Mental Health Awareness Month: What Is Teenage Mental Health Stigma?

Kaylyn Kim
Oct 29, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

As a high school junior, I know how overwhelming life can feel when you have a million tasks on your to-do list. Although many teens realize that asking for mental health guidance is OK, I can definitely relate to trying to hide my struggle with anxiety, issues at home, or overthinking. Yet, since October is the month of Mental Health Awareness, I wanted to open up the discussion on how mental health stigma affects teens today. Let's find out today 🧠

Primary types of mental health disorders

Affecting about “one in seven 10-19-year-olds” worldwide, mental health issues are both widespread and have long-lasting impacts on their health.

The following table, referencing data from the World Health Organization, exemplifies the various types and symptoms of psychological disorders.

Type of Disorder	Examples	What can happen if it is untreated	Statistics
Emotional disorders	Anxiety disorders, depressive disorders	Suicide, decreased school performance, and social isolation	Anxiety disorder affects around 4.1% of 10 to 14-year-olds and 5.35 of 15 to 19-year-olds.
Behavioral disorders	Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder	Increased probability of committing a crime, decreased school performance	ADHD affects around 2.7% of 10 to 14-year-olds and 2.2% of 15 to 19-year-olds
Eating disorders	Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa	Suicide, premature death	Eating disorders affect 0.1% of 10 to 14-year-olds and 0.4% of 15 to 19-year-olds.
Psychosis	Hallucinations, schizophrenia, delusions	Stigmatized by society, difficulties in daily life, and education	Psychosis affects 0.1% in 15-19 year olds

Scientists typically attribute these disorders to exposure to risk factors, which in this case are primarily experiences that increase an individual's chance of having a mental illness. Ranging from childhood abuse to lack of mental health guidance, these risk factors may affect how teenagers respond to mental health issues.

Mental Health Stigma

Now we know the types of mental health disorders, but here’s the real question: why is it that most teenagers don’t ask for help? Let’s take a look at a study from the Stigma and Health Journal.

This study broke down stigma into 4 major categories: labeling, stereotypes, separation, and discrimination.

Labels are recognition phrases that divide those with and without mental health issues. While most may have the preconception that labels are inherently bad, that is not always the case. For instance, self-labeling can help teens reach out for help, especially if they believe they have a condition that needs professional guidance.

Yet, it is true that labels with negative connotations may lead to internalized feelings of stigma. As a result, some teenagers may avoid labeling their conditions entirely, simply due to the potential of stigma affecting other aspects of their lives, such as social relationships or personal reputation. What's more, participants of the study tended to distance themselves from those with severe mental health disorders, displaying the cycle of stigma that continues to exist today.

What can I do as a teenager?

With suicide being one of the primary causes of death among adolescents, professional intervention in this cycle is critical. As a teenager reading this article, you can also do several things to speak up about this issue!

Have (deep) conversations with people you trust.

Everyone has things they don’t talk about, whether that is family conflict or seasonal depression.
By allowing yourself to be vulnerable to those you trust, you will not only build more authentic relationships but may also find yourself with sage advice. So, take the first step in having a deep conversation with a friend today.

Share how you seek help.

You don’t have to tell everyone in your high school that you go to counseling or therapy (unless you want to, of course).
Taking one step is just as brave as a grand gesture. Sharing how you are seeking professional help for your mental well-being can open up the discussion on mental health issues and encourage a classmate or family member to also try counseling.

If you find yourself in a group of individuals passionate about mental health, educate your community on mental health.

Refer to local psychiatric services or even your guidance counselors at school to find out ways you can contribute to mental health literacy.
Attend mental health conferences to gain an even deeper understanding of the underlying causes of mental health illnesses
By making your local community aware of the importance of mental health, you can reach students who, despite having a smile on their faces, may have been struggling with stress or coping mechanisms.

Share outside resources that discuss teen mental health.

As I share posts that normalize the discussion of stigmatized health conditions through the Med Tales, you, too, can make mental health a norm, not a taboo.
Share some of these awesome mental health videos with a classmate today!
- Penn State PRO Wellness https://youtu.be/1i9OktVsTWo?si=yqg33grugPcDRf9u
- ABC News https://youtu.be/gnEpRDh4Y2A?si=6d1Sm88942iU6etb
- National Institute of Mental Health https://youtu.be/wr4N-SdekqY?si=D1Ae1Tmzw7wKZGtP

Final Notes

Thank you for reaching the end of the article!

Although we are reaching the end of October, mental health awareness does not happen on a single day or month. Rather, it comes from the slow process of dismantling barriers in healthcare. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to like it ✨