In 2026, approximately one in seven individuals aged 10-19 will experience a mental health disorder. Unfortunately, many of the individuals in this group are not receiving necessary treatment, which increases their risk of having emotional dysregulation, relationship difficulties, and poor academic performance.
There are lots of reasons why individuals may not receive the support they need, with false stigmas relating to mental health being a significant factor. Some of the most common mental health stigmas that prevent teens from getting support include being told that their problems are not serious enough, the fear of being judged by peers for going to therapy, and family stigma or cultural norms that discourage open discussion of mental health. These stigmas are very harmful and often worsen a person’s mental health conditions. Therefore, it is important to educate yourself, your friends, and your family as to why getting help is necessary and not something to be ashamed of.
One very common challenge that is present in many mental health problems is emotional dysregulation. This is the difficulty of managing the intensity and the quality of emotions, and since the brain’s emotion-control systems are still developing in adolescence, and because emotional dysregulation is influenced by things like stress and trauma, undiagnosed teens may appear emotionally overwhelmed and not know how to handle it. 1 in 7 kids ages 10-19 are reported to have some form of emotional dysregulation.
Unidentified mental health conditions can also cause relationship difficulties. For instance, someone with anxiety may overthink conversations with friends, making interactions less enjoyable for them. Similarly, someone with a mood disorder may have extreme highs and lows that make it harder to stay calm, which could also lead to issues with friends or other relationships. However, if teens who struggle with these challenges receive the help they need, they would be more likely to improve their relationships and their situation.
Poor academic performance is another common occurrence when a student is struggling mentally and is not receiving help. Approximately 60% of U.S. teens who have depression and don’t get needed treatment also have poor academic performance. Some of the reasons that untreated depression is linked to poor academic performance include that it lowers motivation, focus, energy, impacts memory, and it makes daily tasks feel overwhelming. However, the percentage of those who are being treated for their depression and are still struggling with schoolwork lowers to 30%. In addition, a study was conducted in the United States that shows the impact of depression on the academic productivity of university students, and the researchers found that students who were being treated had a GPA that was about 0.44 points higher than those who were not.These statistics demonstrate that untreated mental conditions can not only impact your social life but also your academic life.
To summarize, lots of teens in recent years have not been getting the assistance they need to be successful in overcoming the challenges of mental health disorders and in order to stop this issue from continuing we have to help others find the support they need so that everyone can reach their full potential.
