Mental health experts share tips to help combat teen depression during the summer

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – As the summer months arrive, more teens may begin to see signs of depression and anxiety.

Summer can be a great time for many teens, but for some, the feeling of depression and fear of missing out can be overwhelming.

“So when you lose your support or your routine, you see people doing things that maybe you couldn't do. There is also the fact that adolescents return home to an unsafe or unsupportive environment. All of these are really going to add up to each other,” said Isaac Johnson, resource line director for the National Alliance on Mental Health.

The Topeka Family Service and Counseling Center says disrupting a teen's daily structure can lead to negative feelings and outcomes.

“The consistency of expectations and rules sometimes leads us to believe that this conflict may have arisen between a teenager and his parents because now that it is summer, they are expected to do a lot more at home, but with clear and consistent expectations. Do not change the rules between Tuesday and Wednesday,” Jennie Watson, director of schools and community services at Family Services & Guidance Center.

Social media can also contribute to feelings of loneliness and depression in some teens during the summer.

“Looking around you and comparing what you have to what others have and feeling like you don't have enough or that you're not enough can be very damaging, especially when children discover who they are and who they want to be,” says Jennifer LeClair, vice president of marketing and communications at the Boys & Girls Club of Topeka.

Brothers Travaughn and Travelle say they have both experienced feelings of depression during the summer months, but their advice is to stay active.

“I love Deion Sanders' motivational speech. I listen to that to motivate myself to do different sports, different activities and all that,” Travelle said.

“Try to move a little and get out. Put your phone down for a moment. Try to have fun and go meet new kids outside, like your neighbors, instead of sitting here,” Travaughn said.

Mental health experts say it's important to find purpose, limit time spent on social media and enjoy more outdoor activities.

“If there’s a teenager there, it gets better. It just takes a little time and it might not go the way you hoped right now, but hang in there, it will get better one day,” Johnson said.

To learn more about the Boys & Girls Club of Topeka's teen programs, click here.

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