Teen Mental Health In An Online World

This essential book shows practitioners how they can engage with teens' online lives to support their mental health. Drawing on interviews with young people it discusses how adults can have open and inquiring conversations with teens about both the positive and negative aspects of their use of online spaces. For most young people there is no longer a barrier between their 'real' and 'online' lives. This book reviews the latest research around this topic to investigate how those working with teenagers can use their insights into digital technologies to promote wellbeing in young people. It draws extensively on interviews with young people aged 12-16 throughout, who share their views about social media and reveal their online habits. Chapters delve into how teens harness online spaces such as YouTube, Instagram and gaming platforms for creative expression and participation in public life to improve their mental health and wellbeing. It also provides a framework for practitioners to start conversations with teens to help them develop resilience in respect of their internet use. The book also explores key risks such as bullying and online hate, social currency and the quest for 'likes', sexting, and online addiction. This is essential reading for teachers, school counsellors, social workers, and CAMHS professionals (from psychiatrists to mental health nurses) - in short, any practitioner working with teenagers around mental health.

Can moderated screen time actually have a positive impact on young people’s mental health? With over 30 expert contributors spanning a range of disciplines including psychology, education and communications, as well as young people′s own perspectives, this book dispels some of the myths that surround young people’s use of digital media and covers important topics ranging from safeguarding, to digital citizenship and the fear of missing out. Using reflective activities, practical tips and evidence-based research, this book will help you find out informed ways social and digital media can be used beneficially, providing vital understanding to anyone studying child and adolescent mental health.

As seen in Time, USA TODAY, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and on CBS This Morning, BBC, PBS, CNN, and NPR, iGen is crucial reading to understand how the children, teens, and young adults born in the mid-1990s and later are vastly different from their Millennial predecessors, and from any other generation. With generational divides wider than ever, parents, educators, and employers have an urgent need to understand today’s rising generation of teens and young adults. Born in the mid-1990s up to the mid-2000s, iGen is the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. With social media and texting replacing other activities, iGen spends less time with their friends in person—perhaps contributing to their unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. But technology is not the only thing that makes iGen distinct from every generation before them; they are also different in how they spend their time, how they behave, and in their attitudes toward religion, sexuality, and politics. They socialize in completely new ways, reject once sacred social taboos, and want different things from their lives and careers. More than previous generations, they are obsessed with safety, focused on tolerance, and have no patience for inequality. With the first members of iGen just graduating from college, we all need to understand them: friends and family need to look out for them; businesses must figure out how to recruit them and sell to them; colleges and universities must know how to educate and guide them. And members of iGen also need to understand themselves as they communicate with their elders and explain their views to their older peers. Because where iGen goes, so goes our nation—and the world.

This innovative book focuses on potential, limitations, and recommendations for the digital mental health landscape. Authors synthesize existing literature on the validity of digital health technologies, including smartphones apps, sensors, chatbots and telepsychiatry for mental health disorders. They also note that collecting real-time biological information is usually better than just collect filled-in forms, and that will also mitigate problems related to recall bias in clinical appointments. Limitations such as confidentiality, engagement and retention rates are moreover discussed. Presented in fifteen chapters, the work addresses the following questions: may smartphones and sensors provide more accurate information about patients’ symptoms between clinical appointments, which in turn avoid recall bias? Is there evidence that digital phenotyping could help in clinical decisions in mental health? Is there scientific evidence to support the use of mobile interventions in mental health? Digital Mental Health will help clinicians and researchers, especially psychiatrists and psychologists, to define measures and to determine how to test apps or usefulness, feasibility and efficacy in order to develop a consensus about reliability. These professionals will be armed with the latest evidence as well as prepared to a new age of mental health.

Are you worried about the relentless influence social media might be having on your child's mental health? Are you uncertain about how to support your child with the issues that social media can raise? What if you could empower yourself to help your child navigate the treacherous terrain of the digital world? In many ways, social media is an incredibly beneficial platform for young people. It is a place for them to express themselves, connect with others outside of school, and learn new skills and information. But there are disadvantages and dangers to social media, too, and these can have a significant impact on a young person's mental health. Perhaps you are worried that your child is experiencing these impacts, and you are searching for help understanding what they are going through and how to help them get back on the right track. If this sounds like you, Social Media Use and Youth Mental Health is a must-read. This book stands as a beacon of unwavering guidance for any parent or caregiver who desires to be equipped to minimize the impact of social media on their child's mental health. Here, you will learn more about the digital wilderness that we call social media to better understand how you can help your child navigate the online world safely, securely, and successfully. Through the compelling insights and real-life narratives provided in this book, you will learn all the skills you need to support your child while they're online and also prepare them to gain as many of the benefits as possible. Inside Social Media Use and Youth Mental Health, discover: A greater understanding of the social media landscape. The influence of social media on youth mental health. How to be a digital sherpa. The power of digital resilience. How to nurture online creativity and self-expression. Actionable steps to fostering digital citizenship in your child. How to find balance in the digital era. Don't let your child confront the dangers of social media on their own. Grab a copy of Social Media Use and Youth Mental Health today!

Social work professionals must have a deep understanding of research methods to effectively serve their clients and communities. In this comprehensive guide, Christine Marlow emphasizes this link between research and practice. She focuses on the relevance of research methods within agency work, where most social work graduates will be employed, rather than strictly an academic setting. With a focus on generalist social work practice, she offers a clear and concise overview of the research process, including identifying research questions, selecting appropriate research designs, and analyzing data. Using real-world examples and case studies, Marlow helps readers understand how research can be used to inform social work practice and drive positive change in communities. With a strong emphasis on ethics and cultural competence, this text prepares social work students and professionals to conduct research that is both effective and socially responsible.

This book is a must read for anyone parenting, teaching or supporting teens, who wants to empower them to reach their potential. Written by a team of clinical psychologists, it leads you through tried and tested strategies to build strong relationships and improve communication with young people as they develop, learn and grow. In the book we learn that the 'teenage brain' is unique which gives us an incredible opportunity for change and development, but it is also a time when young people are particularly sensitive and potentially vulnerable . It guides you through ways to communicate effectively with teens without negatively affecting their self-esteem. There are plenty of tips about what to say, what not say and the best mindset to use with teens, day to day. The authors draw from the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, years of clinical expertise and first-hand parenting experience. It's relatable like your best friend's advice, and informed by scientific evidence - easy to read, hard to put down.

This book lays out an intuitive and practical approach to mental health and wellbeing that any school can adopt to transform their mental health support for students. With a focus on providing staff with practical tools on a limited budget, the book helps schools make a real difference to student mental health. It sets out a roadmap for staff to create robust mental health support for students without requiring qualifications in psychology or counselling. It covers key areas including staff training, creating safe spaces for wellbeing and how to harness the support of parents and the local community. It also includes practical advice for addressing concerns such as stress, self-harm and body image. From small, everyday improvements that foster a culture of mental wellbeing to whole school campaigns, this book shows how to embed mental health at the heart of a school's philosophy.