Teens & Young Adults - Children's Mental Health Matters

We often hear that our teenage and young adult years will be the best time of our lives. But for many, this critical period of mental, emotional and social development, can be stressful for teenagers and young adults as we begin to determine who we are and plan for the future.

Behavioral health problems are common and can make things like work, school and socializing more difficult. One in five adolescents, age 13 to 18, live with a mental health condition. Between 20% and 30% will have one major depressive episode before they reach adulthood. Half of all lifetime cases of mental disorders will first present by age 14 and 75% will present by age 24.

If you are experiencing mental and behavioral health problems, help is available!

Crisis Text Line

- Text HOME to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Hotline

- 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

NAMI Helpline

- 800-950-NAMI

Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth)

- Text START to 678678

Statewide Maryland Crisis Helpline

- 2-1-1, Press 1

Helpful Links

Taking Flight: A Youth Move Chapter - Working with Maryland Coalition of Families to provide peer support for young adults, by young adults

MDYoungMinds – Text messages for teens and adolescents to support mental well-being. Sign up for MDYoungMinds, through 211 Maryland and the Maryland Department of Health, Office of Suicide Prevention.

Jed Foundation - JED equips America’s teens and young adults with the skills and support they need to grow into healthy, thriving adults.

Mental Health is Health is an MTV Entertainment Group initiative rooted in the reality that we all have mental health and need to take care of it like we do our physical health. The initiative aims to normalize conversation, create a connection to resources and inspire action on mental health.

Time to Talk to Parents page - information on how to speak to your parents about mental health

Teenage Grief Sucks - A teen-run website that's starting conversations about teenage grief. Run by Natalie Adams, who lost her dad when she started high school, TGS shares weekly stories about grief from the perspective of teens.

Substance Use Resource Guide from the Office of Child and Adolescent Substance Use Service

Programs for Transition-Aged Youth – guide for services in Maryland.

Transition-Aged Youth Programs (PRP & RRP)

StrengthofUs is an online community developed by NAMI and young adults. It’s designed to inspire young adults impacted by mental health issues to think positive, stay strong and achieve their goals through peer support and resource sharing.

Through Half of Us, mtvU and The Jed Foundation aim to initiate a public dialogue to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues and connect students to the appropriate resources to get help

OK2TALK is to create a community for teens and young adults struggling with mental health problems and encourage them to talk about what they’re experiencing by sharing their personal stories of recovery, tragedy, struggle or hope.

Hotlines

If you or a loved one needs assistance or is thinking of suicide, please get help immediately. These resources below offer immediate help.

MARYLAND CRISIS HOTLINE

Call: 800-422-0009

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

-OR DIAL-

Dial 2-1-1
2-1-1 Maryland 211 Maryland is the state’s most comprehensive health and human services resource database, connecting Marylanders to essential resources by phone, text, chat and web. English and Spanish speaking resources are available 24/7/365, with translation in 150+ languages. Call 2-1-1 or search for resources, including behavioral health resources. Learn more about How Parents and Caregivers Can Support Teen Mental Health

Alternatively, you can visit Suicide Prevention Lifeline to talk via phone or live webchat.

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

stopbullying.gov is a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services with resources and information on bullying.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24

Visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s website for information on specific brain diseases as well as to learn more about the latest research and clinical trial information.

Teen Drug Abuse is an excellent resource from DrugRehab.com. Drugs and alcohol have a greater effect on teens than on adults. The signs of addiction can be difficult to understand, and many teens don’t realize the long-term damage drugs have on their bodies because the short-term side effects fade. Help is available for teens who have questions about drug abuse or think they are suffering from addiction.

Addiction Center is a free web information guide that connects addicts and their families with the help they need to put their lives together. Our goal is to help teens and their families by providing them with information and support on different substances, addictions, and recovery resources.

NAMI – Teen and Young Adult – Support & Resources

NAMI – Managing a Mental Health Condition in College