--- description: If you’re worried about an adolescent and aren’t sure what to do, you can this advice from Fadi Haddad, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist... title: Teen Depression and Anxiety: What Parents Can Do image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Mental Health](/tag/mental-health/) ## Mental Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Teen Depression and Anxiety: What Parents Can Do by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 27, 2016 11:05 AM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 27, 2016 11:05 AM CUT ### Behind TIME’s Teen Anxiety Cover With Lise Sarfati  Phoebe Gariepy, 17, appears in her bedroom at home in Arundel, ME on January 10, 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME  Alison Heyland, 18, appears in her bedroom at home in Saco, ME on January 11, 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME  Faith-Ann Bishop, 20, appears in her apartment in Chatsworth, CA on Friday January 15th 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME  Phoebe Gariepy, 17, appears in her bedroom at home in Arundel, ME on January 10, 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME  Alison Heyland, 18, appears at home in Saco, ME on January 11, 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME  Alison Heyland, 18, appears in her bedroom at home in Saco, ME on January 11, 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME  Faith-Ann Bishop, 20, appears in her apartment in Chatsworth, CA on Friday January 15th 2016. Lise Sarfati for TIME _If you’re worried about an adolescent and aren’t sure what to do, you can this advice from Fadi Haddad, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the author of_ [_Helping Kids in Crisis_](https://www.amazon.com/Helping-Kids-Crisis-Psychiatric-Emergencies/dp/1585624829/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")_. To read more about adolescents, depression and anxiety,_ [_check out our cover story, The Kids Are Not All Right_](http://www.Time.com/depression "undefined")_._ **Talk about the real stuff** Sometimes conversations between parents and teens can be all about achievements, schedules and chores. Go beyond that. Find out what keeps them up at night, and ask, “What’s the best part of your day?” Become attuned to their emotional world so that you understand what their dreams are, what they struggle with and how their life is going. **Give them space, but pay attention** Give teens space to grow and separate from you, but also watch for changes in behavior. Are they giving up activities they used to enjoy? Are they staying up all night or eating differently? Is your outgoing kid now withdrawn? If you’re worried, say so. Show interest in their internal life without judgment. **Resist getting angry** When parents learn a teen has been hiding something or is having behavior issues, the response is often anger or punishment. Instead, see what’s going on. If a kid is acting out or doing things like self-harming, skipping school, respond with compassion first. Say, “It seems like you’re having trouble, I’m here to help. Tell me what’s happening with you.” **Don’t put off getting help** If you’re worried about an adolescent, talk to a school counselor, therapist or doctor. It’s better to get help early, rather than when trouble has firmly taken hold. **Treat the whole family** When a kid is in crisis, many times it’s not enough to treat the child—you have to change the family dynamic. It’s possible that something about the home environment was causing the child stress, so be open to acknowledging that and getting family counseling if needed. **Learn more about adolescent mental health, including where to find help.** [The Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Children and Teens](https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children "undefined") [The National Alliance on Mental Illness: Teens and Young Adults](http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Teens-and-Young-Adults "undefined"): [The National Institute of Mental Health: Teen Depression ](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/teen-depression/index.shtml "undefined") [The National Institute of Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders ](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml "undefined") [The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Help and Treatment](http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help "undefined") **And, for the teenage perspective on mental health, check out this short film.** To see what depression looks like through the eyes a teenager, have a look at this award-winning short film written and directed by Faith-Ann Bishop, the subject of TIME’s recent cover story on teens, depression and anxiety. She wrote the film when she was 15 as part of a program called [Project AWARE](http://www.projectaware.net/ "undefined") in partnership with Acadia Hospital, both based in Maine. More than 30 other teenagers participated in the project. Bishop is now 20 years-old and a film student in Los Angeles. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4546993/teen-depression-and-anxiety-what-parents-can-do/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4546993/teen-depression-and-anxiety-what-parents-can-do/"},"headline":"Teen Depression and Anxiety: What Parents Can Do","datePublished":"2016-10-27T11:05:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:23.356Z","description":"If you’re worried about an adolescent and aren’t sure what to do, you can this advice from Fadi Haddad, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist...","url":"https://time.com/4546993/teen-depression-and-anxiety-what-parents-can-do/","keywords":["Mental Health","Anxiety"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/mental-health/","name":"Mental Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4546993/teen-depression-and-anxiety-what-parents-can-do/","name":"Teen Depression and Anxiety: What Parents Can Do"}}]}] ```