Mental Health Issues in Teens

by McKenzie L.

Lazy. Entitled. Self obsessed. These are words often used to describe today’s teenagers. However, there is much more to adolescents than these things. 1 out of 5 young adults suffer from mental disorders. There are many different types of mental illness. The different classifications are mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders anxiety disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, and behavioral disorders.

Mena, L. (2011, August 29). Depression and Sorrow. Flickr. Retrieved July 28, 2014, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyssaamundsen/4580016840/in/photostream/

Mood disorders are somewhat common in young adults and difficult to treat. The most common of these disorders is depression. Depressed teens often have symptoms such as apathy, fatigue, difficulty making decisions, irresponsible decisions, and sadness, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness, among others. Because many of these symptoms can be mistaken for typical teenage behavior, depression in adolescents can go undiagnosed. Another mood disorder teens may have is bipolar disorder. Bipolar causes the people who have it to have extreme mood swings. Bipolar I is swings between depression and mania, which often includes hallucinations, psychosis, or paranoid rage. Bipolar II is alternations between depression and “hypomania”, periods often accompanied by energy, charm, and productivity.

Psychotic disorders are not as typical in teens, but they do exist. Schizophrenia shows itself in late adolescence/early adulthood. It distorts the way one sees the world and often makes it difficult to distinguish reality from the delusions brought on by the disorder. Hallucinations are associated with schizophrenia. Auditory hallucinations are most common, and consist of voices commanding one to do something, discussing between each other, or narrating one’s thoughts aloud.

Personality disorders can be unnerving. This classification includes disorders that affect the personality of  the adolescent in question. Antisocial personality disorder is classified as a personality disorder. Symptoms include disregard for right and wrong, manipulation, consistent abuse and neglect of pets or children, and lack of empathy. People with antisocial personality disorder often do not work well with others. If one has narcissistic personality disorder, they  have an inflated sense of self importance and strong desire for the admiration of others. This disorder doesn’t set in until early adulthood, so adolescents are not typically affected by it. Another disorder is schizoid personality disorder. The behaviors associated with schizoid can become noticeable during childhood. It is on the schizophrenic spectrum of disorders, but people with schizoid disorder are very much in touch with reality. They strongly value independence and have trouble connecting with others socially. Schizotypal personality disorder is also on the schizophrenic spectrum. It usually becomes evident during adolescence, and consists of brief psychotic episodes, eccentric behavior, social anxiety, and belief in special powers. Schizotypal personality disorder is not as severe or dangerous as schizophrenia. Borderline personality disorder is one of the most well known personality disorders. BPD often begins during adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms include extreme reactions to real or perceived abandonment, a warped sense of self identity, impulsive and reckless behavior, and suicidal thoughts and/or tendencies. Because many of these symptoms can be mistaken for other disorders, borderline personality disorder often goes misdiagnosed.

 

 For more information about mental health in teens visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenmentalhealth.html

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