Mental health is a significant concern for everyone- even more so for teens. More Australian teenagers are experiencing stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges today than ever. For this reason, it is now imperative to find and establish preventative rather than curative measures.
One of the most efficient means to help young ones manage mental health concerns is by teaching them the right techniques to navigate daily life. However, all these skills require a foundational structure of mental resilience.
Here is some insight into the importance of building mental resilience in young people.
What is mental resilience?
Mental resilience refers to a young person’s ability to cope with life’s ups and downs. In addition to weathering life’s shifts, mental resilience also references a youth’s ability to bounce back from the hardships they experience both in their past and their present. Some examples of difficulties they may face include a loved one’s demise, moving to a new home and facing academic challenges.
Developing mental resilience helps young people not only deal with current struggles that are a part of everyday life but also build the basic abilities and behaviours that will help them deal with trials later in life, well into adulthood.
Mental resilience is crucial for young people’s mental health. Those with greater mental strength are more capable of managing stress- a typical response to challenging events. It is important to control stress levels as severe or ongoing stress presents a higher risk for mental health conditions.
Where does resilience come from?
Resilience is partly a product of your innate characteristics (i.e. those you are born with), including your personality, genes and temperament. But, conversely, it is also partly shaped by the environment in which you grow up, your community, family and the broader society. Hence while some things, like your biological makeup, may be unchangeable, there are numerous others you can change.
How can you build a young person’s mental resilience?
The most current research discovered that five areas offer the best chance for building mental resilience in young people.
As a parent, caregiver, or significant adult, you can help your charge develop essential habits, skills and attitudes for developing mental resilience at home by helping them to:
- Form good relationships with others, including peers and adults.
- Build up their independence.
- Learn how to identify, articulate and manage their emotions.
- Build their confidence by taking on and facing personal challenges.
You can also do some simple things to boost a young person’s mental resilience in the areas listed above. Therefore, it may be best to look deeper into each suggestion and consider how you may tailor it to match your charge’s personality and preferences. In addition, you may be able to establish alternatives and additional measures.
Beyond teaching them the right skills and identifying how their culture and upbringing affect mental resilience, you must also consider yourself an example. For instance, demonstrating how to develop coping skills and teaching them about problem-solving can equip young people with a practical exhibition of how these abilities help them face different challenges and build their mental resilience.
Finally, it may be best to talk to your doctor if a young person in your care is currently experiencing challenges, stress or hardships in their everyday life, and these adversities are, conversely, affecting their wellbeing.
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