The Effect of Teen Relationships on Mental Health
Relationships that are fostered during adolescence shape the way that people interact with the world. Healthy relationships include trust, respect, and setting boundaries. “Going through relationships helps [teens] to understand themselves better because they get to explore their feelings and emotions in a way that they can’t do with family and friends. They get to experience heartbreak, fleeting love, and loss,” says Cynthia Halow, a psychologist and Founder of Personality Max. When teens are given the right tools to manage relationships, they can go on to form healthy ones throughout their lives.
Teens and Relationships
Teen relationships are often fragile because there’s so much newness involved in them. “The prefrontal cortex doesn’t fully mature until around the age of 25. Our prefrontal cortex is the part of our brain that helps regulate our emotions and impulsivity,” says Christina Steinorth-Powell, LMFT, “This is why relationships tend to be more passionate when we’re younger — we’ve got all of these hormones and impulses racing through us and the part that regulates them isn’t fully formed yet.” When a teen gets their first partner, they’ll be exploring a world that’s totally foreign to them in the beginning. They’ll get to know what they want in a relationship and what they can do without. They’ll have a chance to learn from their mistakes as well as their successes. Through trust, mutual respect, and a solid support system, anything is possible.
Trust is a fundamental part of any relationship and it’s especially true for romantic ones. Without trust, the foundation of the relationship will be shaky. A teen should be able to ensure that they and their partner are open and honest with each other.
Mutual respect is also incredibly important. When two people respect each other, they’re able to work through any problems that could come up. Showing respect involves active listening and being willing to compromise with a partner.
A solid support system including friends and family can help a teen to feel secure. When they know there’s always someone to go to, particularly about relationships, they’ll be able to go forward in their romantic partnerships with confidence.
Teens want to experience a strong, loving partnership. Even though they are still young, it’s during this time that they can practice being in a relationship that gives them the experience they need to form satisfying ones in adulthood.
Mental Health Concerns
Keeping one’s mental health in check is important in a relationship. If there are underlying mental health concerns such as depression, receiving treatment for them can help the relationship. Finding a partner who is supportive of these conditions is incredibly important. Because of the stigma surrounding mental health, it can be difficult. However, once a supportive partner is found, that will be highly beneficial to the teen.
Sometimes, teens will go into a relationship without any mental health concerns and come out the other side with anxiety, low self-esteem, or even eating disorders. Toxic relationships can have an especially negative impact on teens because they’re still in their formative years. For this reason, it’s important for parents to pay attention to any changes in behavior such as “academic difficulties, substance use, or Increased vulnerability”, says psychologist Uduakobong Okon. Signs of a toxic relationship include verbal putdowns, physical violence, and intimidation or threats. It can also include behaviors such as passive-aggressiveness. If a teen finds themselves in a toxic or abusive relationship, they should come up with an exit strategy as soon as possible.
Having a healthy sense of self can help teens to spot the red flags of a toxic relationship. “As cliche as it is — it starts with a healthy relationship with themselves — meaning, understanding and having clarity in their own wants, needs, and values. This clarity provides the foundation for more healthy assertive communication and behaviors and leads a teen to feel more empowered to affirm themselves,” says Albert Nguyen, LCSW, PPSC, a licensed psychotherapist. With self-affirmation, teens can learn to be happy by themselves before entering a relationship.
Healthy Teen Romance
Teens who come from strong households will be more likely to achieve happiness in their interpersonal relationships. “Teens need to know what a good relationship looks like. If they do not know, they should find a mentor in a mentorship program or counseling so that they can know what a good relationship is like,” says Jeffrey Proctor is an LPC Associate practicing at Serenity Family Therapy in McKinney, TX, “If they cannot do that, they should research what a healthy relationship looks like and copy those patterns of a healthy relationship. Even if those patterns do not work well in their current unhealthy relationships, it will work very well once they find that healthy person.” Knowing whether or not a partner is healthy requires trial and error. This is why many teens and young adults date around until they find a person to be exclusive with.
When two teens decide to become intimate, the use of protection such as condoms is vital. Before entering a relationship, it’s best if the teen has a proper understanding of their body, their birth control options, and what to do in case of accidental pregnancy. Healthy intimacy is safe and gives teens the opportunity to voice their needs.
Teen romances can be complicated, messy, and even scary. However, equipping teens with knowledge about how to navigate these new waters will prove beneficial in the long run. As teens grow and discover their minds and bodies on a deeper level, they’ll feel confident in their ability to form lasting and healthy relationships.
Conclusion
Positive conversations around mental health and relationships can lay the foundation for good communication. Teens can be taught to recognize the signs of a toxic relationship and how to avoid one. Parents should pay attention to signs that their teen is struggling and be willing to intervene if necessary. As teens mature, they’ll be able to learn from their experiences and use that information to have healthy relationships.
