Supporting teenagers with their mental health

The impacts of COVID-19 have been significant for many of us, but for teenagers who have seen their schools closed and exams cancelled, the added uncertainty around their futures means that over 70% are concerned about how the pandemic will affect their academic achievement and job prospects*

Teenagers can be particularly vulnerable to mental illness, so it’s understandable that 4 out of 5 young people have had symptoms of poor mental health during the pandemic*, with 76% saying that lockdown specifically has worsened their mental health and caused physical symptoms*. Read our report on the effects of the pandemic on teenage mental health Teen Minds: Living through a pandemic and beyond.

We know that you and many of your employees may be worrying about how to support your child with their mental health, so we invited Nikki Lilly and Sophie Ellis-Bextor to talk to psychologist Dr Lucy Foulkes and Bupa’s Clinical Director for Mental Health, Dr Pablo Vandenbeele about teenage coping mechanisms during lockdown.

We’ve also created guides on what to look out for when it comes to physical and behavioural symptoms in teenagers and starting a conversation with teens about mental health.

You and your employees can find all this, as well as expert advice on spotting signs of loneliness in teens and other free mental health resources, on our new teenage mental health page at bupa.co.uk/teenage-mental-health.

* Teens Minds: Living Through a Pandemic and Beyond

Bupa-commissioned report by PCP Research, surveying 1,000 UK teenagers aged 13-19, and 1,000 of their parents, between 22 October and 3 November 2020.