Taking Care of Your Teen’s Mental Health
The teenage years can be a rocky period of transition from childhood to adulthood. Besides dealing with the growth spurt, hormones, and other alterations to the physical form of adolescents, there is also the challenge with mental health issues. Nowadays, teens have it worse because of the abrupt social changes and health measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
According to a report by UNICEF, the happiness and mental health status of Australian kids are one of the lowest among rich countries worldwide. When it comes to children’s mental health status, Australia ranked 35th out of 38 countries – a rather worrisome wake-up call for the country. What makes it even worse is that the data was obtained before the onset of the COVID-19 global outbreak. A most recent research said that 81% of kids aged 5-17 in Australia encountered at least one trauma symptom during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, suicide is the most prevalent cause of death among teenagers aged 15-19.
With these statistics, adolescent mental health has become a serious cause for concern for the government and more so for the parents. As a mother or father of a teenage child amid the pandemic, how can you take care of your teen’s mental health? Here are some ways:
1. Your reaction matters.
COVID-19 brought many negative impacts to our normal way of life. You may experience physical and mental stress because of job loss, movement restrictions, isolations, and other adverse effects of adjusting to the threat of the pandemic. How you respond to these stressors may affect your child too. A teenager can keenly observe parent behavior as they learn how to manage their inner struggles. If the adolescent child can detect distress and anxiety from their parents, they are more likely to have mental health problems amid the outbreak. Adopting a positive attitude and a more hopeful approach when dealing with problems during the outbreak will most likely benefit your kids, who will feel that you are in control of the situation. Because you are your young one’s model, make sure that you are looking after your psychological wellbeing. Seek help if you are scrambling to cope.
2. Give your teenager a chance to build relationships.
The pandemic limited our opportunity to interact and socialize with other people, but it does not mean that social interactions have to stop altogether. With the internet and technology bridging the distance between people, communication with loved ones and friends are still possible. Let your teen still experience social connectedness. Let them have a routine schedule to stay connected with friends from school and family through video calls, chats, texts, or calls.
3. Plan a surprise activity for the children now and then.
Want to surprise your kids? Have a jumping castle hire Brisbane inflatable for a day in your backyard! Giving them something to do or let them learn something new. These activities can be therapeutic to teenagers who are stuck at home and looking for something to engage in. Strengthen the bond with your adolescent child by playing video games or actual games with him/her. Cook meals together. You can even join them inside the jumping castle hire Brisbane inflatable!
Take care of your teen’s mental health today.
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