Why teens’ mental health may be more strained than you think heading into the holidays
CTV
While many people might think of the end of the year as a time to wind down one’s workload and take a break, a Toronto psychiatrist says young people may actually be carrying more stress than usual heading into the holiday season.
While many people might think of the end of the year as a time to wind down one’s workload and take a break, a Toronto psychiatrist says young people may actually be carrying more stress than usual heading into the holiday season.
“A lot of depression, a lot of anxiety, or general struggles with school as well – I would say that’s what we see, most commonly,” Dr. Kevin Gabel told CP24.com in a recent interview.
Gabel is a psychiatrist who runs the Day Hospital program for children and youth at North York General Hospital (NYGH). The program provides academic, mental health and coping skills to high school-age youth who are having trouble attending school because of anxiety or other mental health challenges.
Although parents might think of the start of the school year as the most stressful time of the year for kids, Gabel says he’s noticed that November is in fact one of the busiest months for youth seeking mental health services.
“I think just a lot of it is related to more pressures with school,” Gabel says. “Sometimes the seasonal effect as well. It gets a little bit colder and darker with the winter months coming. There can be a little bit more stress around that too.”
He points out that while the start of the academic year may offer students a chance to ease into school after the quieter summer months, by October and November, classes are in full swing.
Eating disorders, social difficulties and problems exacerbated by ADHD are some of the other issues the hospital sees ramping up in addition to mood and anxiety problems.
