What Changes During Adolescence?

Find a therapist to support kids and teens

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Adolescent mental health can be impacted by many variables.

Caring adults can do things in their control to be supportive.

Listening is a powerful protective factor.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Sponsored by Mental Health America, the 2026 theme is “More Good Days, Together.” National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is recognized on May 7.

Many factors that influence mental health are outside of our control. This month (and all year), consider focusing on what is within your control: small, intentional actions that can improve someone’s day. The MHA Action Guide offers many helpful ideas, but one stands out for its impact and accessibility: listening.

A research letter published in JAMA on April 22, 2026, titled “Suicide Mortality Among Adolescents and Young Adults After Launch of a Suicide Crisis Line,” found that the $1.5 billion federal investment in transitioning the 10-digit lifeline to the simpler 988 number, along with expanded services, was associated with significant reductions in suicide mortality among adolescents and young adults. Increased access to supportive listeners is saving lives.

This underscores not only the importance of continued funding for resources like 988 but also the power of listening in our everyday interactions.

As caregivers of young people, listening is one of the most impactful and often most challenging ways we can offer support. It can be especially difficult to listen, rather than jumping to fix, when we........

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