In this post, I’m reaching out to those who provide behavioral health support and intervention to youth and young adults. In any practice setting, working with individuals of any age and various mental health concerns, you’ve all encountered youth and families experiencing high levels of stress. In short, all behavioral health providers respond to stress endorsement. So, let’s talk about it.
What is stress?
Stress is a natural reaction to demands or challenges and involves both physical and emotional aspects. We all experience stress. In small doses, it can be helpful. For example, performing in front of others can motivate a rigorous practice schedule. Or, an upcoming test can encourage study habits. However, continued stress over time suppresses our immune system, taxing our physical and mental health. Chronic stressors include financial, social, educational/vocational, traumatic and social climate, among others.
Why talk about stress now?
More youth are reporting higher levels of stress, rendering it a critical concern. As providers, we can get overwhelmed or feel “stuck” and appreciate new ways of approaching treatment and/or new resources from our behavioral health community. April is also Stress Awareness Month, with the goal to expand education on the impact of stress and healthy ways to manage stress that promote physical and mental well-being. The 2025 theme – #LeadWithLove- encourages us to approach ourselves and others with kindness, compassion, and acceptance, recognizing these are powerful motivators for positive change.
How stressed are teens and young adults?
Youth and young adults are experiencing high levels of chronic stress. A 2024 study published by Common Sense Media and researchers at Harvard and Indiana University showed that 81% of US teens reported feeling negative pressure, with having a plan for the future being the most common source of distress, followed by achievement and appearance. More than a quarter (27%) of these youth are experiencing burnout, and only half (51%) engage in weekly self-care. Most are not practicing daily self-care. Barriers to self-care included an inability to put away electronic devices, time constraints, and beliefs that self-care is not productive.
Similarly, a third (34%) of young adults rated that their average stress falls between 8-10 (scale of 1 low – 10 high), according to a 2023 American Psychological Association Survey. A concerning 71% indicated that they don’t talk about their stress because they don’t want to burden others.
How do we manage stress?
These studies show that youth and young adults could benefit from support and guidance regarding stress management. Everyone has their own unique experience with stress – what level of stress is comfortable versus causes burden for you? what are your triggers? how do you respond? how have your coping strategies been helpful versus unhelpful? At the same time, chronic stress is burdensome for anyone. And some frequently used coping strategies, while they may provide instant gratification (i.e., eating junk food, using screen time as a distraction, which often results in sleep deprivation) and can be okay on occasion, but can be unhelpful if used often and/or as a long-term strategy. In fact, these unhelpful coping strategies may actually increase stress.
What are some effective strategies to manage stress?
Common suggestions for healthy ways to manage stress include:
- Talking to someone
- Trying relaxation techniques
- Practicing mindfulness, meditation
- Engaging in daily, positive health behaviors (e.g., recommended amount of sleep, routine physical activity)
- Journaling
- Doing something fun
The Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) system, one of the products offered at PracticeWise, can support you in delivering evidence-informed care. For example, when we search in the research database, PWEBS, we find that many of the above suggested strategies are practices included in treatment protocols that have been shown to be effective in treating concerns across mental health targets, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma (e.g., Relaxation, Mindfulness, Activity Scheduling, Psychoeducation, Cognitive, etc.). In the MAP library of Practice Guides, you can find 2-page, step-by-step instructions on how to deliver these strategies. Here are some examples of how you might use a MAP Practice Guide to support a youth for stress management:
| MAP Practice Guides | Use For Stress Management |
| Psychoeducation: Health Promotion – Caregiver, Youth | Provide information on how health behaviors (sleep, nutrition, physical activity, social engagement) are related to stress levels |
| Psychoeducation: Anxiety, Depression – Caregiver, Youth | Help the family understand how unhelpful thoughts (e.g., I will never be able to…, If I don’t do X, I’ll fail) can increase stress. |
| Relaxation | Practice strategies to slow down, reduce muscle tension, and clear the mind |
| Mindfulness | Practice being present and aware in the moment, with no judgment of thoughts or feelings |
| Activity Scheduling | Make a list of things the youth enjoys and set up times to do them. Consider choosing 1/day. |
| Cognitive: Anxiety, Depression | Learn how to challenge unhelpful thoughts that lead to stress and focus on helpful thoughts (e.g., I have a plan to study for this test.) |
| Insight Building: Emotion Identification | Explore how thoughts and emotions are related and identify triggers for emotions related to stress (i.e., journaling) |
| Assertiveness Training | Guide a youth who is stressed over pressure from adults to achieve at high levels to communicate their feelings to these adults. |
| Goal Setting | Focus on achievable goals and break down large goals into smaller steps to reduce stress. |
| Problem Solving | Walk through why a coping strategy isn’t helping and what some alternative options are |
| Motivational Enhancement | Highlight how the discrepancy between a youth’s stated goals and current behaviors increases stress |
| Self-Monitoring | Have the youth monitor stress levels before and after practicing new strategies |
| Support Networking | Identify and engage individuals and resources to support the youth and family during a stressful situation |
When youth and young adults talk about their stress, concerns move from a place of isolation and self-defeat into a shared space, and we can equip them with strategies to effectively manage their stress.
Additional Resources:
- Previous blogs available from PracticeWise that are related to stress management
- Health behaviors related to sleep, nutrition, screen time, and physical activity
- Sport performance
- Using MAP to support treatment for Trauma
- Managing stress during holidays
- For more info on Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP)
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About the Author
Janelle Wagner Ph.D., serves on the Professional Development Team as an Associate Trainer and Senior Consultant for PracticeWise. Learn more about Dr. Wagner on the PracticeWise team page.
