Teen Mental Health and Addictive Behaviors

by Aaron Weiner, PhD 

Teen mental health has reached an unprecedented crisis point. The recent national Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported nearly 50% of teens have symptoms of clinical depression, 20% have contemplated suicide over the past year, and 10% have attempted suicide. These statistics are alarming – indicative of an upcoming generation of adults who are overwhelmed and struggling. 

Beyond typical “angst,” teens today have contended with school violence, climate concerns, wars, a global pandemic, and political unrest at an intensity greater than ever before. Teens seek relief from these stressors. They also want to feel a sense of belonging with friends and enjoy themselves. These needs are healthy, but problems arise when they experiment with self-destructive strategies to meet them, such as vaping, drinking, excessive gaming, compulsive social media use, and online gambling. Of greater concern is how often teens are targeted by addiction-for-profit industries disguising themselves as “harmless fun” and promoting destructive coping. 

Consider vaping, for example. Teens view pro-vaping content frequently on social media (a paid marketing effort by the industry), hear positive messages about vaping from their peers and may enjoy the taste and buzz they get when vaping. However, vaping drastically harms teens’ mental and physical health; each hit fills their lungs with thousands of different toxins, metals and carcinogens which can permanently alter their brain development and damage their lungs. 

How can parents help their kids differentiate between healthy and unhealthy coping? Research supports several strategies: 

Cultivate an emotionally safe relationship.

Maybe you have a strong supportive relationship with your child, or perhaps you need to build that relationship; either way, you can communicate support and encourage your child to talk to you about their concerns and struggles by validating their feelings (“I can see where you’re coming from”; “I’m really glad you shared this with me”), asking caring questions (“can you help me understand what happened? I want to be here for you.”) and letting them know you’re listening (“I won’t tell you what to do, I just want to be here to listen to you.”; “You won’t get in trouble, please know you can be honest with me.”) 

Model healthy coping.

Our kids watch us for cues about how to act. Use this to your advantage! When you feel stressed, try meditation, exercise, or processing through emotions with others. Normalize these behaviors and your teen might try them too. Maybe even do them together! And if you think you may need to work with a therapist, taking the first step shows them that it’s okay. Set the example you’d like them to follow. 

Educate your children about substance use.

A teen’s understanding of their parents’ opinions about drugs, and having early conversations about them, are some of the strongest predictors of whether or not they choose to use drugs themselves. It’s ideal to have your first conversations about drugs with your kids before they encounter them at school – around age 10. A useful mantra for at-home drug education is “60 one-minute conversations are better than one 60-minute conversation.” Consistency and familiarity with the subject are far more important than “having the conversation” once. 

Remember, teens often use addictive behaviors to solve an emotional problem; they’re looking to feel better when they feel overwhelmed. When parents provide safe spaces, helpful information, and healthy alternatives, teens are empowered to meet their emotional needs instead of masking them. Teen mental health is a complex problem, but simple, small steps can make a big difference. 

Aaron Weiner, PhD, is a licensed, board-certified psychologist, master addiction counselor, clinician, author, and frequent speaker on addiction treatment and issues.