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GUEST COLUMN<br />
Who Will Save Our Sons and Daughters?<br />
The Mental Health of Today’s Youth<br />
One in five young<br />
people suffer from<br />
a mental health<br />
condition, but the good<br />
news is early intervention<br />
has a fundamental impact<br />
on prevention and treatment.<br />
Trusted adults can<br />
inspire hope by providing<br />
support and encouragement<br />
to address observed<br />
mental health challenges.<br />
Adult support is especially<br />
important to our youth’s<br />
mental health during this pandemic<br />
period, when prolonged periods of<br />
isolation may add to distress. As they<br />
say, “It takes a village,” and we need<br />
to check in with our youth and be attentive<br />
and available.<br />
Optimal mental health is a state of<br />
wellbeing that allows the child to realize<br />
their abilities, cope with stress,<br />
work productively, and contribute to<br />
their community. When a mental health<br />
challenge is present, an individual may<br />
experience a major change in thinking,<br />
feeling, and/or behavior which interferes<br />
with their ability to live a full life.<br />
If this interference persists longer than<br />
a typical emotional reaction would be<br />
expected to, early non-professional<br />
support can be crucial.<br />
Mental health support from a nonprofessional<br />
(such as a parent or a<br />
teacher) is not meant to diagnosis or<br />
treat; however, it is vital to early intervention.<br />
When a trusted individual observes<br />
changes, offers support, and listens<br />
without judgment, being respectful<br />
of privacy, it fosters feelings of safety.<br />
Effective youth mental health support<br />
requires active listening, being<br />
fully present and truly listening. Consider<br />
the timing of your approach and<br />
create an opportunity for unhurried<br />
time to interact in private. We have all<br />
experienced negative responses when<br />
we try to force a discussion with someone<br />
who is angry or preoccupied with<br />
other matters. Typically, these efforts<br />
fail to produce any meaningful interaction.<br />
Pressuring a teen to interact<br />
when they are undergoing challenges<br />
JAQUELINE<br />
RAXTER, MA,<br />
LMSW, LPC<br />
SPECIAL TO THE<br />
CHALDEAN NEWS<br />
may contribute to a crisis if<br />
they are not ready to talk.<br />
Better to let them know that<br />
you have observed change(s)<br />
and that you truly care. Even<br />
if rejected initially, let them<br />
know you are available to<br />
listen when they are ready to<br />
talk.<br />
Adult support for challenged<br />
youth is effective<br />
when communicating noted<br />
changes with care, without<br />
nagging or dictating a solution.<br />
Young people, particularly adolescents,<br />
are experiencing a period of<br />
major change and transition in growth<br />
and development. They are undergoing<br />
physical changes in areas of muscle<br />
mass, secondary sex characteristics,<br />
weight, and height. They are also experiencing<br />
social changes typical of adolescence,<br />
such as increased risk taking<br />
and increased peer influence, all while<br />
learning to manage relationships.<br />
They may experiment with social<br />
and cultural identity. In emotional<br />
development, they develop beliefs<br />
about themselves and a sense of self,<br />
and their moods can shift quickly as a<br />
result. They are developing their executive<br />
functioning skills to resolve conflicts,<br />
develop empathy, and learn to<br />
recognize and manage their emotions.<br />
These developments continue through<br />
the early adulthood years.<br />
Non-professionals can be aware<br />
of important signs that may point to a<br />
risk of self-harm or harm to others. The<br />
CDC reports that in the U.S., suicide is<br />
the second leading cause of death for<br />
individuals aged 10 to 34. With an<br />
assessment mindset, we observe and<br />
interact by listening actively, without<br />
judgment, emphasizing that we care<br />
and are there to support and serve as<br />
a link to a professional when needed.<br />
Trusted individuals can help by providing<br />
reassurance, sharing information,<br />
encouraging appropriate professional<br />
help or by looking into self-help<br />
or other support strategies. These actions<br />
can be used in any order to fit<br />
the interaction and to provide hope<br />
and support. A trusted adult can show<br />
concern by prompting discussion and<br />
checking in without judgement on observed<br />
changes in behavior, thinking<br />
or actions.<br />
Allow for uninterrupted expression<br />
of thoughts and feelings and when<br />
appropriate, ask questions without<br />
pushing. Use “I” statements to convey<br />
what you have observed and remember<br />
it is about the young person, not<br />
you. If an immediate crisis indicates a<br />
medical emergency, severe substance<br />
use, severe psychosis, or self-injury,<br />
connect with a professional for immediate<br />
help. Professionals may include<br />
a primary care physician, nurse practitioner,<br />
social worker, professional<br />
counselor, or psychologist.<br />
Recognize that stigma may make it<br />
difficult for young people to talk about<br />
challenges. Other factors such as cultural<br />
beliefs can influence how we<br />
make health decisions. Early intervention<br />
involves recognizing the warring<br />
signs of mental health challenges and<br />
acting before it becomes worse.<br />
We know that early intervention<br />
helps to prevent symptoms from becoming<br />
more serious and lessens the<br />
overall impact on a young person. Individuals<br />
who are a natural support<br />
system, who listen and provide reassurance,<br />
give tangible evidence that<br />
there should never be shame in seeking<br />
support to manage mental health<br />
challenges, just as we would not avoid<br />
seeking support for a medical condition<br />
impacting us negatively.<br />
We refer to signs or symptoms as<br />
something observable; indicators<br />
that an individual recognizes. When<br />
related to a mental health challenge,<br />
the frequency, duration, and impact<br />
of symptoms will direct care decisions.<br />
We are aware of how trauma and adjustments<br />
to significant change and<br />
loss add to an individual’s challenges.<br />
Protective factors, on the other hand,<br />
such as having a trusted individual as<br />
a natural support in our lives, can help<br />
a youth who is struggling.<br />
Most professionals are accessible<br />
Effective youth mental health support requires active listening, being<br />
fully present and truly listening. Consider the timing of your approach<br />
and create an opportunity for unhurried time to interact in private.<br />
for consultation if you are uncertain<br />
about how to best support a particular<br />
youth who is experiencing a challenge.<br />
Reach out directly to a professional<br />
and they can advise you confidentially<br />
and provide details specific to securing<br />
a professional assessment.<br />
Our young people are experiencing<br />
significant challenges while undergoing<br />
development changes which influence<br />
their ability to navigate effectively.<br />
We must be there for our youth;<br />
they are our future!<br />
Jacqueline Raxter, MA, LMSW, LPC is<br />
a Behavioral Health Manager at the<br />
Chaldean Community Foundation<br />
(CCF). CCF’s Project Light licensed<br />
professional tri-lingual (Arabic,<br />
Chaldean, English) therapists provide<br />
consultation and therapy services to<br />
uninsured, under insured and insured<br />
residents of Michigan, age 13 years and<br />
up. Contact them @ (586) 722-7253.<br />
<strong>FEBRUARY</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 7
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