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Many teenagers suffer from some form of mental health issues, especially during the summer vacation. These teenagers may seem fine during the school year, but may develop issues during the summer due to a lack of social interaction with friends and a lack of teacher supervision. Teenagers have enough issues just growing up without adding the problems associated with mental health. 

Teenagers often suffer from a variety of social issues that can affect their academic performance. They may have anxiety, depression, and a phobia about school or hyperactivity. While teenagers may normally have these in small amounts, having them on a daily basis or so often that they affect their ability to function can mean a more serious mental problem. 

Another problem many parents face during the summer months is the option of keeping their teenagers who suffer from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) on their medication. While the medication can help children during the school year to cope with concentration issues, during the summer it may lead to bouts of depression and lethargy. This is because their time is often unstructured during the summer, and they have bouts of anxiety and irritability, as well as the normal symptoms of ADHD. 

One suggestion is to have the teenagers enjoy more time outside. The benefits of exercise and sunlight can be a great benefit to countering the boredom and loss of structure associated with summertime. You can also limit their time spent on electronic devices, such as television, video games, and smartphones. Don’t limit their contact with their friends, but do limit the extra stimulus often associated with electronic devices. 

Another tactic is to have a frank but unthreatening discussion with your teenagers. Talk to them about establishing specific goals for the summer, such as art projects, work in the yard, improving their academic skills, or just spending time with their family. While these may not always work, they may help mitigate the symptoms of summer lethargy and give them something to concentrate on that avoids the problem of depression. 

You can also consider enrolling them in a therapeutic day school. This type of school is staffed by people who understand your teenager’s mental disorder and can work with them to overcome the normal problems associated with summer. They will also get to work with other students who suffer from the same issues, and develop stronger academic and social skills. 

There are a variety of different services offered at a therapeutic high school, such as individual counseling, which can be tailored to your child’s specific needs. There is also group counseling, which helps them develop social skills and learn to process their problems in a group setting. You can even work with family counseling, which works with the entire family to get everyone working together to improve your teenager’s future. 

If you would like to find out more about therapeutic schools and how they can benefit your teenager with mental illness, please reach out to us via the contact us form. Our staff is more than happy to discuss our programs and exactly what we can do to improve your teenager’s happiness and future success. 

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