Mental health is the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of an individual. Mental health disorders in adolescence are a significant problem that is relatively common and requires treatment or intervention. At least one in every five children aged 9 to 17 has a diagnosable mental health disorder that impairs his life in some way. One in 10 people has a disorder that causes significant impairment. Only one-third of these children open up about their problems and receive the necessary treatment. Adolescents' most common mental illnesses are anxiety, mood, attention, and behavior disorders. Your child needs good mental health to develop, build strong relationships, adapt to change, and deal with life’s challenges.

Preteens and teenagers who have good mental health are often happier, feel more positive about themselves, and enjoy life. They bounce back from upsets and disappointments and have healthy relationships with family and friends. They are interested in physical activities, eat a healthy diet, have a sense of achievement, and can relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Signs of mental health issues:

For children younger than 12 years, mental health warning signs might include:

1. A constant feeling of sadness
2. Drop in school performance
3. Constant worries or fears, 
4. Persistent aches and pains that don’t wear off easily
5. Loss of appetite or being picky with food
6. Problems fitting in at school or interacting with other children, 
7. Consistently aggressive, threatening, destructive, angry or violent behavior,
8. Sleep problems, including nightmares.

For children over 12 years, the warning signs might be a little more subtle, such as:

1. Feeling low, 
2. The feeling of hopelessness, 
3. Being tearful or lacking motivation
4. Trouble coping with everyday activities
5. Shows sudden changes in behavior, often for no obvious reason.
6. Having trouble eating or sleeping
7. Underperforming at school, or suddenly avoiding school or work
8. Avoiding friends or social contact
9. Expressing physical pain, for example, headache, stomach ache or backache
10. Aggression or antisocial, for example, missing school, getting into trouble with the police, fighting or stealing
11. Being very anxious about physical appearance, losing weight or failing to gain weight as they grow.

Mental health problems are not self-treatable and may lead to other health complications if left unmanaged. Mental health problems may begin to affect your child’s overall well-being, including physical health, schoolwork, relationships, and social, physical, educational, and vocational development. If condition doesn’t improve consult Psychiatrist.

Therefore, it is important to get professional help as early as possible. Mental health problems are treatable, and early interventions respond well to treatment. There is much professional support that one can seek help from including the General Practitioner, school counsellors, psychologists and counsellors, social workers your local community health

What are the causes?

There are various aspects to why teens suffer from mental disorders, which are only increasing so dramatically. Moreover, researchers believe that teenagers may be influenced by a combination of the factors mentioned below:

1. Firstly, scientists have established a correlation between screen time and teen mental disorders. Excessive indulgence in technology has taken away the time and energy required for building healthy relationships, education, and extracurricular activities. This may be one reason that might be the underlying reason behind the increase in the numbers of depression and suicide.
2. In addition, social media heavily influences a teen's thought process which might put pressure on them to look, act or be a certain way leading to anxiety and depression.
3. Academic pressure may also put many teens under some degree of tough competition for college, grad school, and jobs making that pressure worse.
4. Furthermore, today’s parents tend to shield their children a little too much, providing no room for the growing teens to develop coping skills. Therefore, teens have fewer opportunities to learn how to build resilience thus crushing under challenges.

Parents and well-wishers should understand that the brain of an adolescent is still growing, therefore they have an immature prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for regulating emotions. Thus, they might show uncontrolled impulses leading to risky behaviors, such as substance abuse and unsafe sexual choices. To avoid such extreme behaviors, they need to be provided with the treatment options as soon as possible.

Conclusion:

Poor mental health is no one’s fault, and no one is to blame. Instead of treating these issues as taboo, people should talk about them openly. In today's world, poor mental health is a major concern among teenagers and pre-teens. These issues should be handled delicately and empathetically. It might take patience and encouragement for the child to open up about his problems and seek medical help. Of course, your child will have specific symptoms of their own mental health, but as a guardian, you should look out for behaviors that may not seem “their normal” and provide the utmost care and support during this difficult phase in life.