A study suggests teens who feel connected with others at home and school have fewer serious health problems and risks as young adults. Photo by pixabay
Teens who feel connected with others at home and school have fewer serious health problems and risks as young adults, a new study suggests.
Young adults who had higher levels of connectedness -- feeling engaged, supported and cared for at home and at school -- when they were teens were as much as 66 percent less likely to have mental health problems, to experience violence, to take sexual risks, and to engage in substance use.
That included a 65 percent lower lifetime risk of prescription drug misuse and other illegal drug use, a 54 percent lower risk of ever having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease, and a 51 percent lower risk of having been a victim of physical violence in the past 12 months.
"What happens in middle and high school doesn't stay in middle and high school. What we experience as adolescents can set us up for success -- including avoiding serious health risks like drug use and STDs," said researcher Kathleen Ethier, director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Given the significant and long-lasting protective effects connectedness can have, it is important to take steps to increase this feeling of belonging at home and at school among youth," Ethier said in a CDC news release.
"Our nation's youth are experiencing several public health crises at once -- including STDs, drug overdose, and suicide," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB Prevention.
"It is encouraging to know that connecting with teens in the home and classroom can lead to a healthier, happier life for years to come," he added.
These findings suggest a connection between teens' experiences and some of the United States' most significant public health issues, including record rates of STDs and sharp rises in drug overdoses and suicides, according to the researchers.
The study was published June 24 in the journal Pediatrics.
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The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on teens' emotional health.
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friclay on June 30th, 2019 at 02:42 UTC »
As a child that was very much neglected and disconnected from every person in my life, I agree with this 100%! The question is now that I’m an adult, how do I fix it?? Is there anyway to at least reduce the effects of past neglect now, after years of abuse? There must be a way.
DorienG on June 30th, 2019 at 01:22 UTC »
I been to rehab twice and I can tell y’all from my experience that the ages 2-17, are extremely important when it comes to making a normal and stable adult.
Granted that there are plenty of opportunities to fix a fucked up situation, but if kids don’t get the love and support they need. The rest of their lives can be very hard.
So if you have kids out there... please take care of them and love them like they should be.
Isantos85 on June 30th, 2019 at 00:30 UTC »
Your experience, ideas, etc. create neural connectors that reinforce it. It's why addicts take a while to feel normal and lose urges even after physical withdrawal has ended. A developing brain that has these negative experiences, especially abuse and depression, will create even stronger connections in the brain that will reinforce these experiences and color the way you view the world for the rest of your life. This is why we should cherish our children and always show them they are loved.
Edit: I'm incredibly flattered by the positive response and care very much for the state of your mental health. I'm getting a lot of questions regarding depression and addiction. I'm happy to offer my experiences and advice and deeply hope that it helps someone. I'm not perfect, but the quality of my life has improved 1000%. If someone as damaged as I am can do that, I truly believe you can too.