Mental Health and Substance Abuse In Adolescent

By Angelica Paaga & Dr. Namrata G.R. Raut

(Please note this article is for educational purposes and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment)

Understanding Mental Health

Mental health encompasses our thoughts, emotions, and our coping mechanisms. Parents profoundly shape a child’s mental health; however, the interplay of environmental factors and biological influencers, such as hormones, also play a vital role. Teenagers are a crucial group when it comes to facing mental health challenges. Yearning for validation, teenagers seek attention from parents, friends, and teachers. When teens do not receive acknowledgment and acceptance from these avenues, they rely on other forms of validation, such as social media, school peers, public settings, and therapeutic environments.

During the developmental phase, adolescents undergo significant emotional and hormonal changes that profoundly shape the development of biological systems, including the nervous system [1]. Concurrently, teenagers are heavily influenced by social media, TV shows, videos, online games, etc. Additionally, they face early life stressors like broken homes, abuse, substance abuse, and racial discrimination, all of which can have devastating impacts [1].

Mental health and Substance abuse

Amidst these complexities, adolescents who face early life stressors or mental health challenges are more likely to resort to substances as a coping mechanism [2, 3]. Reliance on substances is particularly notable between the ages of 14–24 years, where approximately 70% of the mental health diagnosis will occur [1, 2]. Despite the growing acceptance of therapy, many adolescents remain undiagnosed and untreated [1, 5] and are often unfairly stigmatized as lazy. Three factors that contribute to substance abuse are:

· Not being heard

· Lack of youth voice and engagement

· Lack of service providers.

Studying Mental Health With MAGIC

I was introduced to the MAGIC’s mentorship program by my school counselor. Initially, I hesitated to apply because I hadn’t yet defined my career aspirations. I became interested in exploring my interest in STEM, and hence, I joined MAGIC, where I was paired with Namrata G.R. Raut, a Research Fellow at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

My mentor and I decided to focus our mentorship on researching mental health because, as a student who goes to a school with a rigorous amount of homework and classes, I recognize the challenges of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. When your mental health is managed appropriately, you can improve your academic achievements, providing endless opportunities for success.

IRB Survey

After learning the biological and environmental components contributing to mental health, I surveyed my school. We created an Institutional Review Board (IRB) questionnaire. IRBs are designed to assess the pros and cons of research involving human participants to protect their rights, privileges, and safety. My school does not have an organized IRB, so my principal served this role for my research data. The principal reviewed the questions and their ethical framework before I distributed the volunteer survey to students on campus.

The questions and the answers from the survey are listed below:

Therapy

Gaining insights from peers and understanding their perspectives was incredibly enlightening. Although mental health is stigmatized and seeking help can be discouraged, therapy proves to be essential and will help to prevent substance abuse in the adolescent group.

Therapy can be an impactful tool for participants to regain control over their lives. The unfortunate reality is that only some seek therapy and are often stigmatized. I firmly advocate that therapy isn’t solely essential for children; parents can benefit, too. Addressing generational trauma and negative behavior patterns in families fosters healthier outcomes in children’s lives. It is important to note, it can be difficult for parents to acknowledge their need for improvements in their own relationship with their children.

The best way to take care of your mental health is to:

• Acknowledge the need to take care of mental health
• Find resources to improve physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Take a break when necessary.
• Find healthy sources of validation.
• Communicate with parents, friends, and teachers.

My journey at MAGIC was incredible; I learned about mental health and appreciated the opportunity.

I would like to thank you, Hollis Roberts and Kourtney Sprague, for editing the blog, the volunteers who took the survey, and everyone at MAGIC.

References

1. Donovan, A., et al., Neuroendocrine mechanisms in the links between early life stress, affect, and youth substance use: A conceptual model for the study of sex and gender differences. Front Neuroendocrinol, 2024. 73: p. 101121.

2. Hawke, L.D., et al., What makes mental health and substance use services youth friendly? A scoping review of literature. BMC Health Serv Res, 2019. 19(1): p. 257.

3. Newcomb, M.E., et al., High Burden of Mental Health Problems, Substance Use, Violence, and Related Psychosocial Factors in Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse Youth and Young Adults. Arch Sex Behav, 2020. 49(2): p. 645–659.

4. Economic, U.N.D.o. and S. Affairs, Definition of youth. 2013, United Nations New York (NY). p. 3.

5. Costello, E.J., et al., Services for adolescents with psychiatric disorders: 12-month data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent. Psychiatr Serv, 2014. 65(3): p. 359–66.