Change in behavior may indicate that the mental health of teenagers is not going well; see how to perceive

 Adolescence is a period of behavioral oscillations as a result of hormonal changes common to the period of development. In this context, it becomes a challenge to distinguish what are typical behaviors of age from what can hide a more serious mental health problem.

 

The violent attack that took place at a school in the city of  So Paulo, which led to the death of a teacher, drew attention to the importance of caring for young people's mental health.

 

In general, mental disorders are characterized by changes in the pattern of behavior that impair daily activities. When the individual changes his behavior and this starts to harm him, whether at school, in social life or in the family, these changes should serve as a warning.

 

Among children and adolescents, parents and caregivers should be aware of signs such as changes in sleep routine, including insomnia or changing sleep and waking times, sudden isolation from family and social contact, and reduced school performance.

 

“Fall in school performance, isolation, irritability, compulsive behaviors, signs of sadness or anxiety , all of this can culminate in a very negative outcome, so they need to be taken to a specialist for evaluation”, says Ana Mercia Guestimate, member of the Scientific Department of Development and Behavior of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP).

 

Psychoanalyst Lídia Magnino, from the Brazilian Society of Psychoanalysis of So Paulo (SBPSP), points out signs that the mental health of adolescents is not going well.

 

“Damage to self-esteem, insecurity, fear of facing the challenges of the maturation process, extreme dependence on parents, apathy, self-indulgence, lack of hope, not recognizing themselves as capable, experiencing continuous and chronic traumas”, he points out.

 

However, the specialist considers that not all children or adolescents who are victims of violence get sick in the same way. “There are those with low-level trauma who become very emotionally compromised, while others who survive traumatic episodes are not affected as much,” she says.

 

Psychiatrist Carolina Hanna, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês, says that events of extreme violence can configure a diagnosis of personality disorder. Some phenomena involved in this construction are difficulty in identifying and relating to emotions, yours and the other's; difficulty accepting limits and rules, absence or poverty of empathy, low self-esteem and projection defense mechanism.

 

“Unfortunately there is no way to predict if and when an event like this will occur, but the best form of prevention is to identify risk factors, addressing the problem to specialized professionals. When the figures that take care of the teenager, whether parents or other adults, do some kind of psychological follow-up, it also tends to prevent in general, ”he says.

 

Multifactorial causes

 

Psychologist Maycon Rodrigo Torres, a member of the Laboratory of Psychoanalysis and Social Bonding at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and professor of psychology at Faculdade Maria Thereza (Famath), points out that there is no specific diagnosis associated with attacks committed by adolescents in schools .

 

“We have to take into account that the first big warning sign is social isolation. There is no specific diagnosis associated with this type of outburst of aggression at school. But it is important to take isolation into account. So, the profiles that draw the most attention are people who don't manage to make many social bonds or who at some point lost social bonds, ”he says.

 

The specialist points out as examples of loss of social bond changes that impact the teenager's daily life, such as changing schools , changing cities or family arrangements. “The second point is to be able to evaluate the type of bond that this teenager makes, what these relationships are like, if they tend to be more superficial, if they are also based on aggressiveness or something along those lines”, he points out.

 

The SBPSP psychoanalyst states that all mental suffering reveals something of the time and culture of a society. “Since Freud, the etiological origin of emotional disorders contains multifactorial factors: hereditary predisposition, environmental factors and [Melanie] Klein added constitutional ones, good mothering can protect the individual in his healthy development”, she says.

 

This fact at the São Paulo school gives visibility to a modality of malaise in action in the form of violence and criminality. It reveals something of the individual, such as the problematic of the 'I', the difficulty of discriminating who I am and who the other is, as well as the culture

 

Psychologist Luana Ganzert, a specialist in emotions , says that psychological development in childhood is as important as motor and language development.

 

“Often, we pay more attention to whether the child is growing well and speaking well, and we don't think about behaviors based on emotional development. The family structure neglected by attention, love, care, guidance, presence, plus the biological heritage with psychological problems, added to a vulnerable environment, are contributors to violent episodes, "she says.

 

What's behind the teenage mind

 

Adolescence is a time of great changes that require psychic work, as explained by psychoanalyst Lídia Magnino, from the Brazilian Society of Psychoanalysis of São Paulo (SBPSP).

 

“The body defines itself sexually, puts pressure on sexual identity, leaves the private space of the family to the public of friendships, the search for recognition by others, experiences the first passions. It's time to use your childhood psychic savings. If there is a refusal to these transformations, illness occurs. They seem to be empty, soulless, unable to speak, isolated, attached to social networks, unable to think”, says Lídia.

 

The specialist explains that, in this context, antisocial attitudes are common.

 

“Antisocial attitudes are attempts to regain maternal care, what was deprived, trying to find lost care. Destructive behaviors hide infinite loneliness, helplessness. Late adolescents with difficulties to enter adult life, who depend on their parents and cannot separate themselves, "she says.