Teenagers’ mental wellbeing

Mental health problems in teenagers are increasing in frequency and severity in Australia. We offer support and understanding to promote your teenagers mental wellbeing.

Stigma in our Australian Culture

Statistics show that mental health problems in teenagers are already as common as physical health problems like asthma. Young people aged 18-24 have the highest number of mental health problems of any age group in our population. However there is still a stigma in our culture meaning teenagers are not always able to talk openly about problems. At Barrenjoey Psychology on our northern beaches we have both male and female Psychologists. These professionals have experience working with young people and their families. Early intervention is something we all feel strongly about as Psychologists. Teenagers find it difficult to talk with their friends and family. Teenagers with problems can begin to develop negative patterns of thinking and behaviours. This can lead to increased suicide risk, drug and alcohol misuse and disruption to their psychological educational and social development.

Trauma

Many teenagers will be exposed to traumatic events including life threatening events. This may be  a car accident or the sudden death of a loved one. Trauma usually involves a sense of fear, helplessness or horror. Traumatic events can shake our belief in our safety or trust in others. Sometimes we have nightmares and flashbacks after these events. These feelings may resolve within a few days or weeks which us expected. These symptoms can persist for months or even years without early intervention.

Social Anxiety

Teenagers have more challenges socially with the use of social media and different communication methods. Our young people have a constantly changing platform of communication methods from testing to snapchat and instagram. Our psychologists find it more common for teenagers to suffer problems with body image and social phobia or social anxiety. People with these problems have  distressing physical symptoms when talking to others like blushing, having a racing heart or not being able to think. They may find they are needing to avoid most social situations and become quiet and shy.

Confidentiality

The Barrenjoey Psychologists will encourage a young person to tell their parent or guardian they will be seeking psychological treatment. In your first appointment you will be given information about the service and assessed to see if you are able to understand and agree to psychological treatment. Any exceptions to your privacy and confidentiality will be explained and are also published on this website.

If you are in crisis or require urgent care please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or call 000 for an ambulance.