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Why are Teens So Sad?

Derek Thompson looked into why American Teens Are So Sad and identified Four forces that are propelling the rising rates of depression among young people. From 2009 to 2021, the share of US high-school students who say they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” rose from 26 percent to 44 percent, according to a new CDC study. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded.

So why is this happening?
There are several answers purposed to that question, along with one meta-explanation that ties them together. Here are four forces propelling that increase.

1. Social-media use
Five years ago, the psychologist Jean Twenge wrote an influential and controversial feature in The Atlantic titled “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” based on her book iGen. Around 2012, Twenge wrote, she had noticed that teen sadness and anxiety began to steadily rise in the U.S. and other rich developed countries. She looked for explanations and realized that 2012 was precisely when the share of Americans who owned a smartphone surpassed 50 percent and mobile social-media use spiked.
In the past few years, scientists have disputed the idea that social-media use itself makes teenagers miserable. “There’s been absolutely hundreds of [social-media and mental-health] studies, almost all showing pretty small effects,” Jeff Hancock, a behavioral psychologist at Stanford University who has conducted a meta-analysis of 226 such studies, told The New York Times recently.

2. Sociality is down

Both Steinberg and Twenge stress that the biggest problem with social media might be not social media itself, but rather the activities that it replaces.  “I tell parents all the time that if Instagram is merely displacing TV, I’m not concerned about it,” Steinberg told me. But today’s teens spend more than five hours daily on social media, and that habit seems to be displacing quite a lot of beneficial activity. The share of high-school students who got eight or more hours of sleep declined 30 percent from 2007 to 2019. Compared with their counterparts in the 2000s, today’s teens are less likely to go out with their friends, get their driver’s license, or play youth sports.
The pandemic and the closure of schools likely exacerbated teen loneliness and sadness. A 2020 survey from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education found that loneliness spiked in the first year of the pandemic for everyone, but it rose most significantly for young people. “It’s well established that what protects teens from stress is close social relationships,” Steinberg said. “When kids can’t go to school to see their friends and peers and mentors, that social isolation could lead to sadness and depression, particularly for those predisposed to feeling sad or depressed.”

3. The world is stressful—and there is more news about the world’s stressors

Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist and author, told me that no single factor can account for the rise of teenage sadness. But she believes a part of the answer is that the world has become more stressful. Or, at least, teenagers’ perception of the world seems to be causing them more stress.
“In the last decade teenagers have become increasingly stressed by concerns about gun violence, climate change, and the political environment,” she wrote in an email. “Increased stress among young people is linked to increasing levels of sadness. Girls, more than boys, are socialized to internalize distress, meaning that they tend to collapse in on themselves by becoming depressed or anxious.”

4. Modern parenting strategies

In the past 40 years, American parents—especially those with a college degree—have nearly doubled the amount of time they spend coaching, chauffeuring, tutoring, and otherwise helping their teenage children. The economist Valerie Ramey has labeled this the “rug rat race.” High-income parents in particular are spending much more time preparing their kids for a competitive college admissions process. When I interviewed Ramey about her work in 2019, she told me that she “couldn’t believe the amount of pressure our friends were putting on their kids to get ready for college.”
The “rug rat race” is an upper-class phenomenon that can’t explain a generalized increase in teenage sadness. But it could well explain part of what’s going on. And in the 2020 Atlantic feature “What Happened to American Childhood?,” Kate Julian described a related phenomenon that affects families a bit more broadly: Anxious parents, in seeking to insulate their children from risk and danger, are unintentionally transferring their anxiety to their kids.

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6 Coping Strategies for Young people

Mindfulness

Mindfulness strategies are all about being ‘present’ by connecting with one or more of your five senses. They are sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Try some of these.

Focus on 3 things you can hear, 3 things you can smell, and 3 things your body can physically feel

Touch is a great way to be present – you might stomp your feet, pat your cat or even have a massage

Get absorbed in the moment – playing sport, playing a video game or just having fun with friends is a great way to have a mental break from worries

Focus on really listening to an awesome song

Eat something yummy really slowly, savoring the taste

Splash cool water on your face – this can trigger the ‘mammalian dive reflex’ which is an automatic response that slows your heart rate and brain waves (designed to help us survive when swimming underwater)

Breathing exercises

Breathe naturally, evenly, and at a speed that feels comfortable.

Focus on sending your breath right down to your belly button – so your stomach rises and falls with each breath.

Just keep your breathing even and natural.

Do this for five slow, even breaths.

Take a moment to reflect on how this makes you feel.

Writing

Writing can be an effective means of working through stress. Writing can provide a means of expressing troubling thoughts, as well as gaining a better understanding of what is bothering you.  keeping stressful thoughts and feelings in often causes them to grow, it is important to give your thoughts and feelings a voice – especially when your feelings are raw. Writing your thoughts and feelings allows you to express freely without worry about what others will think or how they will react.

To get the most out of this exercise, try letting the words just come – don’t focus on coherency, spelling, or neatness, instead just try spilling the words onto the paper. Write until you feel done.

Physical Activity

Physical activity can help lessen stress reactions and promote a general feeling of well-being.  Even just a brisk walk for 15 – 20 minutes.  Physical activity causes endorphins to be released, which are the body’s feel-good hormones. Regular exercise can also improve your body’s ability to handle stress in general. It is important not to overdo, wear appropriate gear (comfortable walking shoes, bicycle helmet), and not use this as permission to engage in compulsive or disordered behavior!

Try walking around a new area while listening to your favorite music. It can physically take you away from the stress and perhaps give you a new perspective in the end.

Self-Talk

If we really listen to ourselves, sometimes we say negative things to ourselves: “she doesn’t like me”, “I’m going to screw this up”, “he’s funnier than I am”.  Before you know it, all you’re hearing are negative thoughts whispered in your own voice.  This is called negative self-talk, and it is going to have a negative impact on you in most aspects of your life.  It becomes really difficult to turn the negative soundtrack off.

Using positive self-talk, you can start to hear words of encouragement and support – whispered to you in your own voice. You will be surprised at how different that feels!  Using positive self-talk consistently over a period of time also serves to rewrite the script.

Art

Creative endeavors are a known means of self-expression. Some do not like writing, and sometimes words cannot seem to effectively express your feelings. When using artistic expression as a coping skill the key is not to focus on the end product, but the process of making the art.

Grab a piece of paper and some markers or crayons. Fill the page with color

Drawing
Finger painting

Make a collage.

Painting

 

Coping strategies

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Ski therapy? An Outdoor Twist on Traditional Therapy

Imagine being outside with a blue sunny, sky while you feel the soft snow beneath your skis and you feel the wind on your face.  Any one that downhill or cross country skis will tell you that skiing makes you feel healthy and happy. But while the physical benefits of being outside in nature and skiing are obvious, it has only been in recent studies that science have proved that the mental benefits of snow sports are just as valuable. A study led by Stanford University found that city dwellers have a 20% higher risk of depression than rural residents and a 40% increased risk of mood disorders. 

No stranger to finding creative ways to connect people to nature, Heather Hendrie is a Squamish based clinician who offers Ski Therapy in addition to her regular clinical practice. As an avid skier, former ski instructor and outdoor guide, Heather hopes to add ski therapy sessions to her suite of offerings this winter.  Heather became interested in the healing power of nature through her healing journey, where nature provided great relief and a sense of perspective leading her to pursue a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counselling, specializing in Wilderness Therapy.  Ski therapy seems a good fit for Hendrie, who made headlines when she created the “Lifts of Love” event in Banff.  An annual singles speed dating event held at Mount Norquay. It follows naturally that she’d take her therapeutic work to the chairlifts and groomed trails.   I caught up with Heather to discuss this interesting form of therapy.  

What is Ski Therapy? 

Heather describes Ski Therapy as a playful, Nature Based  way to connect with a therapist while moving one’s body.  The therapeutic process is at work while breathing fresh air, taking in the surrounding scene and engaging in bi lateral movement that is proving to support significant reductions in the levels of both bodily distress and emotional stress. These combined emotional physical and physiological benefits could make ski therapy a real 2 for 1 type practice, and ideal for people who’d like to try a novel approach in therapy. 

Where do you offer Ski Therapy? 

Heather hopes to offer sessions through maintained cross country skiing trails at the Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley.  Making this therapeutic modality accessible to more people is currently a passion of Heather’s, as skiing has historically been such an exclusive pursuit. 

Do you need to know how to ski?

While Heather’s background is as a guide and instructor, the focus of ski therapy is healing and relief from symptoms, rather than the technical aspects of the sport. 

ski therapy 3

What theoretical approaches do you use? 

Heather applies a Transpersonal, humanistic, mindfulness-based, experiential approach to her work, inspired by such leaders as Rogers, Maslow, Van Der Kolk and Peter Levine.  

How do you manage confidentiality with others around? 

Confidentiality looks different outdoors than when sessions are conducted within the confines of an office, but fortunately, the field of therapy is increasingly being de-stigmatized. That said, Heather mitigates any concern in this area by always addressing consent and confidentiality with a client before beginning work together.  

 

Interested in learning more about Ski Therapy? Check out https://heatherhendrie.com/

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Problematic Smartphone use, Nature Connectedness and Anxiety

Problematic Smartphone use, Nature Connectedness and Anxiety

Richardson et al dig into how these 3 items relate to one another.  Society’s disconnection from nature has paralleled an increase in smartphone use.  Some findings from their research:

  • Human relationships with nature bring mental well being at a time of huge demand on health services
  • Nature connectedness benefits?  Life satisfaction, Meaningfulness, Vitality, Happiness, Higher self esteem, Mindfulness, Balanced emotional regulation
  • Selfie taking and phone use emerging as predictors of decreased connectedness with nature
  • Nature connectedness is a key part of a healthy life and planet

 

Problematic Smartphone use, Nature Connectedness and Anxiety, 2017, Richardson et al, University of Derby

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6 ways to have a healthy online life

1) Get some exercise

There’s emerging evidence of skeletal and muscle problems in the neck, thumbs, and backs of heavy texters, gamers and computer users. All that sedentary time spent in front of screens is producing a less fit generation.  Experts say regular exercise to improve cardiovascular health and increase strength can counteract some of those screen time effects. And many studies have documented the effectiveness of exercise in reducing depression and anxiety.

2) Get some face to face time

Some adults complain young people have lost social skills as a result of immersing themselves in technology, and due to their preference for texting over talking. Practice eye contact and conversation skills by making time for in-person socializing, which studies show also creates a stronger sense of connectedness … the human kind!

3) Get Balanced

Like a healthy, balanced diet, a healthy screen life means moderation. Dr. Michael Rich is professor of pediatrics at Harvard University and head of the Center on Media and Child Heath at Boston’s Children Hospital. He says media technologies aren’t going away, but they need to be seen as just one part of a child’s day, along with many other activities, such as recreation, school and homework, and time with friends and family. He says parents shouldn’t just limit time with technology; they should encourage kids to make conscious choices about filling their days with a variety of activities.

4) Get picky

Many of us have embraced technology blindly, succumbing to the seduction of constant distraction and the endless novelty of cute cat videos. Experts say a healthy approach to technology means using it for what it does well, and learning to filter out the “noise.”
Stanford University professor emeritus Don Roberts has extensively studied the effects of media on young people. He says parents can help kids become smarter consumers of technology and critical thinkers by talking to them about the content they view and listen to on-line.

5) Get Natural

Researchers say spending time in nature is an antidote to the physical, mental, and emotional stress technology use puts on our bodies and brains. It increases Vitamin D stores depleted by too much time indoors in front of screens and improves distance vision.
It’s been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorders. Schools that include time outdoors have higher standardized test scores in math, reading and writing.

6) Get a good book

Various studies show reading engages parts of the brain that involve imagination, creativity and the senses. Regular readers have better verbal and critical thinking skills, and a lower risk of developing dementia. That’s in contrast to electronic media consumption, which is usually a cognitively passive activity.

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/teens-online-health/

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