July 7

Signs of Mental Health Issues in Adolescents

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 July 7

by Scott Theaman

Children go through a great deal of change — inside and out — during adolescence, so it can be hard to discern whether they’re struggling with a mental health issue. Before you chalk changes in their behavior up to hormones, we urge you to read the following.

The team here at Prime Psychiatry has extensive experience helping adolescents (ages 11 and up) with mental health issues that range from depression to anxiety. We know what the signs of a mental health disorder can look like in preteens and teens, and we want to share some of them here.

Mental health in adolescents

Before we dive into some of the potential warning signs of a mental health issue, we want to first review some statistics surrounding mental health in adolescents.

The CDC reports that the top four mental health issues in American children up to the age of 17 are:


We want to note that these statistics are from 2016-2019, and we believe that they are higher now due to the enormous effect that COVID-19 had on children.

Signs to watch out for

As we mentioned, it can be extremely difficult to figure out what “normal” behavior in an adolescent should look like. As they take their first steps toward maturity and certain hormones start to come online, their behaviors can change dramatically, which is perfectly normal. To boot, adolescents tend to keep much to themselves as they try to figure out the world around them, so they may not be forthcoming with any problems they’re facing. 

That said, there are a few rules of thumb when it comes to recognizing a mental health issue in an adolescent, including:

  • Changes in their sleep patterns
  • Excessive worrying
  • Outbursts that don’t fit the situation
  • Isolating from friends and family
  • Changes in appetite
  • Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed
  • Problems at school because of lack of concentration
  • Frequent headaches 
  • Saying they’re sick so they can stay home from school

Again, we understand that these same behaviors can be considered a normal part of growing up, but we’re looking for patterns of these behaviors or changes.

There are also subtle signs, such as wearing clothes that are baggy to hide an eating disorder or wearing long shirts on hot days to cover up cutting.

You can also look for physical signs in preteens and teens, such as sweating or trembling when they have to be part of a group, which may signal a social phobia. An extreme, and hard to miss, symptom of an anxiety disorder is having panic attacks.

Every child is unique, and symptoms of a mental health issue may manifest themselves differently from one child to the next. The bottom line is that you know your child best and you should watch for patterns in negative behaviors and emotions that may signal an internal struggle.

If you have more questions about mental health issues in adolescents, please contact our office in Frisco, Texas, to schedule a consultation.


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