Positive Mental Health in Adolescents – What Works

Adolescence and Mental Health Most mental health difficulties commence adolescence. Adolescents are concerned about mental health. Early intervention usually works best.

Risk and Protective Factors Risk Factors Protective Factors Poverty Experience of abuse Exposure to war Premature birth Parental psychopathology Large family size Family trauma Close bond with at least one other person Positive adult role models Empathy with others A set of values Peer contact Family harmony Willingness and capacity to plan

Factors we can influence – 3 positive coping strategies Many factors are beyond individual control. Focus on what can be controlled. Teaching positive coping strategies helps.

Positive Coping Strategy 1 Exercise Rise in mental health difficulties correlates with the emergence of sedentary life-styles Rise in depressive symptoms amongst adolescent females correlates with decrease in activity levels Excessive screen-time linked with mental health difficulties in adolescents

Positive Coping Strategy 1 Exercise Physical activity linked to improved mood, reduced anxiety, improved health, improved sleep pattern, improved attention/ concentration, increased retention of learning Benefits are dose-dependent Improvements are immediate No financial costs No negative side effects

Strategy 1 Exercise Start with five minutes per day. Do activity you like – walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, football, yoga… Model for others, join in... For added benefits be active in a group.

Positive Coping Strategy 2 Relationships Long term resilience based on effective relationship skills A network of good relationships predicts longevity and good health into old age

Positive Coping Strategy 2 Relationships Prioritise spending time together one to one; listen; praise and support. By modelling effective skills for developing and maintaining relationships, we help young people to develop these skills to cope with adult relationships.

Teach active problem-solving skills Positive Coping Strategy 3 Teach active problem-solving skills Passive approaches to problems: pretending the problem doesn’t exist, blaming others, doing something that is easy but won’t address the problem, taking drugs/ alcohol… Model active approaches to problem solving: identifying what the problem is, figuring out which bits you can control, making a plan, implementing a plan, reviewing the plan...

Teach active problem solving skills Positive Coping Strategy 3 Teach active problem solving skills Analyse the problem What happened? What am I feeling? What thoughts are going through my head? Is there another way to interpret this...thinking errors… What would I tell a friend who was having this problem?

Teach active problem solving skills Positive Coping Strategy 3 Teach active problem solving skills What are the possible solutions to this problem? Think of three. What will happen if I do option A, option B, option C…. What is the best one to pick?

Conclusion If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night with a mosquito. The Dalai Lama

Further supports The Friends Programme Relax Kids https://www.annafreud.org https://www.aware-ni.org https://spunout.ie