Understanding How Today’s Life Stressors Impact Our Youth and Potential Solutions
As a graduate student in clinical psychology, I wanted to learn how high levels of stress impact the human mind. I also happened to be very appreciative of the sacrifices made by our war veterans and I was considering a career helping them.
So, I studied the psychological impact of combat stress on US Vietnam War Veterans. After assessing dozens of veterans, I learned that combat stress likely changed the way veterans viewed themselves, other people, and their sense of justice and safety in the world:
- Rather than viewing themselves as generally good and well-intended, they viewed themselves as dysfunctional and malicious.
- Rather than viewing others as generally helpful and supportive, they viewed others as threatening and untrustworthy.
- Rather than viewing the world as just and safe, they viewed the world as chaotic and threatening.
Today, as I try to understand the mental health crisis among our youth, I wonder if similar dynamics may explain the dramatic increases we see in youth anxiety, depression and suicide. Specifically, do adverse childhood events such as abuse, neglect, parent divorce or death contribute to mental health challenges later in life? We know the answer is, yes. Further, do negative messages from peers, social media and threats of violence at school cause children to form a skewed lens that lead them to:
- View themselves as hopeless and unworthy
- View others, even their own classmates, as threatening
- View the world as unjust and unsafe
If children do view the world through such a lens, it is understandable that they may feel anxious, depressed and even suicidal.
So much depends upon the lens through which we view our world.
While most children demonstrate positive signs of mental health and resilience, 36.7% of 12 to 17-year-old children have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. In this age group, about 6% suffer from depression and roughly 10% suffer from anxiety. Suicide is the leading cause of death for youth ages 14 to 15 and the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15 to 19.
Here’s the good news:
The veterans I studied reported that social support systems provided a “buffering effect” from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder that haunted so many individuals with combat experience. It stands to reason that our youth can also be supported by a caring, nurturing social support system. With therapists and counselors in over 45 schools, AllHealth Network’s school-based teams help students to better understand life events and how to cope with them. Like veterans benefiting from supportive friendships and engaged family members, therapy and care coordination provide our youth the robust supports they need to cope with life’s challenges and develop constructive views of themselves, others, and the world around them.
There are several specific advantages to school-based care:
- It is convenient for students and families
- It allows interventions to be coordinated between family members and teachers
- It supports connection with higher levels of care, including medication, if necessary
That’s just the start.
Often when youth and adolescents are referred to AllHealth Network’s school-based team, they may have had previous experiences with treatment but for the first time are fully connected with a long-term mental health provider. This consistent support gives each of the youths with whom we work in the school system the vital opportunity to renew the lens through which they see their lives.
I’ll share a real-life story with you.
Jim, a teenager who struggled with substance use, was on probation and connected to pre-trial case management. He was close to dropping out of school and running away from home. Our school-based therapist had the flexibility to see Jim one to two times weekly. This consistency was key to his recovery. After six months, Jim started his own business, ended his justice system involvement, curbed his drug use and reported improved family cohesion.
This fall, Jim started his senior year of high school.
It’s stories like Jim’s that inspire the AllHealth Network team and me to reach as many youths as we can. To date, our organization has provided mental health and substance use services to over 3,000 students in Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
Every day, we see the impact that mental health care can have on those teens, their families and their communities. From the child who can now smile again after overcoming deep anxiety, to the parent who has found strength and support in their darkest moments, these are the stories of hope and healing that make our work worthwhile.
Yet, there are still so many who need help – our youth deserve the chance to reframe the lens through which they view the world, reclaim their lives and thrive.
Your contribution today is not just a donation; rather, it’s a lifeline. It’s the hope that a young person who feels alone today might find connection tomorrow, that someone struggling in silence now may find their voice in the future.
Together, we can build a stronger, healthier community. We invite you to stand with us in this mission. Please give today because every teen matters, and every gift makes a difference.
Get involved in healing your community today.
Thank you for your support of our efforts.
Sincerely,
William Henricks, MBA, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer AllHealth Network