YELLOW, Texas (KAMR? KCIT) – Teens were already dealing with stress and mental health issues before the pandemic.

In any case, the pandemic has exposed, highlighted, or improved things like depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide in this age group.

Belinda Palacios, executive director of the Amarillo children’s home, offers some tips to help teens improve their mental health.

Strategies to support your teen’s mental health:

o Use a balanced parenting style, warmth with rules. Teenagers need to know that they are cared for even when they make mistakes.

o Teach teens how to deal with stress. Emphasize the importance of sleep, nutrition and exercise. If necessary, parents can help develop a stress management plan that identifies areas that cause stress with strategies to combat these feelings: teach the skills to break down problems to a manageable size and seek help.

o Personalized care model. Taking care of yourself is a strategic act of parenting.

o Know the signs. Adolescents rely on their parents to identify signs that they may be dealing with anxiety / depression and guide them toward help.

o Seek professional help when needed. Getting help is a sign of strength. Talking to your teen about the look of help, how it works, and the benefits is key to making our teens feel comfortable contacting and participating.

The mental health of our young people deserves our attention because it is an adult’s responsibility to keep our teens safe and healthy. When they feel better, we also feel better.