Is Your Teen Battling Anxiety?

HIGH SCHOOL CAN BE A PRESSURE COOKER FOR YOUR TEEN. LEARN TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF ANXIETY AND STRESS, AND HELP THEM THROUGH IT

- Deanne Repich

At this time of year, many teenagers begin to feel the pressure and stress that comes with a new school year. Whether it’s the unknown territory of starting a different school, the academic leap for grade eight pupils, or those entering their matric year, high school is a battleground on which many teens come face to face with anxiety and depression. Research indicates that today’s teens are more stressed than any other, with the highest rate of mental illness compared to previous generations.

Dr Wendy Duncan, a child psychiatrist at Oxford Healthcare Centre in Joburg, says the expectations and demands on young people today are extreme. ‘This doesn’t only start in adolescence but has been set up quite early on. For some reason society – schools, families, communities – seems to expect that our youth be scholastically bright, socially and emotionally astute, physically strong and able on the sports field, as well as creative and artistic.’ Combined with hefty workloads and extramural activities, navigating the hormonal changes that accompany adolescence and ‘fitting in’ socially, the high school years can be quite a stressful period.

‘There’s very little downtime on a day-to-day basis for modern teens,’ adds Wendy. ‘Moreover, the choice of downtime is often not restful as it’s spent on phones/ devices where the “school yard” persists. Social interactions and conflicts play out after hours over electronic devices and these spaces can be brutal to say the least.’ Add modern life’s escalating issues to the mix – global political and economic unrest, environmental issues, addiction to screens and social media – and teens are not only stressing about their immediate situation, but also about their future and the need to be seen as living ‘the perfect life’ digitally.

DID YOU KNOW?