Module 7:

Mental Health and Well-

Being in Middle and Late
Adolescence
Objectives:
1. Interpret the concepts of mental
health and psychological well- being in
everyday observations about mental
health problems during adolescence.
2. Identify your own vulnerabilities.
3. Create a plan to stay mentally healthy
during adolescence.
Mental health is the level of psychological
well-being or an absence of mental illness. It is
the state of someone who is "functioning at a
satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral
adjustment".
Reading: Change Your Mind About Mental
Health
Mental Health. It's the way your thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors affect your life. Good
mental health leads to positive self- image and
in- turn, satisfying relationships with friends and
others.
Having good mental health helps you make
good decisions and deal with life's challenges at
home, work or school.
It is not uncommon for teenagers to develop
problems with their mental health. Problems
can range from mild to severe, and can
include depression, anxiety, body esteem
issues, and suicide among others.
Unfortunately, most young people with
mental health problems don't get any
treatment for them.
Reading: Self Esteem and Body Esteem
Does any of this sound familiar? “I'm too tall.”, “I'm
too short”, “I'm too skinny”, If only I were shorter/tallerhad
curly hair/straight hair/a smaller nose/longer legs, I'd be
happy.”
Are you putting yourself down? If so, you are not
alone. As a teen, you're going through lots of changes in
your body. And, as your body changes, so does your
image of yourself. It's not always easy to like every part
of your looks, but when you get stuck on the negatives it
can really bring down your self- esteem.
Why are self- esteem and body image important?
Self Esteem is all about how much you feel you are
worth and how much you feel other people value you.
Self esteem is important because feeling good about
yourself can affect your mental health and how you
behave.
People with high self esteem know themselves well.
They're realistic and find friends that like and appreciate
them for who they are. People with high self- esteem
usually feel more in control of their lives and know their
own strengths and weaknesses.
 Body Image is how you view your
physical self including whether you
feel you are attractive and whether
others like your looks. For many
people, especially people in their early
teens, body image can be closely
linked to self- esteem.
What Influences a Person's Self- Esteem?
 Puberty and Development
Some people struggle with their self- esteem
and body image when they begin puberty because
it's time when the body goes through many
changes. These changes, combined with wanting to
feel accepted by our friends, means it can be
tempting to compare ourselves with others. The
trouble with that is, not veryone grows or develops
at the same time or in the same way.
Media images and other Outside Influences
Our tweens and early teens are a time when
we become more aware of celebrities and
media images as well as how other kids look
and how we fit in. We might start to compare
ourselves with other people or media images
(ideals that are frequently airbrushed). All of this
can affect how we feel about ourselves and our
bodies even as we grow into our teens.
Families and School
Family life can sometimes influence our body image. Some
parents or coaches might be too focused on looking a certain
way or “making weight” for a sports team. Family members
might struggle with their own body image or criticize their kids'
looks (”why do you wear your hair so long?” or “how come you
can't wear pants that fit you?”).
This can all influence a person's self- esteem, especially if
they're sensitive to other peoples' comments.
People also may experience negative comments and
hurtful teasing about the way they look from classmates and
peers. Although these often come from ignorance, sometimes
they can affect body image and self- esteem.
Common Eating Disorders
The most eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and
bulimia nervosa (usually called simply “Anorexia” and “bulimia”).
Anorexia
--People with anorexia have areal fear of weight gain and a
distorted view of their body size and shape. as a result, they eat very
little and can become dangerously underweight.
--Many teens with anorexia restrict their food intake by dieting,
fasting, or excessive exercise. Others with anorexia may start binge
eating and purging-- eating a lot of food and then trying to get rid of the
calories by making themselves throw up, using some type of
medication or laxatives, or exercising excessively or some combination
of these.
Bulimia
--It is similar to anorexia. With bulimia, people might
binge eat (eat to excess) and then try to compensate in
extreme ways, such as making themselves throw up or
exercising all the time. to prevent weight gain.
--Over time, these steps can be dangerous both
physically and emotionally. They can also lead to compulsive
behaviors (ones that are hard to stop).

Note: Although anorexia and bulimia are very similar, people with
anorexia are usually very thin and underweight, but those with
bulimia may be an average weight or can be overweight.
Reading: Support Strategies/Community Mental
Health Resources
Here are some strategies for supporting someone
with mental health concerns:
1. Encourage the person to seek help and support from
an adult.
2. Spend time with the person, listen to his/her concerns.
3. Be hopeful; help them feel like their life will get better.
4. Stand by them. Invite your friend to things that you are
doing; keeping busy and staying in touch with friends will
help your friend feel better when they are ready.
5. Learn as much as you can about mental illness
so that you understand what is goin on for them.
6. If you are a close friend or family member of
someone with a mental health problem, make sure
that you get help as well. Talk to someone about
what is happening. This will help you be a better
support person.
7. Put the person's life before your friendship. If the
person mentions thoughts of suicide, don't keep it
secret, even if the person has aked you to.
Reading: Help How- To's
First step, Reach Out to People You Trust

Friends Parents and Other

family members
People
who can
help YOU
Other adults whose advice
Someone who seems you would VALUE- favorite
“like a parent” to YOU teacher or coach, member
of church
Second Step, Take Action

“The more you know, the easier it is”

Nothing is worse than nothing

The consequences of not getting help for mental health
problems can be serious. Untreated problems often continue
and become worse and new problems may occur. For
example, someone with panic attacks might begin drinking too
much alcohol with the mistaken hope that it will help relieve
his/ her emotional pain.
It's All in the ATTITUDE
There are many reasons why people do not get
help for mental health problems. Fear, shame, and
embarrassment often prevent individuals and their
families from doing anything.
Sometimes being able to get the help, support
and professional treatment you need is a matter of
changing your mind about mental health and
changing the way you react to mental health
prblems.
Here are some important reminders:
• Mental health is as important as physical health
• Mental health problems are real and they deserve to be
treated.
• It's not a person's fault if he/ she has a mental health problem.
No one is to blame.
• Mental health problems are not a sign of weakness. they are
not something you can “just snap out of” even if you try.
• Whether you are male or female, it;s ok to ask for help and get
it.
• There's hope. People improve and recover with the help of
treatment and they are able to enjoy happier and healthier
Reading: Healthy Eating and Mental Health
Healthy eating nourishes the body including the brain
and supports mental health through:
1. improved overall health and vitality
2. increased ability to concentrate
3. reduced irritability and mood swings
lowered risk of mental illness

There is some evidence that healthy eating may be a

factor in lowered risk of depression and improved ability to
deal with stress and anxiety (Healthy U Alberta, 2009).
Physical Activity and Mental Health
Physical Activity can make you feel
good physically and build confidence.
Evidence suggests thay physical activity
may contribute to improve mood and
increase self- esteem, self- confidence and
sense of control (UK Dept. of Health, 2004;
Fox, 1999)
 Some types of physical activity may provide an
opportunity to connect with others and develop
supportive relationships. Getting physically active may:
(CSEP, 2011)
Make you feel better physically and feel better about
yourself
Improved your mood
Improved self- esteem
Reduce physical reactions to stress
Help you sleep better
Give you more energy
Sleep and Mental Health
Most teens need 9-11 hours of sleep every night.
Problems from not being fully rested include:
 Irritability
 Difficult concentrating and learning
 Don't move information from short- term to long- term
memory as well
 Falling asleep in class
 Mood swwings and behavior problems
 More accident prone
 More prone to depression
Suggestions for getting a good night sleep:
Stay away from stimulants like caffeine in the evening,
including chocolate, colas, and other caffeinated
beverages. These delay sleep and increase night
waking.
Do not go to bed hungry, have a light snack.
Turn off any TV's, computes, or cellphones, or just do
not have electronics in the bedroom.
Disengage from any stimulating activities like
exercises, computer games or talking on the phone for
at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime.
Reading is much more relaxing and may help you
fall sleep.
Taking a warm bath or shower helps prepare the
body for asleep.
If you are not feeling rested and functioning at
your best most days, talk to your parents. You
may need to speak to a doctor if you are having
problems sleeping in spite of trying the above tips.
Try a cup of hot milk.