I popularize science, you listen | Factors that affect adolescent mental health

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Q: The Chinese Academy of Sciences released the "Chinese National Mental Health" in 2021, which shows that the detection rate of depression among adolescents is as high as 24.6%, which means that one in every five adolescents may be depressed. So, what are the main factors affecting adolescent mental health?

Answer: So far, the scientific cause of mental illness is not very clear, but it is certain that many biological, psychological and environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis of depression. Biological and psychological factors mainly involve genetics, neuroendocrine and other aspects. Psychological factors include personality foundation and personality characteristics, plus the sensitive and contradictory inner heart during adolescence. Family, school and social environment have an impact. Among them, family relationships have a profound impact on the psychological construction of adolescents.

Q: So how can we prevent mental health problems among teenagers?

Answer: The whole society should pay attention to the maintenance of adolescent mental health. The occurrence and development of mental illness is a continuous chronic disease process. It is very necessary for parents and teachers to understand the emotional behavior of adolescents and correctly guide their personalized training:

1. Campus culture construction: nurturing and supportive parenting is the most powerful protective factor for mental health. Parents and teachers need to pay special attention to the behavior of adolescents of different ages and provide psychological counseling and support in a timely manner.

2. The healthy growth of adolescents is inseparable from a warm and safe family relationship and environment. We need to create a harmonious family atmosphere, accept attention, and parents should provide more support and companionship to their children, and lead them to participate in more sports and social activities to reduce loneliness.

3. If the support system around you cannot help your child, it is recommended to seek professional help and treatment as soon as possible.

The consultation and treatment of adolescent mental health problems requires scientific, systematic and individualized treatment.

① Psychological consultation and psychotherapy: Professionals need to conduct systematic assessments of individuals, understand relevant risk factors, identify problems that can be improved, and conduct mental health education. For adolescents, whose outlook on life and the world are still being formed, psychological guidance is more effective. Adolescents themselves and their parents participate in the treatment together;

② Drug treatment: Patients diagnosed with moderate or above symptoms of mental illness should not easily reject drug treatment. If necessary, they can seek help from psychiatrists to provide necessary drug intervention, which can achieve good treatment results. Here is a special reminder: Mental illness cannot rely solely on drugs, and there is too much expectation of drug help; whether it is drug treatment or psychological counseling and treatment, it requires science + artistry, such as the counseling relationship, the size of the drug dosage, the course of treatment, and the adjustment of time, including the setting of psychological counseling, the frequency of meetings, etc. There is no same plan that can suit everyone. Everyone has different difficulties and coping methods, and psychological treatment, drug selection, etc. are different. Individualized treatment may be the best treatment method.