5 Tips On How Adults Can Support Youth's Mental Health.

Max Delgado was sitting in front of his parents with his hands over his face, finally sharing everything he’d been struggling with for the past year. He didn’t want advice or solutions. “All I want to hear back is, ‘We understand you, and we love you. We’re here for you,’” he says. “People want support. They don’t want a lecture.”

As the new school year begins, many adults are wondering how to be that support for young people in their lives. We spoke with four young mental health advocates about what adult support has actually meant to them. What they shared may be simpler than expected: it’s not about having perfect responses or professional training. It’s about showing up as a human being.

Treat their emotions as valid, even if it seems blown out of proportion.

Max remembers adults who would dismiss his struggles by comparing them to worse situations. “There’d be times where an adult would ask me about how I was feeling…and they would just bring up stories about their niece or nephew that could be going through something objectively worse than what you’re going through.

“Yes, it could be worse. But that doesn’t mean that what I have to say is insignificant.”

The urge to say “it could be worse” comes from wanting to help and provide perspective, but it just made Max feel guilty for having feelings at all. “That doesn’t make me feel better. That just…honestly, that makes me feel more sad.”

Cole Ramsey, a youth advocate from Indiana, underscored this advice. “Sometimes it can feel like what kids are going through is kind of trivial. And while it would be fantastic for a 16-year-old to be able to realize [the bigger context], when you’re in the moment, you’re going through all those emotions, and it really does feel like the end of the world,” Cole explains. “It’s just really important to treat their emotions as valid, and what they’re going through as valid, even if it may seem way blown out of proportion.”

Signal that you’re safe to talk to.

Keegan Lee, a college student and digital wellness advocate, can spot which adults are actually safe to talk to. “There is a certain vibe that they give that kind of creates the space to let you know, consciously or unconsciously, that you can be vulnerable and talk about your mental health,” she explains. “A lot of it is in someone’s body language and tone of voice, and thinking about nonverbals as well.”

Sometimes the invitation is even more subtle. Keegan appreciated professors who would note on their syllabi or office doors that they had received mental health first aid training. No pressure, just..........Click Here to Read More.

Source: Mental Health America