A new report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education finds a strong link between the mental health of parents and the mental health of adolescents.
Caring for the Caregivers: The Critical Link Between Parent and Teen Mental Health is the first of three reports investigating potential causes and prevention strategies for teens and young adults suffering with mental illness in the United States.
The researchers found that a critical way to prevent the many mental health problems that teens are experiencing is to improve the emotional health of parents — “to care for the caregivers.”
The report suggests five strategies to support parents and help them to prevent anxiety and depression in teens:
- Listen to adolescents
- Help teens develop coping skills
- Support the mental health of caregivers and families
- Help parents to talk about their own mental health challenges with children and teens
- Help teens find purpose and meaning through service and community programs.
