Adolescent Mental Health

Many adolescents have mental health problems that interfere with their normal development and daily life activities. Some mental health problems are mild, while others are more severe. Some mental health problems last for only short periods of time, while others, potentially, last a lifetime. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reports the following:

• Research studies have reported that up to about 5 percent of children and up to 8 percent of adolescents in the US suffer from depression.
  
  
• Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems that occur in children and adolescents.
  
  
• Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are common among adolescent and young women in the US.

It is important to know that help is available. Most adolescents who experience mental health problems can return to normal daily lives, if they receive appropriate treatment.
 
There are many different mental health problems affecting adolescents that require the clinical care of a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
 
If you cannot find the information in which you are interested, please visit the Adolescent Medicine Online Resources page in this Web site for an Internet/World Wide Web address that may contain additional information on that topic.


Schizophrenia
 
Mood Disorders

Overview of Mood Disorders

Major Depression 
Dysthymia 
Manic Depression / Bipolar Disorder 

Teen Suicide 

Anxiety Disorders 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
 
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
 
Phobias
 
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 

Behavior Disorders 

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder 
 
Conduct Disorder
 
Oppositional Defiant Disorder 

Eating Disorders 

Anorexia Nervosa
 
Bulimia Nervosa

Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependence 
 
Adjustment Disorders 
 
Chronic Illness and Transplantation Issues and the Adolescent

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