Therapy for High School & College Students
The 2024-2025 school year is coming to end. Your adolescent may be finishing tenth grade and getting ready for their junior year of high school. Other adolescents are walking across the stage and saying good bye to high school. You may be wrapping your freshman year of college and headed home for the summer after a year of living on your own. A lot of young adults have finished their college classes and are looking for a job. No matter which scenario applies to you, it is important to remember your mental health matters.
May is Mental Health Awareness month. Let’s take a look at this specific population and some mental health trends. A lot of headlines talk about the adolescent mental health crisis. Debates can be made about whether there is crisis. As a therapist working with this age group, I can tell you these individuals are more aware of their own mental health and the importance of taking care of your mental health.
Mental health is an important issue for everyone. Lots of statistics are floating around. Increase is U.S. teens reporting sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. Suicidal ideation is high especially for girls and LGBTQ+ teens. While awareness is up, accessing resources is still challenging.
Let’s get curious.
Adolescence to early adulthood involves a significant amount of changes in physical, emotional and cognitive development. With each generation, the stressors may change. Here’s a few examples of current stressors:
School Pressure: Academic performance is taking center stage now. Yes adolescents still work about fitting in socially, and their appearance. 61% of teens feel intense pressure to get top grades, way more than worrying about looks (29%) or fitting in (28%). The pressure about applying for college, figuring out what to do post high school or AP classes is more intense. Asking where the pressure is coming from happens in my office. It can depend on the school. In some families, the adults are setting high expectations of the students. In some cases, the students are the ones pressuring themselves. Sometimes it’s a combination.
What’s Next Anxiety: A lot of adults including myself often ask “what’s your next step?” Adults often forget a lot of them may have had their plans figured out for college or trade school. Many didn’t know what they wanted to be when they grew up. It’s ironic that is one of the first questions we ask of teens now. Over half of teens stress about the future, trying to figure out their whole life before graduation. A lot of emphasis is focusing on energy on the present and releasing the pressure of having to figure it out all right now.
Social Media Burnout: Social media is here to stay. Adolescents and young adults have access all the time to social media. There are lots of reports and research on this topic. Seeing everyone’s “perfect” life online makes comparison and self-doubt a daily struggle.
Climate Stress: Each generation has different stressors. Climate change is a focus for a lot of adolescents and young adults. About 43% say worrying about climate change messes with their mental health.
Mental Health on the Rise
We are hearing about the increase in anxiety and depression diagnoses. We can dispute the increase in ER visits for a mental health crisis in the last decades. We are seeing more ads on television for mental health prescriptions. Some schools have started implementing mental wellness programs, incorporating mindfulness and emphasizing social emotional learning. Suicide prevention programs are partnering with schools to help train students to implement a peer support program. These are all great resources. More helps is needed. Virtual therapy has seen an increase since 2020 and there are numerous mental health apps available. The combination is making access a little easier; however there is still a lot of work to do.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Educate yourself about available resources and general mental health. Talk to your doctor about options and referrals for your mental health. Find a therapist who works with adolescents and young adults in your area or state if you are open to virtual. Take action today.
Reilly Counseling offers individual therapy to adolescents (ages 12 & up) and adults. Speciality areas include anxiety, trauma and grief. In person session are available in Arlington, TX or telehealth throughout Texas. Most insurance plans are accepted.
