Adolescence - What's going on with teenage mental health?

Is now really the worst time in history to be a teenager? This week, health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson take on a topic that worries many parents: teenage mental health.

Helping them wade through the misinformation is Lucy Foulkes, a psychologist at the University of Oxford who specialises in teenage mental health and social development.  She explains why adolescence is such a vulnerable time for the brain, and why it lasts much longer than you might expect. She also shares a surprising idea about whether all our talk about mental health might have unexpected downsides.

Are smartphones really villain they're made out to be, or is something bigger going on? Cat and Helen come away with practical ideas for supporting the teenagers in their lives, and a few habits they need to change themselves.

Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Email us at changeyourmind@newscientist.com

If you're struggling with any of the issues discussed in this episode, support is available from the UK Samaritans and the US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Produced by Emily Bird.

Find out more about Adolescent Mental Health at New Scientist:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2443636-is-youth-mental-health-really-worse-today-than-it-was-decades-ago/ 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495265-matt-richtel-grapples-with-how-modern-life-is-warping-adolescence/ 

Lucy’s reading list: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Their-World-Adolescence-ParentingTM/dp/B0DJHQJXVH/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Screensaver-Judgement-Free-Guide-Childs-Smartphone/dp/1805226479