Behind the Podium

Mental Health Facts

Whether you are a young athlete yourself, a coach, or someone who interacts with youth,
here are some facts you can take away from watching the series.

Facts on Teens’ Mental Health (Chapter 1)

• Teenage brains are still undergoing massive development. The brain regions that are responsible for feeling emotions develop much earlier than the brain regions that control emotional regulation and reason.

• Adults surrounding the teens must provide empathy and perspective when supporting the teens through this neural developmental phase.

• Depression and anxiety are the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescent youth.

• The consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities as adults.

Facts on Depression among Youth (Chapter 2)

• Early identification, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment of mental health can reduce the suffering for young people and their families associated with behavioral health challenges.

• About two-thirds of youth with mental health difficulties are not getting the help they need

• 64% of youth with depression do not receive any mental health treatment, while only 22% receive consistent treatment

• Rates of anxiety and depression among children aged 6–17 years have increased from 5.4% in 2003 to 8% in 2007 and to 8.4% in 2011–2012

Facts on Stress around Body Image (Chapter 3)

• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health disorder. Every hour, at least one person dies in the United States as a direct result of an eating disorder

• Almost 3% of teenagers (ages 13-18) are diagnosed with an eating disorder

• 95 percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages 12 and 25

• Only 1 in every 10 people with an eating disorder  receive treatment

• Many people (up to 71%) with eating disorders are also diagnosed with an anxiety or mood disorder

Facts on Hardworking Mentality (Chapter 4)

• There are many ways of becoming happy. If you feel that you do not have a plan B or a plan C in your life, pause and look around or talk with people outside of your immediate circle. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that different people have different goals in different areas that are equally valuable

• When working toward a goal remember to pause and look at how much you have achieved in the process.

• Your brain is prone to processing negative feedback more than positive feedback, so it is helpful to remind yourself to look at the positive accomplishments you’ve made

Facts on Ways to Seek Support (Chapter 5)

• Talking with a therapist offers a unique opportunity to express your emotions and thoughts to someone outside of your family, friends, or school/work relationships. 

• Young adulthood is a vulnerable time during which we are at risk for the development of mental health conditions. This could be a good time to engage in any form of mental health treatment

• 75% of all people with lifetime mental health diagnoses start showing symptoms before the age of 24. 

• One in four young adults between the ages 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness

• More than a quarter of college students see a professional for a mental health condition

• You don’t need a mental health diagnosis or a condition to engage in therapy. You can use therapy in a way that works for you, and this may be different from one individual to another.