Youth 16 to 17 Years

An older teenager may seem to be more like a young adult – at least that’s what we often expect to be reflected from their behaviour and choices, but the truth is that while older teenagers may be facing some very adult problems, they may still require support in processing and responding to these challenges. By this age, many 16- to 17-year-olds have had their first romantic relationship and they may be sexually active – which is a whole new area of life to navigate. With these relationships often comes relationship issues – controlling partners, jealousy, infidelity, breakups, etc. Older teenagers are still managing social relationships and potential issues with their peers. They are facing pressure to obtain or maintain school marks that will qualify for them for scholarships and post-secondary school admission. They’re at a time in their life when they have to choose their career, which will impact the rest of their lives, and in some cases, they may even have to do so with their parent’s or family’s approval.  Most older teenagers are involved in extracurricular activities and/or hold down a part time job. They may be also be dealing with a learning or developmental disorder, experiencing a mental health disorder, or events and circumstances outside of school such as trauma, abuse, anxiety, grief, and depression.

Being an older teenager can be a very exciting time but also a very stressful time.

Reasons older teens may face mental health issues

• Relationship issues with their romantic interest
• Learning about their sexuality
• Struggling with learning in school
• Struggling socially with friends
• Self esteem issues – gaining weight, not gaining enough weight, not developing typically
• High anxiety about performance in school, teams, or other pursuits
• Pressure to choose a career – from parents, family members, or themselves
• Stress from jugging school, sports, other pursuits, work, etc.
• Death of a parent, sibling, grandparent, or other close family member
• Divorce or separation
• Death or loss of a pet
• Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
• Extreme poverty and/or food insecurity
• Developmental disorders (ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, etc.)
• Mental health disorders (anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, etc.)

Older teens in this age group can experience these events and situations but may have difficulty fully understanding and processing them or expressing themselves and their emotions in a healthy way.

Child and youth therapists are specially trained to work with older teenagers. They communicate and relate to the youth on the youth’s level and help them to express themselves in ways that are appropriate for older teenagers.

Symptoms & signs of mental health issues in older teens

Emotional symptoms

• Mood changes
• Trouble performing in school or extracurricular activities
• Behaviour changes
• Damaging behaviour (to self, others, or property)
• Disruptive behaviour in school
• Acting withdrawn and uninterested in the world around them
• Regressing to a younger state
• Overwhelming fears of things that are normally not seen as scary
• Persistent sadness
• Common emotional symptoms of anxiety or depression
• Risky or self-destructive behaviours (alcohol or substance use, out of control shopping, etc.)
• Talking about suicide

Physical symptoms

• Difficulty sleeping
• Lack of appetite or overeating
• Overexercising
• Inability to concentrate
• Headaches
• Frequent stomach aches
• Self-harm
• Changes in sleeping habits