Mental Illness and Mental Health in Adolescence
This fact sheet provides a very brief introduction to mental health with a focus on definition, assessment, and mental health disorders, then offers perspective on the role youth development approaches may play in promoting positive mental health and protecting againstmental health disorders.
Abstract
As any parent, youth worker, or young adult can verify, mental health in adolescence may be characterized by a roller coaster of emotional and psychological highs and lows. Intense feelings are a normal and healthy part of the psychological landscape of youth, but it is also true that many mental health disorders of adulthood begin in childhood or adolescence. While the mental health field offers essential options for treating disorders, the profession is only beginning to explore ways to build optimum health. This fact sheet provides a very brief introduction to mental health with a focus on definition, assessment, and mental health disorders, then offers perspective on the role youth development approaches may play in promoting positive mental health and protecting against mental health disorders.