Mental Health for Adolescents

While many adolescents experience positive mental health, an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents has had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.1 The good news is that promoting positive mental health can prevent some problems. For young people who do have mental health disorders, early intervention and treatment can help reduce the impact on their lives.

It is a normal part of development for teens to experience a wide range of emotions. For instance, it is typical for them to feel anxious about school and friendships or to go through a period of depression after the loss of a loved one. However, mental health disorders are characterized by persistent symptoms that affect how a young person feels, thinks, and acts. Mental health disorders can interfere with regular activities and daily functioning, such as relationships, schoolwork, sleeping, and eating.2

Get Help

If you notice warning signs and need help, consult your health care provider or mental health professional. In life-threatening situations, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. In a crisis, you can call or text 988 to reach trained counselors in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network (available in English or Spanish). For TTY users, use your preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 988.

Visit NIMH’s Help for Mental Illness page, also available in Spanish, for more details and to identify treatment options in your area.

Common Mental Health Warning Signs

Mental health is more than just the presence or absence of symptoms. Because adolescents experience symptoms differently, identifying and diagnosing a mental health disorder can be challenging.3 According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an adolescent might need help if they:

  • Lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy
  • Have low energy
  • Have difficulty sleeping or eating
  • Spend more time alone and avoid social activities
  • Excessively exercise, diet, and/or binge eat
  • Harm themselves (e.g., burning or cutting their skin)
  • Use alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
  • Engage in risky or destructive behavior
  • Have thoughts of suicide
  • Think their mind is being controlled or is out of control or hear things other people cannot hear

Common Mental Health Disorders in Adolescence

Common mental health disorders in adolescence include those related to anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. While less common, eating disorders have higher mortality rates than other mental health disorders.

Anxiety disorders

  • Definition: Conditions involving excessive uneasiness, worry, or fear that interfere with daily life and routines
  • Examples: Generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias
  • Prevalence: In 2023, approximately 16.1% of 12- to 17-year-olds had a current anxiety diagnosis,4 while 31.9% will experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their teen years.5
  • Recent trends: Global reports indicate that clinically elevated anxiety symptoms—roughly 1 in 5—nearly doubled during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.6

Depression

  • Definition: Severe sadness or low mood that affects how someone thinks, feels, and does daily activities
  • Examples: Major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder
  • Prevalence: In 2023, approximately 8.4% of 12- to 17-year-olds had a current depression diagnosis.4

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

  • Definition: A developmental disorder characterized by an ongoing pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity
  • Prevalence: During 2020-2022, approximately 14.3% of 12- to 17-year-olds had ever been diagnosed with ADHD.7

Eating disorders

  • Definition: Serious disturbances in a person's eating behaviors, such as restricted or excessive eating
  • Examples: Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder
  • Prevalence: Almost 3% of 13- to 18-year-olds have ever had an eating disorder.8

Footnotes

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Mental illness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml back to top

2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Child and adolescent mental health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/index.shtml back to top

3 Mojtabai, R., Olfson, M., & Han, B. (2016). National trends in the prevalence and treatment of depression in adolescents and young adults. Pediatrics, 138(6). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27940701/ back to top

4 Sappenfield, O., Alberto, C., Minnaert, J., & National Survey of Children’s Health. (2024, October). Adolescent mental and behavioral health, 2023. Health Resources and Services Administration. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK608531/ back to top

5 National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Any anxiety disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder back to top

6 Racine N, McArthur BA, Cooke JE, Eirich R, Zhu J, Madigan S. (2021). Global prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during COVID-19: A meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. 175(11):1142–1150. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2782796  back to top

7 Reuben, C. A., & Zablotsky, B. (2024, March). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Ages 5–17 Years: United States, 2020–2022. NCHS Data Brief, no 499. National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db499.htm back to top

8 National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Eating disorders. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/eating-disorders back to top