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“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there…”.
Stephen Chobosky – The Perks of Being a Wallflower |
Adolescent and Teen Mental Health support in Heidelberg
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Being a teenager can look straightforward for many, but in reality, it is a difficult time for most. This time of obvious physical and hormonal changes can create distress, discomfort and confusion, and finding your feet socially can feel overwhelming. There are also the added concerns around gender identity, academic performance, friendship groups and relationships, self-esteem and body image and gaining independence.
Social media further amplifies the everyday insecurities of adolescence and leaves many teenagers feeling like an outsider, socially-anxious and alone. When teenagers struggle with these issues, they can become highly stressed, depressed, angry or withdrawn. It is a common period of growth where adolescents can turn to destructive behaviours such as eating disorders, self-harm, substance use, school refusal or defiant behaviours to try and gain control over their environment. Adolescents experiencing these sorts of pressures and problems are not equipped to deal with them alone. Talking to parents, siblings or friends may not be an option for everyone, and that’s when talking to a professional can really help. At Relieve Psychology, we are discreet and confidential. We are not here to judge - we are here to support. No problem is too big or too small. |
Relieve Psychology
135 Bamfield Road
Heidelberg Heights
VIC 3081
Bellfield, Bundoora, Eaglemont, Epping, Ivanhoe, Kingsbury, McLeod, Preston, Reservoir, Rosanna and
Viewbank
135 Bamfield Road
Heidelberg Heights
VIC 3081
Bellfield, Bundoora, Eaglemont, Epping, Ivanhoe, Kingsbury, McLeod, Preston, Reservoir, Rosanna and
Viewbank
Adolescent Mental Health
There is some variation in the definition of a 'young person', although a reasonable consensus is that young people are those aged between 12 to 25 years. The lower end of this phase is roughly defined by puberty, while the upper end is somewhat more fuzzy, though involves achieving an independent adult identity. It may be helpful to view these individuals as 'emerging adults' who are in the later stages of their education, or the early stages of their employment career, and who may be facing a number of developmental challenges, including establishing employment and sexually intimate relationships, and using alcohol and tobacco (eg. Graham, 2004). Indeed it is the confluence of these experiences which helps put the mental health needs of young people in context (Patel, Fisher & McGorry, in press).
In Australia, the prevalence of mental health problems among children aged 4-12 years is at most 14 percent (based on parental reports; Sawyer, Arney, Baghurst et al, 2000), which rises to 19 percent among adolescents aged 13-17 years (Sawyer et al, 2000) and increases again to 27 percent among young adults aged 18-24 (McLennan, 1997). Based on these figures, approximately one in four to five young Australians are likely to suffer from a mental health problem, most commonly substance abuse or dependency, depression, anxiety and eating disorders (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare: AIHW, 2003). Comorbidity (particularly substance abuse disorders) is unfortunately the norm in this population (AIHW, 2003). High rates of disability are associated with mental disorders among young people (McLennan, 1997), including impaired work productivity, absenteeism, educational failure and poor family functioning. The Victorian Burden of Disease Study reinforces the seriousness of this problem, demonstrating that for young people aged 15-24 years, mental disorders are the single greatest cause of years of healthy life lost (Public Health Group, 2005).
Source: APS
There is some variation in the definition of a 'young person', although a reasonable consensus is that young people are those aged between 12 to 25 years. The lower end of this phase is roughly defined by puberty, while the upper end is somewhat more fuzzy, though involves achieving an independent adult identity. It may be helpful to view these individuals as 'emerging adults' who are in the later stages of their education, or the early stages of their employment career, and who may be facing a number of developmental challenges, including establishing employment and sexually intimate relationships, and using alcohol and tobacco (eg. Graham, 2004). Indeed it is the confluence of these experiences which helps put the mental health needs of young people in context (Patel, Fisher & McGorry, in press).
In Australia, the prevalence of mental health problems among children aged 4-12 years is at most 14 percent (based on parental reports; Sawyer, Arney, Baghurst et al, 2000), which rises to 19 percent among adolescents aged 13-17 years (Sawyer et al, 2000) and increases again to 27 percent among young adults aged 18-24 (McLennan, 1997). Based on these figures, approximately one in four to five young Australians are likely to suffer from a mental health problem, most commonly substance abuse or dependency, depression, anxiety and eating disorders (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare: AIHW, 2003). Comorbidity (particularly substance abuse disorders) is unfortunately the norm in this population (AIHW, 2003). High rates of disability are associated with mental disorders among young people (McLennan, 1997), including impaired work productivity, absenteeism, educational failure and poor family functioning. The Victorian Burden of Disease Study reinforces the seriousness of this problem, demonstrating that for young people aged 15-24 years, mental disorders are the single greatest cause of years of healthy life lost (Public Health Group, 2005).
Source: APS
