As the summer months roll in, the days become longer, and the sun shines brighter, many of us feel a natural boost in our mood and energy levels. This seasonal uplift is particularly significant for teens and kids, who often spend more time outdoors during their school break.

Teens may turn to substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs as an escape or a way to feel differently, among other reasons. As parents, it’s important to know some of the common warning signs that your teen may be engaging in substance use.  There are also things you can do to support your teen in practicing healthier ways to manage tough emotions like depression, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and anger. 

Being concerned about your teen’s mental health can be a terrifying and lonely experience for any parent.  It’s often hard to distinguish normal teenage behavior from something more concerning, and to know when you just need to be supportive and patient, versus when you need to get outside help. 

Parents often are not familiar with this level of care, so it’s important to communicate that getting intensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary support early can often prevent crisis visits to the ED or avoidable inpatient stays

Healing Arts workshops teach teens teamwork, collaboration, and acceptance. For teens who are moving through the continuum of care – like stepping down from inpatient to partial or outpatient programming – the arts provide sustained healing.

In today's fast-paced world, where distractions abound and pressures seem to mount by the day, the need for mindfulness has never been more apparent, especially among adolescents and teens. At Bradley REACH we are dedicated to supporting the well-being of young individuals and we recognize the profound impact that cultivating mindfulness can have on their mental health.

Bradley Hospital has nearly a century of experience in pediatric mental health. We want to share that expertise beyond the children and families that we treat in our inpatient units, day treatment programs and outpatient clinics. By taking a public health approach to mental health and spreading awareness and skills, we can impact far more people.

To celebrate Social Work Month in March we asked three of our social workers what drew them to social work as a career, and how social work makes a difference as part of the Bradley REACH team…

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Often when we speak of dating violence we think of physical violence. In fact, there are several different types of violence teens can experience. Intimate partner violence can include physical violence, sexual violence, and psychological violence. Teens can experience violence in person, online, or through any type of technology.

As a family therapist, I often find myself navigating homework battles between children and families. Parents have been asked to become more and more involved in their children’s homework and school life, but is this actually helpful for your teen? Read this blog to navigate homework and school relationships between teens, parents and families.

Read our latest Bradley REACH Interview with Diane McLean, MD

Bradley Hospital has been working with Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness to identify ways that we could help to meet the specific needs of their Indigenous young people. I was recently invited to Maine to co-instruct Youth MHFA for Tribal Communities and Indigenous Peoples.  Maine has four Indian tribes, the Maliseet, Micmac, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy, known collectively as the Wabanaki

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and how can it affect kids and teens? SAD is a form of depression, and is more likely to impact those in northern regions during the winter. However, many folks still struggle during this time even if it does not reach the level of a clinical diagnosis.

Therapy deserts are defined as areas across the United States with limited access to mental health services. These regions lack the resources for modern mental health access and pose a significant challenge for individuals seeking support for their mental well-being.

The holiday season can be fun, but it is also common to feel overwhelmed and stressed. So, how do you cope with such holiday stressors and help those around you thrive, rather than just survive, over the festive period? Our psychology team has 5 tips for you.

Escalating war and conflict around the world has followed years of a deadly pandemic and economic insecurity. It’s hard for kids to process what it all means and can cause depression, anxiety and other issues. There are some basic tips that parents can follow when talking to kids about war and conflict.

Tom Petty’s famous song American Girl has become a staple American rock song. Urban legend says this song was inspired by a girl who attempted suicide. Recently, the song’s lyrics have rung true for too many American girls.

We know that bullying can have serious consequences for children and adolescents’ mental health. Physical, verbal, emotional, social and cyber bullying can all have a profound impact on teens’ sense of self and their social development. We all have a right to kindness and safety and should work towards this for ourselves and our communities. 

Stimulants are the most common medication used to treat ADHD. Individual, family and group therapy are crucially important for adolescents with an ADHD diagnosis, but there are times when rapid access to stimulants is truly lifesaving. Despite concerns about addiction, evidence shows that children with ADHD who have been treated with stimulants are no more likely to develop substance use issues than children with unmedicated ADHD.

Great strides have been made - including this year’s World Health Day Initiative on October 10th “Mental Health Is a Universal Human Right.” But we still have a long way to go. Mental health parity is a work in progress, and the global mental health crisis is on the rise.