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When our daughters were teenagers, LeShelle and I had many conversations about when we should give them cellphones. We were sensitive to potential mental health challenges that adolescents faced related to cellphone use and social media. We wanted to be careful about exposing our daughters to the inherit risks of social media, which were still emerging at that time.

The importance of conversations like those is growing every day. With  feeling “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the epidemic of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders in adolescents is touching every corner of the country, including right here in Davis.

Even in the summer, when the increased stress of the academic year should be reduced, the Kaiser Family Foundation  that many young people face increased isolation and anxiety about the school year on the horizon. 

Mental health is a vital topic — and one we can only hope to address by talking about it.

So I sat down with Professor Amanda Guyer during a recent episode of my  video podcast to learn what the research tells us about adolescent anxiety and depression. Amanda is a faculty member in the 51�ԹϺ��� Davis Department of Human Ecology who leads the Teen Experiences, Emotions & Neurodevelopment (TEEN) Lab. 

Professor Guyer said there’s no single explanation for the mental health challenges faced by so many young people. She calls it a complex issue with many underlying causes. 

They include lingering effects from the social isolation and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and omnipresent access to social media through smartphones. They are exacerbated by increased awareness of global challenges, including political polarization, all of which contribute to mental health issues ranging from hopelessness to body image concerns. 

Reduced social stigma about seeking mental health help, along with better screening in schools and medical offices, is also contributing to increased rates. Still, experts agree there is a.

That’s why learning more about how parents, schools and communities can help adolescents learn about themselves and the world while managing risks is at the heart of the work being done in Professor Guyer’s lab. 

One important study at the TEEN Lab is analyzing  to map how loneliness and home conflict in early adolescence predict later patterns of aggression and victimization. The NIH-funded research examines social health — whether people have enough meaningful relationships to meet their emotional needs — and how loneliness and disconnection can undermine well-being.

That work depends on continued support. As Guyer told me, this research “is critical for finding new interventions and new kinds of therapies” to help young people thrive.

Professor Guyer also reminds us of the incredible potential of the adolescent brain, which continues to mature into the mid-20s. It’s when young people explore most freely, discover new passions, and develop independence.

As she says, “We want adolescents to take good risks and go out and try new things and figure out who they are and what they like.”

Professor Guyer just completed a two-year term on the Davis Senior High School Site Council, demonstrating how our researchers bring their expertise to the community. It’s encouraging to see strong support for young people in the . Their commitment to the social and emotional well-being of every student is rooted in creating that vital sense of belonging and offering resources to ensure that their student community is supported.

Professor Guyer stressed one more point in our conversation: when we make young people feel heard and supported, we help them develop a sense of purpose that carries them into adulthood.

She says that we can best support adolescents by talking about mental health and listening to their point of view. She encourages parents and other caregivers to develop open lines of communication so that children will feel comfortable sharing their mental health concerns, noting that conversations about cell phone use and social media can help set important boundaries. 

“We need to help them feel respected and heard and have a purpose — all those kinds of features of life that make us human,” she says. “I think supporting teenagers in those realms is really important."

When I think back to those early conversations with LeShelle about our own daughters, I’m reminded that this work starts with something simple: paying attention and staying in the conversation. As parents, educators, and a community, we can all commit to supporting the health of our young people.