Calabasas, CA – In their recent blog, local teen mental health facility BNI Treatment Centers explored the link between school and depression. “Depression among California youth has increased by more than 70% since 2016. In many cases, teens report school as a large factor in their feelings of anxiety and stress,” the blog reports.
School is significant in teens’ lives because it’s where they spend the majority of their waking hours, the article points out. Because of that, it has a huge impact on their stress levels and mental health.
One area the blog cites as a potential cause of school-related depression in teens is academic pressure. “ The high workloads students face each day add extra stress, taking up mental space and increasing feelings of worry or anxiety. Adolescents often feel pressure, as though their entire future rides on each and every class,” BNI Treatment Centers explains. According to the blog, this can make any failure in school feel like a significant detriment to their future.
The blog also says social factors come into play, including whether teens can make friends or not. “Social isolation is a huge predictor of depression. When you’re a young teenager who hasn’t yet fit in, feeling excluded from groups can be devastating,” the article adds.
The blog then covers symptoms of depression parents can look for in their teens, starting with the emotional signs. While sadness is part of the equation, teens also might have outbursts, be irritable, withdraw, and feel apathetic, the article says.
BNI Treatment Centers goes into further detail on behavioral signs of depression in teens next. “If your teen suddenly starts sleeping at wildly different hours, or for longer stretches of time than before, this could be a sign of depression. Persistent exhaustion may be present, where your child seems exhausted no matter how much sleep they get. Pay attention to eating habits, as depression often impacts the desire for food, and how much they seem to enjoy it,” the blog shares.
Thankfully, the article also provides solutions and tools parents can utilize to help their children if they show signs of depression. Before getting into them, BNI Treatment Centers reminds the reader that teens should have input in these solutions, without anything being forced on them.
“Getting enough sunshine, especially early in the morning, can have a huge impact on mood. Physical health, largely through good sleeping habits and exercise, directly boosts emotional well-being. Additionally, a less social-media-infused lifestyle is shown to directly improve feelings of self-worth,” the article states. It also suggests ways to improve communication, such as active listening. “Simply being listened to can dramatically help your teen process their feelings,” BNI Treatment Centers says.
“In a perfect world, schools would have all of the resources to properly watch for these symptoms themselves. They would be able to address issues of depression, social isolation, and anxiety. However, this isn’t always possible,” the blog acknowledges. That’s why mental healthcare for teens is important, according to the article. “ By learning to recognize signs of depression, you can be better prepared to understand or to help your child through a difficult time.”
BNI Treatment Centers specializes in mental health and substance use disorder treatment for adolescents ages 13-17. The facility is owned and operated by psychiatrists who are intimately involved in every teen’s treatment plan. Their expertise makes them qualified to treat depression, as well as more complex conditions. They can also manage medication as needed. For more information, visit their website or call them at (888) 522-1504.
“BNI Treatment Centers: Science-based, evidence-backed, compassion-led.”
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For more information about BNI Treatment Centers - Stokes, contact the company here:
BNI Treatment Centers - Stokes
Doug Jewell
424-365-1032
doug@bnitreatment.com
2563 Stokes Canyon Rd
Calabasas
CA
91302
