A Look at The Most Common Mental Illnesses Affecting Teens Today 

As it stands, approximately one-fifth of our nation's teens encounter traits of a mental disorder at any given time. Among these millions of teens, 50-70% will endure mental health problems before 18. When it comes to the restoration of said mentally ill teens, early intervention can mean the difference between overcoming mental illness throughout adolescence and suffering life-long mental health-related problems. That said, the troubled teen experts at Clearview Girls Academy want to support parents by informing them about the most common mental illnesses that most commonly influence today's teenage demographic.

Below, we have provided parents with a brief, albeit, intimate look at today's most common teenage mental illnesses. We hope that educating parents about the most common mental health disorders affecting our nation will encourage them to seek the most appropriate treatment for their son or daughter if and when the time comes for them to do so.

The Most Common Mental Illnesses Among Troubled Teens

Anxiety Disorders

Apart from depression, anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illnesses affecting America's teens today - roughly 6% of teens are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

Anxiety disorders are defined as mental illnesses characterized by severe feelings of worry, anxiousness, or fear. These anxious-fueled symptoms are typically debilitating enough to interfere with a teen's day-to-day living significantly. For clinically anxious teens, everyday worries - such as talking in front of other people, performing in school or other activities, putting time into how they look, etc. - are intensified, making it difficult to accomplish even the most mundane tasks or goals.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-Deficit Disorder, or more generally known as ADHD, affects approximately 5% of teens. ADHD is identified as a chronic disorder, including the inability to pay attention, hyperactivity, and frequently acting on impulsive responses. 

ADHD is an ailment that typically persists long for extended periods - in many cases; symptoms are lifelong - meaning that it is not a diagnosis that can be remedied. However, with intensive treatment support, ADHD-affected teens can learn and acquire new skills to live healthily, normal lives.

Major Depression

For those unaccustomed to the disorder, major depression is defined as feeling extreme sadness that is severe enough to diminish an individual's capability to carry on with their everyday lives. Major depression also happens to be the most common illnesses affecting teens today. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), roughly 9% of teens are afflicted by major depression. Of these millions of teens, 70% report having a severe impairment.  

While it is quite common, depression is also one of the most dangerous illnesses requiring immediate, professional, psychiatric treatment. Failure to receive such therapy can result in tragic consequences, especially in the case of teenagers - a demographic whose third foremost cause of death is by way of suicide.

This sentiment is particularly troubling, considering that nearly 60% of majorly depressed teens do not treat their potentially deadly illnesses.  

Depression is commonly treated with a combination of clinical therapy sessions and medications. However, it should be noted that traditional therapy is not always helpful in treating the most severe kinds of depressive symptoms. For severely affected teens, residential treatment is by far the most viable option.

How Does Clearview Girls Academy Rehabilitate Mentally Ill Troubled Teens?

While we are a Christ-centered facility, an essential part of the Clearview Girls Academy therapeutic boarding school program is therapy - given by qualified professional therapists who carry out clinical services. Upon admission to our boarding school, each resident is assessed by a clinician using various techniques, including formal testing, to determine their unique psychosocial and mental health needs. After the assessment, the treatment team created an individual treatment plan to address the needs of the individual.

Teens have regular individual counseling sessions with treating clinicians. The cutting-edge therapy in use at Clearview is well-known and clinically validated "Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy" approach. 

However, clinicians draw from various theoretical schools of thought, depending on the teen's needs. Systematically, teens participate in co-therapy sessions involving two or more clinicians. Additionally, several therapeutic team members meet with teens periodically to assess their progress and provide support. Parents are regularly asked to participate in person or by phone in family therapy sessions. Some challenges require more routine interventions. Decisions are made flexibly on a case-by-case basis.

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