CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to spotlight the growing challenges facing teens and young adults. Today, Teen Health Connection psychotherapist Jessica Conley shared insight into what today\u2019s youth are experiencing\u2014and how families can respond.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeens today are navigating a complex world,\u201d Conley said. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing increased anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation, often starting earlier than many parents expect.\u201d<\/p>\n
The data underscores her point: 1 in 5 adolescents experiences a serious behavioral health disorder, and nearly half of all issues begin by age 14. Even more concerning, 2 in 5 high school students report persistent sadness or hopelessness. Access remains a barrier, with 61% of teens struggling to get care and 40% of those with major depression going untreated.<\/p>\n
Conley points to multiple factors driving the rise in mental health concerns. \u201cSocial media, academic pressure, and lingering effects of trauma all play a role,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut one of the biggest hurdles is still stigma. Teens may feel they should \u2018handle it alone.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Her message: asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Teen Health Connection, which has served the Charlotte region for 34 years, works to normalize mental health care by offering integrated medical and behavioral services for ages 11 to 25. Their team of therapists supports issues ranging from ADHD and anxiety to grief, trauma, and disordered eating.<\/p>\n
For parents and caregivers, early awareness is key. \u201cIf you notice changes in mood, sleep, appetite, or school performance, don\u2019t wait,\u201d Conley advised. \u201cStart a conversation and seek support if needed. Early intervention can make a significant difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond therapy, Teen Health Connection also empowers youth through programs like The Big Picture\u2014videos created by teens for teens addressing real-life struggles.<\/p>\n
As awareness grows, experts hope more families will feel comfortable seeking help. \u201cConnection is everything,\u201d Conley said. \u201cWhen teens feel seen and supported, they\u2019re much more likely to thrive.\u201d For more information visit Teen Health Connection<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to spotlight the growing challenges facing teens…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":657304,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[97,259,260],"class_list":["post-657303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/657304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}