"Frayming" Youth Mental Health

There have been many discussions surrounding mental health and how best to take care of ourselves, especially lately given the uncertain and difficult times we’re living in collectively. However, what does mental health truly represent? What are the fundamental elements that contribute to wellness, particularly in youths? This is a subject that is close to all our hearts at Frayme, with our team working hard to maintain a centralized network for integrated youth service providers and those who need them. 

There have been many discussions surrounding mental health and how best to take care of ourselves, especially lately given the uncertain and difficult times we’re living in collectively. However, what does mental health truly represent? What are the fundamental elements that contribute to wellness, particularly in youths? This is a subject that is close to all our hearts at Frayme, with our team working hard to maintain a centralized network for integrated youth service providers and those who need them. 

Today, let’s explore these fundamentals in more detail, bearing in mind that our years as youths are among the most formative.

Reactivity and Emotional Stability 

Young minds are akin to sponges, absorbing every piece of information transmitted to them throughout the early years of their lives. In children and teenagers, everything from family trauma and abuse to negative mindsets leave a mental imprint, shaping the mindset of the child themselves. Cognitive and emotional reactivity is similar to being a puppet on strings, pulled and guided by other forces every which way to the point where a child struggles to understand themselves and their value. 

In negative or abusive environments, youths are more liable to develop negative reactivity, keeping in line with the impressions made on them so far. Improved emotional stability, self-control and optimism, critically, needs to be not only established early on in life but also encouraged, hence the need for professional support. If a child is acting out, rebelling or upset, they aren’t to blame. In fact, they’re likely working very hard to overcome mental health struggles and make sense of things. They may also be straining to make sense of the past, present or future. In difficult living situations where children feel lonely or misunderstood in trying to find themselves, this is where integrated youth service providers can provide critical assistance.

The Power of Perspective

The more that youths are inspired to engage with unbiased learning resources, the more accurately they can identify what they’re dealing with inside. Having a support system where their experiences can be used to better define a path forward, in addition to statistics and findings relevant to their situation, can do wonders in helping them feel more understood and less alone. Shifting perspectives from one of frustration and inward thinking to improved optimism, patience and self-respect is critical to establishing mental wellness. At the same time, practitioners need easy access to up-to-date studies and data to better inform their services, leading to a deeper understanding of what a youth in need is going through. Plus, enabling a healthier perspective leads to more effective situational awareness, which is critical to succeeding in terms of career choices, skills development, and building relationships.

Positive Reinforcement and Stimulation

If a child doesn’t have access to the support they need at home, what options aside from mental health services are available to them? There are alternatives available, though they can also serve as companion sources of positive reinforcement and stimulation. Keeping mentally active in a positive frame of mind is what keeps us healthy, which is why partaking in sports programming and after-school clubs focused on a favourite hobby are great choices. Building a circle of friends, even those who are struggling with their own mental health, is also conducive to self-care – doing so encourages a dialogue between youths to better understand what one another are going through, often leading to support from an inner circle and the formation of healthy, long-lasting friendship.

Motivational Support and Problem Solving

Keeping busy is all well and good, but stimulation is more important and the two don’t always go hand-in-hand. For example, a student excelling in art class but punished by their parents for failing in math is likely to become frustrated and emotionally strained if they are trying their best. There needs to be a balance; instead of a grounding and instilling feelings of oppression, working together to determine the cause of the setback in a positive environment is a much healthier alternative. Opening a dialogue to not only speak but also listen is essential; this is why many youth services are geared towards bringing out talents and helping children understand their potential. Using the aforementioned example, if the child’s parents cannot help them solve their equations, setting up tutoring sessions and mental exercises that appeal to them are a great workaround. More personalized, considerate support leads to the motivation to improve.

Mental health as a whole is complicated to define; it consists of many moving pieces. All in all, the key to being good to oneself is understanding oneself, freeing the mind from biases and harmful impressions. That’s why working closely with today’s youths, providing outlets for their voices and the attentive guidance of mental health experts, is the key to saving lives.

About the author

Frayme is knowledge mobilization network for youth mental health research, practice and lived experience. Frayme was created to ensure that young people everywhere benefit from the latest knowledge in youth mental health and substance use. Because healthy young people means a healthy future and a healthy now.
Frayme Comment Policy
We welcome relevant and respectful comments. Off-topic comments and spam will be removed.

Subscribe to Frayme
Stay up-to-date with Frayme and network opportunities through our newsletter, OnPoint. 

Join our Network
Network partners work alongside Frayme or other network partners in order to transform youth mental health and substance use services in Canada. Access the evidence, resources and tools you need to take action.

Inscrivez-vous à la liste d’envoi de Cadre
Restez à l’affût des activités de Cadre et des occasions de réseautage grâce à notre bulletin OnPoint.

Adhérez à notre réseau
Les partenaires du réseau travaillent de concert avec Cadre ou d’autres partenaires du réseau afin de transformer les services de santé mentale et de traitement de la toxicomanie offerts aux jeunes. Vous aurez accès aux faits probants, aux ressources et aux outils dont vous avez besoin pour passer à l’action.