MODULE 7:

Mental Health and Well-Being in Middle and Late Adolescence

Reading: CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health. It’s the way your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your
life. Good mental health leads to positive self-image and in-turn, satisfying
relationships with friends and others. Having good mental health helps you
make good decisions and deal with life’s challenges at home, work, or
school. It is not uncommon for teenagers to develop problems with their
mental health. Problems can range from mild to severe, and can include
depression, anxiety, body esteem issues, and suicide, among others.
Unfortunately, most young people with mental health problems don’t get any
treatment for them. Research shows that effective treatments are available
that can help members of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. If you broke
your leg or came down with pneumonia, you wouldn’t let it go untreated.
Often however, young people ignore mental health problems thinking they
will “snap out of it,” or that they are something to be ashamed of. That kind
of thinking prevents people from getting the help they need. Sometimes
getting help is a matter of understanding mental health issues and changing
your mind about them.

Reading: SELF ESTEEM AND BODY ESTEEM

Does any of this sound familiar? “I’m too tall.” “I’m too short.” “I’m too
skinny.” “If only I were shorter/taller/had curly hair/straight hair/a smaller
nose/longer legs, I’d be happy.”

Are you putting yourself down? If so, you’re not alone. As a teen, you’re
going through lots of changes in your body. And, as your body changes, so
does your image of yourself. It's not always easy to like every part of your
looks, but when you get stuck on the negatives it can really bring down your
self-esteem.

Why Are Self-Esteem and Body Image Important?

Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are worth – and how much
you feel other people value you.

Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect your
mental health and how you behave.

People with high self-esteem know themselves well. Thev’re realistic and find
friends that like and appreciate them for who they are. People with high self-
esteem usually feel more in control of their lives and know their own
strengths and weaknesses.

Body image is how you view your physical self – including whether you feel
you are attractive and whether others like your looks. For many people,
especially people in their early teens, body image can be can be closely
linked to self-esteem.

What Influences a Person’s Self-Esteem?

Puberty and Development

Some people struggle with their self-esteem and body image when they
begin puberty because it’s a time when the body goes through many
changes. These changes, combined with wanting to feel accepted by our
friends, means it can be tempting to compare ourselves with others. The
trouble with that is, not everyone grows or develops at the same time or in
the same way.

Media Images and Other Outside Influences

Our tweens and early teens are a time when we become more aware of
celebrities and media images – as well as how other kids look and how we fit
in. We might start to compare ourselves with other people or media images
(“ideals” that are frequently airbrushed). All of this can affect how we feel
about ourselves and our bodies even as we grow into our teens.

Families and School

Family life can sometimes influence our body image. Some parents or
coaches might be too focused on looking a certain way or “making weight”
for a team sports team. Family members might struggle with their own body
image or criticize their kids’ looks (“why do you wear your hair so long?” or
“how come that pants that fit you?”). This can all influence a person’s self-
esteem, especially if they’re sensitive to others peoples’ comments.

People also may experience negative comments and hurtful teasing about
the way they look from classmates and peers. Although these often come
from ignorance, sometimes they can affect body image and self-esteem.

Common Eating Disorders

The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia
nervosa (usually called simply “anorexia” and “bulimia”). But other food-
related disorders, like avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, binge eating,
body image disorders, and food phobias, are becoming more and more
commonly identified.

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People with anorexia have a real fear of weight gain and a distorted view of
their body size and shape. As a result, they eat very little and can become
dangerously underweight. Many teens with anorexia restrict their food intake
by dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. They hardly eat at all and the small
amount of food they do eat becomes an obsession in terms of calorie
counting or trying to eat as little as possible. Others with anorexia may start
binge eating and purging eating a lot of food and then trying to get rid of
the calories by making themselves throw up, using some type of medication
or laxatives, or exercising excessively, or some combination of these.

[Link]

Bulimia is similar to anorexia. With bulimia, people might binge eat (eat to
excess) and then try to compensate in extreme ways, such as making
themselves throw up or exercising all the time, to prevent weight gain. Over
time, these steps can be dangerous both physically and emotionally. They
can also lead to compulsive behaviors (ones that are hard to stop).
To have bulimia, a person must be binging and purging regularly, at least
once a week for a couple of months. Binge eating is different from going to a
party and “pigging out” on pizza, then deciding to go to the gym the next
day and eat more healthfully

People with bulimia eat a large amount of food (often junk food) at once.
Usually in secret. Sometimes they eat food that is not cooked or might be
still frozen, or retrieve food from the trash. They typically feel powerless to
stop the eating and can only stop once they’re too full to eat any more, or
they may have to go to extreme measures (like pouring salt all over a
dessert to make it inedible) in order to get themselves to stop eating. Most
people with bulimia then purge by vomiting, but also may use laxatives or
excessive exercise. Although anorexia and bulimia are are very ver similar,
people with anorexia are usually very thin and underweight, but those with
bulimia may be an average weight or can be overweight.

Portfolio Output No. 13: Research on Anxiety Disorders/Depression

Among the mental health challenges discussed in class, two of the most
common among middle adolescents are anxiety disorders and depression.
Go to the Library or browse the internet and do a little research on either one
of these.

Reading: SUPPORT STRATEGIES/COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH

RESOURCES

Here are some strategies for supporting someone with mental health
concerns:

 Encourage the person to seek help and support from an adult.

 Spend time with the person, listen to his/her concerns
 Be hopeful; help them feel like their life will get better.
 Stand by them. Invite your friend to things that you are doing; keeping
busy and staying in touch with friends will help your friend feel better,
when they are ready.
  Learn as much as you can about mental illness so that you understand
what is going on for them.
 If you are a close friend or family member of someone with a mental
health problem, make sure that you get help as well. Talk to someone
about what is happening. This will help you be a better support person.
 Put the person’s life before your friendship. If the person mentions
thoughts of suicide, don’t keep it secret, even if the person has asked
you to.

Reading: HELP HOW-TO’S

First Step, Reach Out To People You Trust

Sometimes people don’t get the help they need because they don’t know
where to turn. When you’re not feeling well, it can be a struggle to take the
necessary steps to help yourself get better.

When dealing with mental health or emotional problems, it’s important not to
go at it alone. Healing is a combination of helping yourself and letting others
help you. Comfort and support, information and advice, and professional
treatment are all forms of help.

Think of all the people you can turn to for support. These are people who are
concerned about you and can help comfort you, who will listen to you and
encourage you, and who can help arrange for treatment. In other words, find
caring people in your life who can help

These people might include:

 friends
 parents and other family members
 someone who seems “like a parent” to you
 other adults whose advice you would value perhaps a favorite teacher
or coach, a member of your church or other place of worship, or a good
friend’s parent.

Research shows that males are more reluctant to look for help and receive it
than females are. While some people may have difficulty reaching g out to
others they trust, taking the first step in getting help is important for
everyone to do.
Second Step, Take Action

The more you know, the easier it is

Libraries are an excellent source of information about mental health.

Bookstores often have “self-help” or “psychology” sections. For those with
Internet access, there are many websites related to health and mental
health. Some are better in quality than others. It is important to know if the
information on a site comes from sources you can trust. Use caution
whenever you’re sharing or exchanging information online: there’s a chance
that it will not be kept private.

Nothing is worse than nothing

The consequences of not getting help for mental health problems can be
serious. Untreated problems often continue and become worse, and new
problems may occur. For example, someone with panic attacks might begin
drinking too much alcohol with the mistaken hope that it will help relieve his
or her emotional pain.

It's All In the Attitude

There are many reasons why people do not get help for mental health
problems. Fear, shame, and embarrassment often prevent individuals and
their families from doing anything.

Sometimes being able to get the help, support, and professional treatment
you need is a matter of changing you’re your mind about mental health and
changing the way you react to mental health problems.

Here are some Important reminders:

 Mental health is as important as physical health. In fact, the two are

closely linked
 Mental health problems are real, and they deserve to be treated.
 It’s not a person’s fault if he or she has a mental health problem. No
one is to blame.
  Mental health problems are not a sign of weakness. They are not
something you can “just snap out of” even if you try.
 Whether you’re male or female, it’s ok to ask for help and get it.
 There’s hope. People improve and recover with the help of treatment,
and they are able to enjoy happier and healthier lives.

Reading: HEALTHY EATING AND MENTAL HEALTH

Healthy eating nourishes the body, including the brain, and supports mental
health through:

 Improved overall health and vitality

 Increased ability to concentrate
 Reduced irritability and mood swings
 Lowered risk of mental illness

There is some evidence that healthy eating may be a factor in lowered risk of
depression and improved ability to deal with stress and anxiety (Healthy U
Alberta,2009).

Physical Activity and Mental Health:

Physical activity can make you feel good physically and build confidence.
Evidence suggests that physical activity may contribute to improved mood
and increased self-esteem, self-confidence and sense sense of control (UK
Dept of Health, 2004; Fox, 1999).

Some me type types of physical activity may provide an opportunity to

connect with and develop supportive relationships. Getting physically active
may (CSEP, 2011):

 Make you feel better physically and feel better about yourself.
 Improve your mood.
 Improve self-esteem
 Reduce physical reactions to stress.
  Help you sleep better.
 Give you more energy.

Physical activity may be effective in preventing or reducing symptoms

associated with anxiety and depression. How physical activity improves
mood and relieves anxiety is not yet clear. Some theories propose that
physical activity (UK Dept. of Health, 2004; Fox, 1999):

 Increases body temperature, thus relaxing muscle tension.

 Releases feel-good chemicals that improve mood.
 Offers a “time-out” from worries and depressing thoughts.
 Increases self-confidence, feeling of competence and a sense of
mastery.
 Provides a sense of belonging and mutual support when participating
with others

Sleep and Mental Health

Most teens need 9-11 hours of sleep every night. Problems from not being
fully rested include:

 Irritability
 Difficulty concentrating and learning
 Don’t move information from short-term to long-term memory as well
 Falling asleep in class
 Mood swings and behavior problems
 More accident prone
 More prone to depression.

Suggestions for getting a good night sleep:

 Stay away from stimulants like caffeine in the evening, including

chocolate, colas, and other caffeinated beverages. These delay sleep
and increase night waking.
 Do not go to bed hungry, have a light snack.
 Turn off any TV’s, computes, or cellphones, or just do not have
electronics in the bedroom.
 Disengage from any stimulating activities like exercise, computer
games or talking on the phone for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime.
 Reading is much more relaxing and may help you fall asleep.
 Taking a warm bath or shower helps prepare the body for sleep.
 If you are not feeling rested and functioning at your best most days,
talk to your parents. You may need to speak to a doctor if you are
having problems sleeping in spite of trying the above tips.
 Try a cup of hot milk.