adolescent psychology

teenager standing in a dark hallway

Universal Depression Screenings in New Jersey

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Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma are increasing in both the state of New Jersey and nationwide. Due to this mental health crisis, New Jersey will be introducing universal mental health screenings for all students grades seven through twelve. It is often hard to recognize when teenagers are having a hard time. These mental health screenings were introduced to public schools in New Jersey in the hopes that they will be able to identify students who need help with their mental health.

All You Need to Know About the Screenings

According to NJ.com, between 2007 and 2017, the number of suicides among 10 to 24-year-olds increased by 56 percent. As long as parents give consent, students will be able to complete a computerized screening survey and the parents would be notified if the student is flagged for showing symptoms of depression.

It is important for parents to understand that screening results are not a formal diagnosis. Once parents receive screening results, schools will advise parents to share the results with a doctor or psychologist. The bill is attempting to raise awareness about mental health diseases and give parents the ability to seek professional help and prevent further suicides. The annual screenings also attempt to educate students about mental health issues. The bill will allow people to start talking about these issues and make people more comfortable expressing their own experience with mental health illness. We are hopeful that this screening will bring us one step closer to breaking the mental health stigma and provide help to those who need it quickly and easily.

New Alliance Academy in Paramus, NJ provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress.

teacher's desk at new alliance academy

Three Benefits of Therapeutic Education

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Mental health conditions in children and adolescents, such as anxiety and depression, can reduce a child’s ability to learn and prevent them from benefiting from classroom experiences. If your child suffers from a mental health condition, therapeutic education can help your child succeed in school. Therapeutic education can help children who struggle in a regular academic setting due to emotional, psychological, or behavioral issues. If you are contemplating whether therapeutic education can help your child succeed in school, here are three benefits to keep in mind.

Attentive Staff

If your child is attending public school, educators are less likely to be trained with children that are experiencing mental health conditions. It might be difficult for general education teachers to pay proper attention to your child due to the large number of children in their classroom. At New Alliance Academy, the student is surrounded by psychiatrists, therapists, learning strategists and our certified educational staff, as well as the student’s school district and our community partnerships, to help them in an ongoing, student-centered process. At therapeutic schools, teachers combine therapeutic elements in the classroom to facilitate learning which helps students with mental health conditions thrive in the classroom.

Focus on Mental Health

A therapeutic school acknowledges that success is linked to a child’s mental and physical health. The primary emphasis of a therapeutic school is to help students overcome the issues that impact their academic performance. New Alliance Academy’s therapists aim to address the issues of each student individually and with family. Emotional support is essential to achieve academic success.

Team Approach

At New Alliance Academy, our integrative model allows all professionals, both educational and therapeutic, to work together as a team. Our teacher and therapists can tailor lessons and therapy sessions to the everchanging situations in an adolescent’s life due to the close working relationships among our students, staff, and professionals. The team approach that therapeutic education creates can improve the learning experience of both children and adolescents.

New Alliance Academy in Paramus, NJ provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress.

empty classroom

Anxiety in the Classroom

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Anxiety is a common emotion that everyone experiences, however, some children can have higher levels than others. Many children experience anxiety before a test, presentation, or a big game, but for other children, they may feel anxious without any of these triggers. Anxiety in the classroom can take many shapes, some examples are an upset stomach, troublesome behavior, or even a learning disorder. There are also several types of anxiety disorders with specific symptoms. If you are worried that your child or students may be experiencing anxiety in the classroom, below are some signs to look out for.

Evading Social or Group Work Situations

Children may evade or protest activities in the classroom that make them feel anxious or uncomfortable such as group projects, sitting at lunch with other children, or speaking out in front of the class. Sometimes children who experience social anxiety have an easier time conveying what they know with a teacher in a one-on-one engagement.

Overuse of the Nurse’s Office

Anxiety can show itself through physical symptoms, not just mentally. If a child has frequent headaches, nausea, or stomach aches that have an unknown cause, it could be from anxiety.

Difficulty Answering Questions

A child with anxiety may do well with homework, tests, and one-on-one discussions with the teacher, but not when they are called on in class. Anxiety may cause children to freeze if they are called on to answer questions in front of a class, even if they know the answer.

Poor Attendance

For children with anxiety in the classroom, the easiest way to deal with it is to not go at all. School refusal is a common sign of anxiety in children.

If you notice these signs in your child or student, it is important to dig deeper to determine if they are due to an anxiety disorder. If you think your child is showing symptoms of an anxiety disorder, it is suggested that you reach out to your child’s primary healthcare provider to figure out the next step to take.

New Alliance Academy in Paramus, NJ is a school that provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress.

depressed teen

Examples of Pathological Conflict in Teens and What Parents Can Do About It

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As children grow into adolescence, they begin to display significant changes in their behavior that are in most cases normal and developmentally appropriate. However, many parents want to make sure that these newly displayed actions belong to the expected range rather than requiring specialized attention. Our first blog post reviewed teenager behavioral changes in conduct that are usually considered within normal developmental patterns. This second post will review the characteristics of conflictive behavior that is generally considered as pathological.

What Behaviors are Outside the Expected Developmental Range?

Aggressive actions are outside the expected developmental range when socially unacceptable, even if a one-time event. Furthermore, severe threats to people or property, initiating violent physical fights, use of weapons, destruction of property, truancy and school failure, and theft are all aggressive actions outside the expected developmental range. Other milder types of conflict can also be pathological when they can’t be explained by a situational circumstance. Also, if these milder types of conflict are of high intensity, frequency, duration, and severity and do not respond to corrective adult feedback within a reasonable time, they could be considered pathological.

Takeaways

It is important to note that general guidelines can never replace a parent’s “gut feeling” and that no one knows a teenager better than his or her parents. If a parent feels the youngster’s behavior is worrisome, even if it is within “normal” guidelines, it is better to err on the side of caution and seek another opinion. The reason the behaviors listed above are of concern is that they can point out to the presence of psychiatric illnesses such as Bipolar Disorder, Illicit Substance Use, Schizophrenia, ADHD (severe), and Conduct Disorder amongst others. When conflictive behaviors such as the ones described are present, it is prudent to discuss them with a guidance counselor and pediatrician first, but also consider a consultation with a specialized mental health professional. These mental health professionals include psychologists, counselors, and social workers who can provide an authoritative opinion regarding the adolescent’s behavior. Following an evaluation, should the professional find the behavior outside the expected range, there may be recommendations for individual and family psychotherapy, and for coordination with the school for an educational evaluation. In some instances, a referral to a child psychiatrist may also be entertained.

New Alliance Academy in Paramus, NJ is a therapeutic school that provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress.

woman comforting daughter

How to Determine What is a Normal Behavioral Change Resulting from Adolescence

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Adolescence prepares individuals for a successful transition from childhood to adulthood and is characterized by significant neurohormonal and attitudinal changes. As children grow into adolescence and become more independent, parents sometimes ask themselves about how to distinguish between newly developed, normal behaviors and new behaviors that should cause concern.

What is the Expected (Normal) Range of Adolescent Behavior?

In general terms, although teenagers no longer remain the cute, obedient children of their past, adolescents are mostly cooperative and fun to be around. Adolescents develop new skills and talents, are creative and candid, and are always searching for the truth. They are interested in advancing social causes and work hard in group settings. They also begin to display more humor, contagious energy, and compassion. However, as part of their expected development, they will also show mood swings, have a tendency to over dramatize, display impulsive behavior, and develop a strong sexual interest. They may begin to distance themselves from family and seem to display selfish behavior, engage in substance experimentation, and become argumentative.

The expected (normal) range of human behaviors is very wide. A good definition of “pathological/abnormal” behavior is based on the level of dysfunction it causes. In other words, a behavior is pathological when it impairs an individual’s appropriate ongoing functioning. Although some behaviors can be upsetting to adults, they are usually within the normal range if they are transitory and mild.

One of the most frequent parental concerns is the presence of conflict and aggression. Usual conflictive behaviors that generate parent/youth arguments include music volume, choice of attire, association with the wrong crowd, internet/phone usage, chores, and curfew. Passionate discussions in class with teachers regarding social and historical issues are not infrequent and isolated arguments at events, parties, and team rivalries are common. Usually, all of the above behaviors are transitory, mild, and tend to respond to feedback from adults.

On the next post, we will review examples of pathological conflict and what parents can do about it.

New Alliance Academy is a school in Paramus, NJ that provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress.