Maria started feeling depressed and unmotivated, but she didn’t have the words to explain what was happening. At only 15, she began pulling away from family and friends, spending more time alone and sometimes lashing out when she couldn’t communicate what she was feeling. Her grades also started to slip, adding another layer of frustration to an already difficult time.
Her mother eventually heard about Western Youth Services through word of mouth. After eight months with a WYS mental health professional, Maria learned to identify the triggers behind her depression and anger and developed coping skills to manage those emotions. She began feeling more in control, re-engaged socially and saw a significant improvement in her academic performance, moving up an entire grade in most subjects. With the tools she learned at WYS and her own determination, Maria began thinking about life after high school and the future she wanted.
Maria’s story shows how youth mental health can affect much more than a child’s mood. Changes can show up at home, in the classroom, in friendships and in activities a child once enjoyed. Knowing what to look for can make it easier to notice when something has changed and decide what to do next.
Youth Mental Health Challenges Are More Common Than Many Realize
Mental health challenges affect many children and teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 had ever been diagnosed with a mental, emotional or behavioral health condition in 2021. More recent data from 2023–2024 found that 11% of children ages 3 to 17 had current diagnosed anxiety, while 4% had current diagnosed depression. Among U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17, 20% reported symptoms of anxiety and 18% reported symptoms of depression during the previous two weeks between 2021 and 2023. These numbers don’t capture every child experiencing emotional distress.
What Mental Health Challenges Can Look Like
There isn’t one way a mental health challenge will show up. Anxiety might look like excessive worry or avoidance, while depression can appear as irritability or withdrawal rather than sadness.
Some common challenges and signs include:
- Anxiety: Excessive worry, fear, irritability, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, avoiding activities or frequent headaches and stomachaches.
- Depression: Ongoing sadness or irritability, withdrawing from family or friends, losing interest in favorite activities, changes in sleep or appetite or declining school performance.
- Behavioral challenges: Frequent outbursts, defiance, aggression, impulsive behavior or noticeable changes at home or school.
- Trauma and stress-related concerns: Strong emotional reactions, increased fear, avoiding reminders of a difficult experience, changes in sleep or mood or difficulty feeling safe.
- Attention and concentration difficulties: Trouble staying focused, completing tasks, organizing schoolwork, sitting still or managing emotions and impulses.
One sign on its own doesn’t necessarily mean a child has a mental health condition. What matters is the pattern, how long the changes have lasted and whether they’re interfering with school, relationships or everyday life.
Starting the Conversation
A conversation about mental health doesn’t have to begin with, “What’s wrong?” Instead, start with what you’ve noticed. You might say, “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot more time alone lately. How have you been feeling?” Or, “You don’t seem like yourself lately. Is there something going on that you want to talk about?”
Listen before jumping into solutions, ask open-ended questions and let the child know they won’t be punished for sharing. If changes continue or interfere with everyday life, consider talking with a pediatrician, school-based professional or mental health provider. The goal isn’t to diagnose a child at home. It’s to create room for an honest conversation and know when professional guidance could be useful.
A Mental Health Screening Can Be a Starting Point
Sometimes a child knows they’re struggling but can’t explain why. A mental health screening can give families another place to begin. Screenings can identify possible areas of concern, but they aren’t the same as a diagnosis.
Western Youth Services’ Mental Health Clinics provide outpatient services primarily for Orange County children and youth under 21 who are Medi-Cal eligible. Services include clinical assessments, individual and family therapy, case management, crisis intervention and linkage to additional services. WYS also takes a trauma-informed approach that considers experiences such as chronic stress and adverse childhood experiences.
School Can Also Have an Impact
A child’s mental health doesn’t stay at home. It can affect attendance, concentration, classroom behavior, relationships and academic performance. WYS School-Based Services uses a three-tiered approach ranging from prevention and early intervention to targeted and intensive intervention. Services can include classroom workshops, social-emotional learning, individual skill-building, case management, support groups, crisis intervention and individual or family therapy. For a child like Maria, looking at mental health and school life together can make a meaningful difference.
Building Skills That Last
Maria’s progress wasn’t only about talking through what she was feeling. She learned to identify the triggers behind her depression and anger and developed coping skills she could use when those emotions surfaced.Mental health education can give children and teens language for what they’re experiencing and practical strategies for difficult moments.
WYS’s RESET Toolbox, or Resilience: Essential Social-Emotional Trainings, offers no-cost trainings and resources focused on resilience, relationships, conflict resolution and social-emotional learning for children, teens, families, educators and youth-serving organizations. Mental health education isn’t only useful after a problem appears. Giving children and the adults around them tools for understanding emotions and responding to stress can also be part of prevention.
Mental Health Awareness Week Starts a Conversation
Mental Illness Awareness Week offers another opportunity to talk openly about mental health. Congress established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week in 1990 following advocacy from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In 2026, the observance runs from October 4th through October 10th, with World Mental Health Day on October 10th.
Awareness weeks can bring attention to issues that aren’t always easy to discuss, but youth mental health deserves attention throughout the year. Families can use this time to learn the signs and become familiar with mental health resources.
Finding the Right Mental Health Resources
Knowing that a child needs support is one thing. Figuring out where to start can feel like another challenge entirely. Western Youth Services’ One Door Any Door® gives children, youth and families in Orange County a single entry point for mental health services and resources. Families can share what’s going on, and WYS can identify an appropriate provider within its network or through community partners.
Families can call 888-312-0406 or email gethelp@westernyouthservices.org to get started. WYS also maintains mental health resources for families looking for information, screening options, crisis services and other community-based programs.
Taking the Next Step
Maria’s story didn’t change because someone found a perfect solution. It changed because her mother noticed something was wrong, reached out and found a place where Maria could learn more about what she was experiencing. That first step can look different for every family. It might be a conversation at the kitchen table, a call to a school counselor, a mental health screening or a conversation with a professional.
If you’re concerned about a child’s mood, behavior, relationships or ability to manage everyday life, you don’t have to wait until things become a crisis. Western Youth Services offers mental health services, school-based programs, education and community resources for children, teens and families. Learn more about Western Youth Services and available mental health services at westernyouthservices.org, or call 888-312-0406 to speak with an Access Coordinator.
Western Youth Services works hard to protect the privacy of the children we help. As such, the names of our clients are changed.
Sources:
- https://www.westernyouthservices.org/stories/maria/
- https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/data-research/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/about/about-anxiety-and-depression-in-children.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fchildrensmentalhealth%2Fdepression.html
- https://www.westernyouthservices.org/mental-health-clinics/
- https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/about/
- https://www.westernyouthservices.org/school-based-services/
- https://www.resettoolbox.com/
- https://www.nami.org/
- https://www.westernyouthservices.org/one-door-any-door/
