Teenagers Reflect on Mental Health Issues 

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Many teens are going through stress-related issues, including depression and suicidal thoughts. This has been the case especially since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Therapy is one way many they express their emotions or talk about their personal problems. Research shows that speaking about one’s inner feelings to a trusted person can help address mental health issues.

Youth like Hawa Traore said they enjoy therapy, or doing therapeutic activities to express themselves. Hawa, 15, said that she has a therapist because she is not good at solving problems or talking about her feelings.

“If I didn’t have a therapist I would not know what to do for real,” said Hawa, who has started drawing. “It’s like you can put your emotions onto paper without having to verbally talk about it,” she  said.

How Teens Tackle Their Mental Health Issues 

Hawa and other teens are seeking therapy at a time when violence in schools across the country is on the rise. This continued especially after the pandemic started. Mental health issues in youth may cause attacks or violence in schools.

According to a survey conducted in 2021, 91 percent of school attackers showed signs of depression, suicidal thoughts, or anger. Ninety-four percent of school attackers had at least one noticeable “home life factor” which includes domestic violence or abuse, parental divorce or separation, financial difficulty, and family mental health issues.

School attacks do not always have to be as major as school shootings. They include bullying, stealing from fellow classmates and arguing which can lead to a physical fight. Many small school incidents often go overlooked by whoever is in charge. 

Physical fights are becoming more common in high schools. Fighting in school takes away from the education and is a distraction for students. 

“The students that go to my school are always starting fights with each other,” said Hawa, who attends a Prince George’s County high school.

“It’s so disrespectful and disruptive because  their altercations mess with everyone’s day. I think when these students are very angry or upset and don’t know how to properly express it or can’t talk to people, it leads to these constant altercations,” she added. 

Dr. Avital Deskalo, a therapist with nearly eight years of experience, said that many teenagers may suffer from anger, sadness, and depression. During the pandemic, she has seen firsthand what stress can do to youth. 

“Without counseling or mental guidance, they may yell at peers, or teachers, leave the classroom, start fights, commit minor crimes like stealing items from a store, along with other various acts,” said Dr. Deskalo. 

“Fighting and being aggressive towards other people can be a way of coping with stress or depression,” she added. “The pandemic caused them to miss out on seeing friends, causing them to be down.” 

How Life Changes Spark Anxiety

Alyssa Scott, a homeschool student in the 10th grade, has been confronting social anxiety as she goes out into the post-pandemic world. She said living with a schizophrenic sibling is stressful at times. Although she talks to a therapist, Alyssa also likes to journal to express her feelings. She said doesn’t like to talk when she is angry or upset. 

Alyssa fears that if she doesn’t have a therapist, her emotions will spiral out of control. When she openly expresses her emotions, she deals with each one differently. When she is happy, Alyssa becomes affectionate and polite. When she is angry, she doesn’t talk much at all. When she is feeling sad, she cries for hours. 

Alyssa often sees people who are violent or aggressive and do not know how to properly express themselves. She said she can teach others to communicate about how they feel instead of fighting, drinking alcohol, or using drugs.

“When I deal with people who express themselves in wrongful ways I know that they grew up differently from what I group up around so all I can do is teach them to do the right thing, or express themselves in a healthier way, instead of doing drugs, underage alcohol drinking, or aggressive behavior,” Alyssa said.