Recognizing the Signs Your Young Person Needs Support in Stressful Times

We are living in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Emotions such as anxiety, frustration, anger, and sadness are completely normal and can be healthy responses to challenges. 

Unchecked, prolonged stress can take a toll on your mental health. However, the extent to which it can trigger more serious mental health concerns depends on a number of factors, including your family history, physical health, coping styles, spiritual practices, and social support.  

Family support can protect your young person

Stressors such as racial trauma, discrimination, and community violence are risk factors that impact mental health outcomes. However, family support — and specifically parental engagement and monitoring — is a key protective factor for young people of color that helps to buffer their well-being against negative outcomes. 

In times of social and personal stress, it is all the more important to be proactive in safeguarding your mental health and the emotional well-being of your young person. As parents and caregivers, we can do this by understanding the signs and symptoms that indicate a serious mental health condition, such as depression or the risk of suicide — and knowing when to take action. 

Depression looks different in everyone but there are common patterns

Although every person is unique, certain symptoms are consistent when someone is experiencing clinical depression or Major Depressive Disorder. These are:

Lasting over two weeks or more:

• Feeling down or depressed most days
• Losing interest or enjoyment

Plus at least five of the following:

• Sleeping too much or having difficulty sleeping
• Experiencing changes in appetite
• Exhibiting changes in energy level
• Feeling guilty or worthless
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Being restless or moving or speaking more slowly than usual
• Having thoughts of death or suicide

How can you tell if your young person may be in crisis?

Self-harm or suicidal thinking often begins passively. For example, when a person wishes not to be alive but has no intention or plan to act. This can escalate quickly to a suicidal crisis in moments of acute stress. 

Having active thoughts and plans of suicide is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention. 

Sometimes, people trying to cope with painful emotions may engage in self-harm behaviors, such as cutting or hitting themselves. Although not done with the intention to end their lives, these behaviors are still serious, and can be a precursor to a suicide attempt. They can also have unintended consequences, such as a life-threatening injury. While such behaviors may represent an effort to cope with stressors, they do not solve the underlying problem.

Five ways to know if someone is at risk of harming themself

Social withdrawal

• Are they spending excessive time alone and missing school, work, or social events?
• Do they not return calls or texts?

Major changes in mood

• Do you notice intense worry, overwhelming fear, increased hopelessness, anger, deep sadness, or extended irritability?

Irregular habits

• Do you notice significant changes in their eating or sleeping habits?
• Do you see drastic changes in their behavior, such as excessive media use, video games, or screen time?
• Do you notice significant changes in their school performance?

Risk-taking behaviors

• Are they self-medicating with drugs or alcohol?
• Do you see evidence of them engaging in self-injury, such as cutting?
• Are they neglecting their personal safety?

Preoccupation with death or a lack of concern about the future

• Are they overly focused on death or morbid topics?
• Do they seem particularly uninterested in or hopeless about the future or previous goals?
• Are they giving away personal belongings or having conversations that appear to be an effort to make amends or say goodbye?

In the next article in this series, Supporting Your Teen Experiencing Mental Health Challenges, we will cover approaches you can take to start a conversation if you have concerns about your young person’s mental health. We’ll also provide strategies you can use to connect with resources for support.