A new report reveals a concerning gap between teens' perceptions of emotional support and their parents' beliefs. Only 25% of teens feel they always get the support they need, while 93% of parents think they do. The National Center for Health Statistics report reveals a gap between the perceived level of support felt by teenagers and the level parents believe their children receive.
While parents tend to believe their children have adequate support, only a quarter of teens feel they always receive the needed support.
The discrepancy in perceptions may stem from parents offering advice while teens seek empathy and reassurance.
My thoughts: Working with families in crisis involving teenagers, it is crucial for parents and caregivers to manage their emotions and have a strong support system for their well-being. By demonstrating healthy emotional regulation, parents provide their children with essential tools for self-regulation. This enables them to navigate intense emotions together, creating a safe space for emotional expression and growth.
Experts emphasize the importance of communication and connection between adults and teenagers to support mental well-being. The findings, based on surveys of 1,200 children aged 12 to 17 and their parents in 2021 and 2022, show that parents reported higher levels of support compared to teenagers' perceptions.
The study underscores the importance of open communication between parents and teens, especially during the critical adolescent years. And emphasizes a need for adults to connect intentionally with teenagers to provide the necessary emotional support.
Teens lacking support are more likely to experience mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, poor sleep, and low life satisfaction.
The report also reveals disparities in support perception among different demographic groups, emphasizing
Let's work to bridge this gap and provide our young people with the empathy and reassurance they crave. And provide parents the tools and resources they need to attend to their own and their teens well-being.
References:
– Report published Tuesday July 16 by the National Center for Health Statistics https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr206.pdf
– CNN article https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/16/health/teens-mental-health-support-parent-gap-wellness/index.html
– Wix images
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