many mental health problems start in childhood and teenage years: understanding the cause and ways to support our kids
“early adolescence is like walking a tightrope. you fall off one way or fall off another way, or you could just walk the straight path. but there’s so many different factors that could impact whether you fall."
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mental health problems in adolescents were linked to impaired mental health, lower life satisfaction and poorer quality of life as adults.
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it’s not easy being a teen these days. maybe it never was. it’s a time of pushing boundaries and trying to define who we are and how we fit into things. it’s also a time of changing hormones. the physical changes of young bodies mirror the emotional turmoil that happens inside—loneliness, insecurity and heightened self-consciousness. those are just a few of the pressures.
some kids cope better than others, but there’s mounting evidence to show that mental health is deteriorating for this age group as a whole. the centre for addiction and mental health (camh) in toronto reports that as many as 70 per cent of mental health disorders begin in childhood and adolescence. that’s alarming for parents to hear and for medical experts who now recognize the impact of mental health disorders on quality of life for adults as some face lost employment and relationships, often turning to substance use.
hayley hamilton, a senior scientist at camh, leads the ontario student drug use and health survey, a tool used to assess health-related trends and highlight where resources are needed.
“early adolescence is like walking a tightrope. you fall off one way or fall off another way, or you could just walk the straight path. but there’s so many different factors that could impact whether you fall,” she says. “it’s such a difficult developmental transition into adolescence and then out of adolescence into adulthood. it has such potential to impact the rest of your life positively or negatively.”
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mental health problems in adolescents linked to poorer quality of life as adults
in a 2021 report in the journal of health monitoring, researchers used the german health interview and examination survey for children and adolescents (kiggs) to analyze a population-based longitudinal data set to follow individuals with mental health problems over 11 years, from childhood or adolescence into young adulthood. mental health problems in adolescents were linked to impaired mental health, lower life satisfaction and poorer quality of life as adults. participants had difficulty with relationships and those who internalized their distress became sexually active later than other young adults but had more unplanned children.
hamilton has seen the rise in anxiety and depression in teens from the survey data which is shared with schoolboards and schools across the province. the survey started in 1977 and has been conducted every two years as a population survey of ontario students in grades 7 to 12. it’s self-administered and anonymous, with results helping to identify trends in student drug use, mental health, physical health, gambling, bullying and other risk behaviours, as well as determining risk and protective factors. the survey typically includes thousands of students in more than 200 elementary and secondary schools across ontario.
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survey reveals one in five ontario students harmed themselves on purpose
questions about mental health and well-being were added to the survey in the 1990s, and in the last 10 years, the data has shown the prevalence of psychological distress, hamilton explains, noting symptoms of anxiety and depression. the most recent survey from 2023 reveals that 38 per cent of students report their mental health as fair or poor, one in five say they harmed themselves on purpose in the past year. one in six report thoughts of suicide in the past year.
“we can see that students are experiencing real challenges when it comes to their mental health,” she adds. comparative statistics from the 2023 report summary reveal that the percentage of students who rate their mental health as fair or poor has significantly increased since 2007, the first year of monitoring, from 11 per cent to 38 per cent. students reporting elevated life stress has significantly increased since 2015, the first year of monitoring, from 29 per cent to 37 per cent.
as well, moderate psychological distress—symptoms of anxiety and depression—increased from 24 per cent in 2013 to 51 per cent in 2023, and serious psychological distress increased from 11 per cent in 2013 to 27 per cent in 2023.
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students who want support worry about what others think
hamilton says that other surveys outside of camh have shown similar increases over time, pointing out that 2013 when it was first noted in the survey was long before the pandemic that brought discussion about mental health for students to the forefront. one factor in the rise in anxiety and depression is that people generally are more open to discussing mental health and students are more willing to open up and talk about it. “stigma hasn’t been eliminated. our data shows that some students who think they need support are worried about reaching out because of what others might think. so it still exists to some degree.”
just as important is understanding the pressure and uncertainty teens face. they live in the same world as adults where there is political unrest, climate change, rising costs and the threat of other contagions that could topple the routine of daily life like covid-19.
“young people are worried about their future, the cost of education. they worry about the cost of living. and then we have technology and digital media and what that has brought forth. so, i think there’s a sense that there’s a lot of things that might be out of their control.”
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to counter that uncertainty, hamilton says there’s also less community-building happening today. valuable in-person connections are far less frequent. young people are lonely, despite non-stop connection to social media. survey respondents reported an inability to cope with unexpected problems: the percentage of students reporting an inability to cope with unexpected and difficult problems has significantly increased between 2019, the first year of monitoring, and 2023, from 23 per cent to 31 percent.
and the sad truth is that we haven’t figured out how to fix this. but there are some things we know that can help.
learning and listening can build resilience
hamilton says that life skills and resilience can be learned during these years so that teens are better equipped to deal with some of the problems that they will face. that happens through open discussions, school programming, and letting students and youth know there are supports available at school and in the community.
“parents need to have open discussions with their kids about mental health,” she says, adding that working to talk with your teens has to be intentional and open-minded.
open conversations, patience, and understanding can help our children feel supported and prepared for whatever comes their way.
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