Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness

Adolescence is a pivotal life stage defined by rapid physical maturation, cognitive development and evolving social roles. Mental health and wellness during this period encompass a spectrum of emotional, behavioural and cognitive functioning. Common challenges include depressive and anxiety disorders, self-harm, eating disturbances and emerging substance use. Prevalence estimates indicate that one in six adolescents worldwide experiences a mental health condition with enduring consequences for education, social integration and future employment. Key risk factors span genetic vulnerability, adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic disadvantage and the psychosocial impacts of social media and digital environments. Protective influences such as strong family and peer support, school connectedness and psychosocial resilience can buffer stress and promote adaptive coping. Effective interventions range from community-based prevention and school-based mental health literacy programmes to accessible clinical services and policy measures that address underlying social determinants. Mounting evidence highlights the need for integrated, multi-sectoral strategies to foster wellbeing, reduce stigma and ensure that all young people have timely access to supportive resources.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in adolescent mental health and wellness across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Mental wellness: A dynamic state of wellbeing in which individuals realise their potential, manage normal life stresses and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Internalising symptoms: Inwardly directed emotional or cognitive symptoms such as depression, anxiety and social withdrawal that may be less visible to others.

Self-harm: Intentional injury or poisoning without fatal intent, often used as a maladaptive response to emotional distress.

Psychosocial resilience: The capacity to adapt positively to adversity, shaped by individual coping skills and supportive social networks.

References

1. The burden of mental disorders, substance use disorders and self-harm among young people in Europe, 1990–2019: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2022).
2. Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. The Lancet (2016).
3. Clustering of adverse health and educational outcomes in adolescence following early childhood disadvantage: population-based retrospective UK cohort study. The Lancet Public Health (2023).