If you see that your teen is struggling with their mental health, your instinct as a parent or guardian is likely to try to help immediately. However, it’s possible that they don’t want to open up to you when you bring up your concerns. Or perhaps you recognize that they need further support than what you can provide. And that’s OK.
If your teen is showing signs of mental health distress, or symptoms of a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, it’s essential that you work together to address it immediately. That means finding the right mental health treatment. Mental health concerns shouldn’t be left untreated, as it may lead to the symptoms worsening, impacting your child’s current and future quality of life.
With guidance from healthcare professionals, your teen can gain the support, tools and insight they need to move along their mental health journey and become the best version of themselves that they can be. Read on to learn about a variety of mental health treatment options that may be beneficial to your teen.
5 types of mental health treatment that may be able to help your teen
Every teen is unique in their own way, and so are their mental health needs. Some teens may struggle with managing their stress from time to time. Others may require 24/7 behavioral care as they work through severe symptoms of conditions like depression or PTSD.
It’s important that you collaborate with your teen and their doctors to determine what the safest and most effective level of care for treatment would be for the severity of your teen’s symptoms.
Here are five levels of care for teens in need of mental health treatment:
- School counseling — Everyone struggles with their mental health every now and then. For teens, it’s possible that they are feeling anxious during finals. Or they may feel sad following the end of a friendship. If your teen is struggling with mild or temporary mental health challenges, then talking to a counselor at their school could be an effective level of care. School counselors are qualified to help students work through challenging times to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
- Individual weekly therapy — Outpatient therapy is often one of the first courses of treatment for teens who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. It can also help if they’re having long-term mental health distress that’s interfering with their overall quality of life. Teens can have one-on-one sessions with a therapist each week to get to the root issues of their symptoms or distress. A therapist can help them gain a different perspective on difficult situations. They’ll also develop coping strategies to work through them.
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP) — If your teen needs further support beyond weekly therapy sessions, they may benefit from an intensive outpatient program. An IOP is a structured, short-term program. It can help teens work through mental health challenges and learn how to manage disorder symptoms. Therapists help patients improve their emotional regulation and coping skills using a variety of evidence-based techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy.
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP) — If your teen needs a highly focused level of support beyond an IOP, they might require a partial hospitalization program. A PHP can also work as a transition following an inpatient treatment stay. A PHP is a short-term, intensive level of care. It includes structured daily programs of family, group and individual therapy and dedicated schoolwork hours. It allows them to return home every night to integrate their new valuable skills into their everyday life.
- Residential treatment center (RTC) — If your teen requires 24/7 behavioral care, their doctor may refer them to an RTC. A residential treatment center can be beneficial for teens who have severe mental health condition symptoms or distress that is interfering with their ability to carry out their daily tasks and maintain healthy relationships. A stay at an RTC often lasts approximately one month. It can be a transitional option for teens following a hospital stay due to a mental health crisis.
If you believe your teen is at risk to themselves or is showing signs of suicidal thoughts or self-harm, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
Embrace U can help teens if they require IOP or PHP mental health treatment
Everyone deserves to get the help they need to improve their quality of life, and that often means prioritizing their mental health. No matter what type of mental health challenge your teen is facing, there’s a level of care that can help.
At Embrace U, we offer intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs to help your teen if they need further support beyond school counseling or weekly therapy.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.