Stress and young people/teens

Psychologist and church leader Kate Middleton offers some help and advice ...

Amongst the various things I do, I often meet and talk to youth workers, teachers, and those supporting teenagers and young people. Over the years I have been doing that, the issue of stress has gradually become more and more common amongst the things people want to ask me about. You can see the rise in stress problems in teens featured in the press too - particularly stress related to exams. Childline has reported that this year calls related to exam stress have soared, exam stress and anxiety over school work/results has been linked to the soaring rates of mental health issues such as self harm amongst teens and young people and one girls' school has even been reported considering stopping giving homework in an attempt to reduce student stress levels. 

But it isn't just about exams and school work. Much of our stress comes from the complex social environment we are living in and teenagers - still experiencing changes and maturing in the part of the brain dealing with complex social emotions - feel that more than most. Many find the stresses associated with social media worse than exams, and other stresses such as the pressure to look perfect all the time are much more of an issue for this age group than for most adults. So it might be tempting to ask them what they really have to be stressed about - but the truth is that research finds teens are just as stressed-out as adults. In fact one study in America in 2013 found that teenagers were the most stressed out age group with 1/3 reporting feeling overwhelmed by the stress they were under.

Teens and young people are in particular need of support and good advice to help them cope with stress. Hitting them at an age where their brain development is still ongoing, Prof Tanya Byron - a well respected psychologist explains that many simply don't have the emotional resilience to cope with the pressure they are under. Teens may also underestimate the impact stress can have on them and sometimes struggle to understand the link between the pressure they are under and the way they are feeling. 

That's why it is good news that the charity YouthNet have launched an app aimed specifically at teenagers, helping them to understand stress better and learn how to de-stress. The free app allows teenagers to take out some of their stress by playing a game on their phone, and also helps distract them and teach stress management to boost their resilience. Linked to the teen advice site theSite.org, there's also further advice available on a host of topics. 

It's great to see some new resources coming out to help young people with stress. But it remains essential for adults working with them - or even those of us muddling through as parents - to help children and teenagers learn about what stress is, and some positive strategies to cope with it. And don't forget that the most powerful way to teach is by example - so if you want the young people around you to learn great habit to manage stress, you may need to get better at dealing with it yourself first. 

Kate Middleton is the author of Refuel: How to balance work, life, faith and church – without burning out. The book is available in paperback and eBook priced £9.99. Meanwhile, check out www.refuel1211.co.uk for more information on stress.