowest socioeconomic groups, compared with the highest. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953613002608">Reviews</a> also find that socioeconomically disadvantaged children are at greater risk of mental illness than those from more privileged backgrounds, suggesting that inequalities are intergenerational and start early in life.</p>
<h2>Can policy make a difference?</h2>
<p>The causes of these inequalities in mental health are <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673608616906">thought to be the same</a> as those which affect other aspects of the social distribution of health: poverty, unemployment, unhealthy lifestyles, poor working conditions, poor housing. Importantly, the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673608616906">negative impact</a> of these “social determinants of health” can be reduced through well-designed social and labour market policies, as I discovered while researching my thesis on this topic.</p>
<p>The evidence to date reveals only broad links between social and labour market policies and inequalities in mental health. A number of studies have looked at variations and inequalities in mental health across “welfare regimes”. These are clusters of countries ranked according to their generosity of social protection, levels of social investment, and quality of working conditions. Those which are more generous and with better labour market conditions, are expected to have narrower inequalities in mental health as they will reduce the negative impact of poverty, unemployment and other “social determinants of health”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/132828/original/image-20160802-17183-13flnp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Good work can have a positive effect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/dl2_lim.mhtml?src=pp-same_model-264200777-9CtLjZZCA4J8h1RvyBbDoA-3&clicksrc=download_btn_inline&id=301082705&size=medium_jpg&submit_jpg=">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2010/08/06/jech.2009.098541.short">One such study examined</a> rates of depression across European welfare regimes. They found that on average depression was highest in liberal (UK) and southern (Italy, Spain, Greece) welfare states and lowest in Scandinavian (Sweden and Denmark) and conservative (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Austria) regimes. This they linked to the weaker social protection and poorer quality of work in the liberal and southern welfare states, compared with Scandinavian and conservative ones. </p>
<p>Another study which focused <a href="http://esp.sagepub.com/content/19/4/301.short">more directly on inequalities</a> examined how links between depression and education varied across European welfare regimes. They also found that the southern (Italy, Spain, Greece) welfare state, with its poorly developed systems of social protection and high poverty rates, was less successful at reducing the link between education and depression, particularly when compared with the northern (Sweden and Denmark) welfare state. This, they suggested, may be partly explained by the generosity of the Nordic welfare regime.</p>
<p>Other studies reach similar conclusions and overall the evidence suggests that countries with generous social protection, low unemployment, high levels of social investment (education and training/support for the unemployed) and a well-regulated labour market, perform better in terms of inequalities in mental health. </p>
<p>Despite this, there is still a lack of convincing evidence about exactly <em>how</em> welfare states reduce (or widen) inequalities in mental health. In my thesis, I began to explore these questions and examine if and how policies to reduce unemployment (public employment services, training, employment incentives), might also reduce inequalities in mental health. </p>
<p>Building on the approach of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spol.12206/pdf">Carter and Whitworth</a>, I suggest this might happen through two mechanisms. First, participation in well-resourced training programs might reduce inequalities in mental health by improving the experience of unemployment. The negative effects on mental health linked to unemployment are believed to be partly related to the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rCM4AAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=jahoda+unemployment&ots=HbN-4wzDnA&sig=FFQ-HgPHHznq4DFEGn-N3ZC8wa8#v=onepage&q=jahoda%20unemployment&f=false">damage to self-esteem and sense of purpose</a>, which training programs could reduce. And second, better employment outcomes might reduce inequalities in mental health, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups as good quality work is <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bEZlEmznJccC&printsec=frontcover&dq=is+work+good+for+your+health&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiJ0_WK-qLOAhVqIsAKHSYsDPQQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=is%20work%20good%20for%20your%20health&f=false">beneficial to mental health</a>. </p>
<h2>Policy Implications</h2>
<p>There would certainly be broader benefits to using policies to reduce inequalities in mental health. Most recipients of incapacity benefit, one of the most widely claimed benefits, are from <a href="http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/192/">lower socioeconomic groups</a> and claim it for <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13309755">mental health reasons</a>. Social inequalities in mental health may therefore contribute to incapacity benefit claims, suggesting that social and labour market policies that reduce inequalities in mental health will (paradoxically) reduce costs to the welfare system. </p>
<p>Similarly, inequalities in mental health increase demands on NHS services in disadvantaged areas, where budgets are often already overstretched. Reducing these inequalities through social policies which target the social determinants of mental health may relieve strains on health care services in deprived areas and also contribute to wider health equity.</p>
<p>There are also moral arguments for tackling the social determinants of mental health. It is unfair that those who experience a poor quality of life are also more likely to suffer from debilitating mental illness. Moreover, inequalities in mental health may matter for the social gap in life expectancy, too, as mental illness is a <a href="http://www.psychrights.org/Research/Digest/NLPs/CDConMortality.pdf">strong predictor of mortality</a>. Therefore, if we are interested in reducing inequalities in mortality (as Theresa May <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-from-the-new-prime-minister-theresa-may">recently pledged</a> in her first statement as UK Prime Minister) then we must also consider reducing inequalities in mental illness. Well-funded and appropriately designed social and labour market policies may help to do just that.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63428/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Owen Davis receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. He is affiliated with the Labour Party. </span></em></p>One in four people experience a mental health problem in any give year.Owen Davis, PhD Candidate in Social Policy, University of KentLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/506592015-11-17T03:37:23Z2015-11-17T03:37:23ZAdolescence is hard, but it’s not necessarily getting harder<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/102092/original/image-20151117-4973-wp7c5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Adolescence has always been hard, but there's not much evidence to suggest it's worse for kids these days.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chillmimi/7885047912/">Petra Bensted/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Adolescence can be tough. On <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/11/16/4350533.htm">Four Corners</a> last night we heard some wonderfully candid reports from young people about the stresses and difficulties they face in contemporary Australia. Many of the pressures were age-old: doing well in school, finding a boyfriend or girlfriend, fitting in. Others were newer: the competition for the most social media followers, the pressure to look “Tumblr-ey” (12-year-old Olivia’s word).</p>
<p>Are kids today more depressed and anxious than those of a generation or two ago? In truth, as best as we can tell, probably not. But mental illness remains an enormous burden for young people: depression and anxiety are the <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/194/5/what-are-major-drivers-prevalent-disability-burden-young-australians">biggest cause</a> of disability for adolescents and young adults in Australia by a wide margin. And while rates of depression and anxiety are probably not getting worse, few would argue that the rates are getting any better, which we might have hoped for with improvements in many other areas of health.</p>
<h2>Adolescence</h2>
<p>Adolescence is marked by rapid changes. If we think for a moment what the period encompasses – if we strip it back from the more recent concept of being a “teenager” – then at heart it is about the transition from dependence to independence, from being reliant on our parents for our sustenance to having the capacity to become a parent. We move from the relative comfort of family and local community into the big wide world with all of its complexity.</p>
<p>Adolescence is heralded by the obvious external changes that come with sexual maturity – the extra hair, curves and bulges – but also less obvious internal ones. These include a slowly emerging sense of identity, the ability to cope with strong emotions, and the capacity to navigate a much more complex social milieu. Alongside all of this are <a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-still-under-construction/index.shtml">profound changes</a> in brain organisation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/102093/original/image-20151117-4952-1ynjkpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All adolescents have felt pressure to fit in, but social media can make the feeling more profound.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/7910370882/">Jason Howie/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is an intense period for all of us — we remember adolescence more clearly and vividly than any other period of our lives, giving rise to the so-called “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/explore/memory/reminiscencebump.htm">reminiscence bump</a>”. </p>
<p>Most of us emerge from adolescence intact, becoming the people we are today. But it’s also a period of vulnerability. It is the period when most of the <a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2005/mental-illness-exacts-heavy-toll-beginning-in-youth.shtml">significant mental illnesses emerge</a> – and no wonder.</p>
<h2>Is it getting harder?</h2>
<p>Are depression and anxiety now more common in adolescents? That is the thesis of much recent commentary, including last night’s Four Corners episode. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2648043">Some studies</a> do suggest that young people are more depressed (I will focus on depression, because that is the illness for which we have most data). </p>
<p>Many of these studies have relied on asking people about past periods of depression and when they began. Older people, born in more distant epochs, report having had less depression and anxiety in their youth than people born more recently. As people get older, though, they tend to have <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12799778">poorer recollection</a> of adolescent periods of depression: perhaps it is a time they would rather forget or, more likely, with distance it just doesn’t seem that it was so bad. </p>
<p>More reliable studies, which collect data on depression as it occurs – or shortly after – aren’t so worrying. They suggest that there <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17176381">hasn’t been an increase</a> in the rate of depression over recent decades: at least since the 1970s, when reliable data started being collected.</p>
<p>Neither does Australian suicide data support the idea that things are getting ever worse. Suicide is the <a href="http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-suicide/facts-and-stats">leading cause</a> of death for young people – in 2013 it caused more than one in three deaths of young men between 15 and 19 – and a tragedy in every way. </p>
<p>But after the youth suicide rate peaked in the 1990s, it has plateaued at a somewhat lower rate. It is a rate that is too high and that we must work on getting down – in the same way we have reduced the number of young people <a href="http://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_annual_summaries.aspx">dying in car accidents</a> – but it is not getting inexorably worse.</p>
<p>Adolescence has always had its pressures – many remain the same from generation to generation, but others are new, or at least more intense. If there was a theme from last night’s Four Corners episode it was the intense social scrutiny that young people experience with the rise of social media.</p>
<p>Lilli, 13, put it wisely:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>it’s pretty much like the same thing that was happening 40 years ago […] but now it’s escalating. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>While some stresses are no longer so apparent – today’s adolescents don’t have the same worry about dying from infectious diseases, or being conscripted to fight in bloody wars – they are preoccupied more than ever with how they appear to their peers. This isn’t a trivial concern. </p>
<p>If in the past we could only imagine we were being excluded from social events, young people today are left in no doubt. They can see the anticipatory messages leading up to the event they haven’t been invited to, and then the celebratory photographs of the event itself. And the relentless focus on appearance abetted by social media seems now to have a crueller and more mocking edge. </p>
<p>Adolescence is hard, and if many of us are glad to have made it through to adulthood, we never really escape it. We continue to return to our adolescent years in our memories and dreams for the rest of our lives – with all its pains, all those awkward moments, but with pleasures and an intensity we don’t experience again.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/50659/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Davey receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. </span></em></p>Many adolescent pressures are age old, others newer, such as having followers on social media.Christopher Davey, Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Mood Disorders Research at Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.