Mental Health in Teens
Over the next fortnight, at the secondary campus, our chapels will be focussing on the mental wellbeing of teenagers – specifically of young men. It is always a delight to work with students in preparing and delivering our chapel services. This fortnight it will be my pleasure to share the services with our Deputy Senior Prefect, Lachlan McKirdy (12/LE).
Lachlan has already been responsible, together with our legendary school counsellor and psychologist, Mr Stan Comino, for a seminar on “mental health” that saw senior leaders from many Sydney schools, both independent and government, attend and gain great benefit. I therefore thought it was appropriate, and hopefully useful, for our message to go out in this current issue of Black and White.
Mental health is a subject that still gets pushed aside by most teenagers, even though most of them know of someone either in their family or in the peer-group who has suffered some form of mental illness. Perhaps the tide is turning and we are hoping that the kind of focus our school has embraced this year will continue to see the tide turn. My hope is that it will be acceptable and normal to talk about mental health, just like we would be aware of physical health issues.
The vast majority of mental health problems will be in the area of depression and anxiety disorders. It is estimated that only 23% of teenagers who suffer from mental illness are diagnosed correctly – the remaining 77% go on into adulthood never having had either identification or treatment.
The signs of depression and anxiety disorder include:
– Boys who are often alone at school
– Changes of mood (eg. Becoming more aggressive or sad)
– Changes in school behaviour (disruptive or fall in grades)
– Becoming more reclusive
– Involvement in excessive alcohol use or other drug use
One of our goals is to increase the commitment of boys towards their peers in “looking out for” each other more actively. There is a simple four step approach we are encouraging:
i) LOOK – for the signs of depression or anxiety
ii) LISTEN – to what others are going through (their experiences)
iii) TALK – about what’s going on in their lives
iv) SEEK HELP – to help them access support (counsellor, chaplain, mentor or doctor)
At the end of the day it is the bond of friendship that will mean the most to someone who is struggling with depression or anxiety but often this needs to be augmented with professional counselling and even sometime appropriate medication.
In addition to those things there exist some fantastic websites that are very helpful and supportive (I didn’t believe this until I visited these myself):
I also want to point you in the direction of spiritual support and sustenance, and some great wisdom from God’s words to us:
“The LORD will help those who are sick, and will restore them to health…be merciful to me, LORD, and restore my health…you will help me as I walk in your paths, you will keep me forever in your Presence.” – Psalm 42
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4: 6—9
David N Williams
College Chaplain
