Teen mental health resource deals with difficult topics.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Mentions of sexual crimes -- rape and sexual abuse -- that led to mental health consequences for victims. Descriptions of self-harm: cutting, suicide, eating disorders. Violence in some care facilities towards patients described -- asphyxiation, infliction of pain on body parts. Some listeners may find guests more intense stories of trauma, abuse, and mental illness triggering.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Guests discuss past experiences with sex at a young age and with multiple partners as behaviors to cope with trauma, seek affirmation, and/or feel a connection with others in unhealthy ways. Sex education and wellness is discussed by experts.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Experiences of substance abuse and its impact on mental health are discussed in several episodes, including excessive use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription pain medicine, and illegal drugs. There's a detailed episode where an a child and adolescent psychiatrist talks about the the long-term effects of substances on the brain and what happens to the brain when you use drugs and alcohol. Drug rehabilitation and recovery is discussed in multiple episodes.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Short ads for various products and services are voiced by the host once or twice during each episode.
Positive Messages
a lot
Life is worth living. Reminder that a life of happiness is still possible for those who have suffered from mental health illness based on research and studies. There are different treatment models available for those experiencing depression and anxiety. One's lived experience isn't the same as anyone else.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Adults and teens who've experienced mental health challenges like depression, anxiety and PTSD, share their journeys of coping and recovering. Host Sadie Sutton has experts on to discuss topics like overcoming substance addiction, self-harm, suicide, and substance use. Other experiences deal with very common teenage obstacles like body image, embracing change, and relationships. Stories attempt to destigmatize talking about mental health struggles stemming from trauma. The accounts of various family members, mental health advocates, and professionals all reiterate a positive approach to mental health. Guests who share their own experiences can help listeners struggling feel seen while also serving as examples of how they've learned to cope, manage and overcome. Experts are knowledgeable in various areas of mental health and provide beneficial resources, techniques and approaches to mental health. Most guests on the show have gone on to serve teens through a variety of mental health-related careers, projects, and programs.
Educational Value
a lot
Extensive information shared on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), the current gold standard of support for extreme mental health illness recovery. While the host shares the structure of the model, specific skills covered within DBT are shared in bite-sized segments at the beginning of many shows. Gives a holistic approach to dealing with mental health including therapy, understanding psychiatry and medication, inpatient programs, mindfulness and meditation, emotional regulation practice and so much more. Every episode gives an added tool for your mental health toolbox.
Diverse Representations
some
The stories shared by the host and guests normalize mental illness and the effects of adverse childhood experiences on teens and adults. Guests from diverse backgrounds share their stories of trauma and suffering. While some people may be genetically predisposed to experience mental health illness, the show illustrates that stress and anxiety do not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, age, gender, disability, class, sexuality, and body type. Very little racial or ethnic diversity when it comes to guests and experts.
Parents need to know that She Persisted: Your Teen Mental Health Resource provides real and raw testimonies of people who live with, have lived with, or have recovered from mental health challenges and/or disorders in their adolescent years. The circumstances shared that lead to these challenges include social factors like childhood abuse, neglect, and other forms of childhood trauma. Guests share their experiences with drug and alcohol abuse, self harm (including suicidal thoughts and cutting), and engaging in illegal behavior leading to incarceration. Professionals in the mental health and wellness space -- including therapists, neuroscientists, holistic healers, life coaches and more -- are interviewed do give deeper perspective to mental health disorders as well as practical resources and coping skills. Interviews include discussions of difficult and possibly triggering topics, like rape, sex, drug and alcohol use, and abuse. Parents may want to listen with their kids and discuss the topics at hand during or after listening. Episode descriptions are a good indicator of what's discussed and each episode to inform parents on whether or not it's suitable for their tween or teen.
Mental health is an incredibly important part of overall health and well-being, especially for children. Identifying any potential mental health issues and addressing them in a timely manner is critical to a child's healthy emotional development. Seeking help and support https://www.australiacounselling.com.au/ from a qualified professional counselor can make a huge difference in helping children cope with any mental health issues they may encounter.
What's It About?
SHE PERSISTED: YOUR TEEN MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE provides insight and understanding into the world of mental health, treatment, and diverse experiences toward healing and recovery. Host Sadie Sutton shares her journey and treatment success through dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) by speaking with a wide variety of guests and experts who provide their own success stories filled with resources for anyone looking for strategies to support their mental health. Sutton takes a three-angled approach toward mental health: biological factors making some pre-dispositioned to experience mental health issues, psychological factors including self-esteem and self-talk, and environmental factors like relationships and daily experiences. Guests include Sutton's family members, friends she has met throughout her recovery journey, mental health professionals, and fellow teens. While many share their personal stories, they also provide self-improvement tips, DBT education, and resources for listeners. Sutton's mission is to ensure support is available for others who are struggling to believe they have "a life worth living."
The show offers diverse perspectives of teens who have experienced depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges and disorders. The research-based philosophy behind host Sadie Sutton's view on mental health is to look at it through a three-part approach: biological, psychological and environmental. Sutton's testimony in She Persisted: Your Teen Mental Health Resource allows listeners of all ages to normalize mental illness and its impact on one's well-being. Both Sutton and her guests' vulnerability provides a window into the experiences, knowledge, and understanding of teens who've experience, recover, and heal from a variety of mental heal issues through effective treatment and ongoing use of practical mental health skills and strategies.
While guests routinely share success stories, several also discuss failed treatment due to America's highly unregulated troubled teen industry. Some stories share the sad reality of experiencing residential centers that use fear, abuse, and isolation tactics rather than evidence-based therapy, getting to the root of the behaviors and feelings experienced by individuals.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how She Persisted: Your Teen Mental Health Resource destigmatizes mental health. Why is it important to talk about mental health? What impacts can mental health have on a person's life?
What supports and resources are available to help teens experiencing mental health issues? Can you create a list of five mental health resources readily available to you or your friends?
What aspects of going through adolescence can make mental health challenges more intense and harder to talk about?
Many stories talk about negative coping mechanisms to deal with traumatic or stressful events in childhood. Why do you think talking about difficult moments or challenges instead of holding them in?
What are some positive coping mechanisms you learned from the show?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Mary Field
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