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Let’s Talk Teen Mental Health
World Teen Mental Wellness Day (March 2) brings awareness to the importance of teen mental health. Mental health causes up to 16% of diseases and injuries in people aged 10 to 19. Helping families be aware of mental health and reducing stigma can help teens be healthy and Safe.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that one in five teenagers has a mental health condition.
World Teen Mental Wellness Day
NAMI reports that half of all mental health issues start before a child reaches the age of 14. Unfortunately, most cases have not been diagnosed or treated by this time.
World Teen Mental Wellness Awareness Day,
a day of awareness created by the clothing company Hollister. It was the first of its kind to focus on mental illness among teenagers. It is celebrated annually on March 2.
According to Banyan Treatment Centers, mental health refers to “the state of well-being in which one realizes one’s abilities, can cope with normal stressors in life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to one’s community.
While the study of mental health has become more prevalent over the years, the stigma and prejudice that often follow mental illness diagnoses are far too common in today’s society.
One common misconception is the idea of mental illness and mental health being interchangeable terms. Mental health is crucial to all individuals with or without a mental illness.
“Many are unaware of the prevalence of mental health disorders among teens and adolescents, and the stigma associated with disorders like depression and anxiety can discourage them from asking for help.”
-Banyan Treatment Centers
World Teen Mental Wellness Day encourages participation in important conversations about mental illness.
On March 2, we encourage everyone to start an open dialogue and spread awareness concerning teens’ mental health. Remember that mental illness is more common than you know.
Ways to Participate in World Teen Mental Wellness Day
Show yourself love
Being a teenager is difficult enough. Add overstimulation from constant connection to the internet, social media, and news outlets, and it’s understandable for anyone to get emotionally overwhelmed. Take time out of your day to show yourself kindness. Unplug and engage in exercise, conversation with your family, and activities like meditation, reading, crafts, and journaling. Sit quietly outside and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of being outdoors. Give yourself time to learn your mind and emotions and decompress on stressful days.
Facts about Teen Mental Health and the Internet.
Social media has made it possible to stay constantly connected to other people regardless of time or location. This connection to digital platforms can also make things more difficult for you emotionally. Interpersonal social skills get fractured with constant connection to the internet, which can lead individuals to compare themselves to others, isolation, and even online bullying. Read more about these topics on NAMI’s website.
Reach out to other teens.
If you know any teens, have a conversation about their feelings. Sometimes, people need an opening to talk to and confide in, and simply asking how someone’s day is going or reminding them that you’re around can make a huge difference.
How to talk to other teens about Teen Mental Health.
There is no “right” way to share what you’re going through— every friendship or relationship is different. When sharing information about your mental health, you must decide in advance what you’re most comfortable with. Read more about talking points on NAMI’s website.
If a situation seems concerning, maybe let a family member know. In any case of emergency or immediate threat, call 911.
Get help for yourself.
If you’re a teen struggling with their mental health, don’t retreat within yourself. Never hesitate to reach out for help in any situation. If you are working on your mental health — for example, if you are feeling down or nervous much of the time — it’s essential to talk with your parent or guardian and let them know you need help.
First, consider planning what you want to say. Write down what you are experiencing, detailing your feelings, and try to sort them out as clearly as possible. Next, find a comfortable, distraction-free place to talk about your emotions with your parent, guardian, or confidant.
There is no shame in seeking professional guidance, researching, and seeing a therapist. Your doctor is your guide and available to talk to them about your symptoms so they can diagnose you properly and create a treatment plan that meets your needs.
Your library is a teen mental health resource.
We know teen mental health can be a difficult topic to talk about. As library staff, we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to ask. You are not alone!
If you would prefer to browse on your own, the call numbers below will help you get started.
- Alcoholism 362.292
- Anxiety 616.8522
- Bipolar Disorder 616.895
- Depression 616.8527
- Drug Addiction 362.29
- Eating Disorders 616.85
- Suicide 362.2
Are you in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis?
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors who are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems affect them, provide support, and connect them to necessary resources.
Call or Text 9-8-8
Local Resources
Mental health resources are available in Lehigh County.
Lehigh County Warmline
Phone: 610-820-8451
Warmline is a confidential telephone support service manned by trained mental health consumers seven days a week. It operates daily but cannot accept calls between 2 and 6 a.m.
National Alliance on Mental Health – Lehigh Valley
Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255
Information: 1-800-273-8255
The families and members of NAMI Lehigh Valley are here to help! We offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy.
Parkland Community Library
We know mental health can be a difficult topic to talk about. As library staff, we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to ask. You are not alone!
If you would prefer to browse on your own, the call numbers below will help you get started.
- Alcoholism 362.292
- Anxiety 616.8522
- Bipolar Disorder 616.895
- Depression 616.8527
- Drug Addiction 362.29
- Eating Disorders 616.85
- Suicide 362.2
State Resources
Mental health resources are available in the state of Pennsylvania.
Resources from the State of Pennsylvania
Find help and treatment options, complete a mental health screening, and more.
National Resources
Teen mental health resources are available to anyone in the United States.
988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine
Phone or Text: 9-8-8
9-8-8 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code to route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) and is active across the United States.
When people call, text, or chat 9-8-8, they will be connected to trained counselors in the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems affect them, provide support, and connect them to necessary resources.
The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
imi
Text the word “imi” to 70764 or download the messaging app.
Guides built for and with LGBTQ+ teens to help you explore your identity and support your mental health.
imi can play an essential role in helping LGBTQ+ teens cope with sexual and gender minority stress. This app is designed with ample resources to get teens support and answers. Join a peer support chat group by age, call the talk line, link to helpful organizations, and access online resources.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Phone: 800-950-6264
Text: “HelpLine” to 62640
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
NAMI envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares. The organization provides advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
The Trevor Project
Phone: 866-488-7386
Text: 678-678
Two decades ago, The Trevor Project responded to a health crisis. They aim to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young adults. The organization envisions a world where all LGBTQ+ young people see a brighter future for themselves.
Our Book Suggestions
PCL’s Teen Librarian Assistant curated a list of books featuring characters with a mental illness
Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories that Smash Mental Health Stereotypes
Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting fiction collection. In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart, and stitch it back together more potent than before. Through powerful prose, verse, and graphics, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes as they remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean you’re defined by it. Each story is followed by a note from its author to the reader, and comprehensive back matter includes bios for the contributors and a collection of relevant resources.
Chaos Theory
Since Shelbi enrolled at Windward Academy as a senior and won’t be there very long, she hasn’t bothered making friends. What her classmates don’t know about her can’t be used to hurt her- you know, like it did at her last school. Andy Criddle is not okay. As he’s spiraling out of control, Shelbi sees Andy at his lowest, and she can relate. So she doesn’t resist reaching out. No doubt their connection has them both seeing stars, but the closer they get, the more the past threatens to pull their universes apart. #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone delivers a tour de force about living with grief, prioritizing mental health, and finding love amid the chaos.
The Denim Diaries: A Memoir
Laurie Boyle Crompton’s coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and the New York City area in the 1970s and 1980s was anything but idyllic. In moving verse accompanied by diary-esque sketches, Crompton takes you along as she navigates her life’s ups and downs, as she desperately tries to fit in at school by squeezing into too-tight designer denim. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, The Denim Diaries follows Crompton’s journey through an eating disorder and sexual assault to acceptance and recovery. Her vivid poems recall the highs and lows of a life filled with hardship and joy. The stories are both harrowing and humorous, and this memoir brings a fresh perspective on the importance of self-love and finding hope in the darkest times.
This is Me Trying
Growing up, Bryce, Beatriz, and Santiago were inseparable, but after the dissolution of their friendship and Bryce’s suicide, Beatriz and Santiago attempt to reconcile and navigate love, mental illness, and forgiveness.
Learn more about the importance of teen mental health
Browse resources, download coloring pages, and more!
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