AD25 Keynote 03 - The Anxiety-Depression Pipeline in Teens: Why “Coping Skills” Are Not Enough and A Challenge To Do Better - Lynn Lyons, LICSW

Keynote 03 - The Anxiety-Depression Pipeline in Teens: Why “Coping Skills” Are Not Enough and A Challenge To Do Better

Our current culture likes to talk (and talk and talk) about anxiety and depression, with seemingly limitless voices weighing in on what to do, what to buy, and what to avoid. But based on rising trends of loneliness, anxiety and depression in our young people, this flood of approaches is not enough. In fact, they’re often making things worse. What do teens and their parents need to know about anxiety and its common path into depression? How do we move beyond “mental health awareness”? Misinformation, self-labeling, and bad advice are everywhere, making the goal of developing emotionally and socially resilient teens increasingly difficult. Mental health providers must focus on creating effective school and family plans that don’t “do the disorder” but instead focus on the development of skills such as problem solving, social connection, emotional management and autonomy. The goal is a thorough understanding of HOW these disorders operate, a process-based approach to interrupt the patterns that move anxiety into depression, and movement away from “coping strategies” that inadvertently support avoidance.

Educational Objectives:

1. Describe two key overlapping patterns of anxiety and depression.

2. Explain to teens and families how avoidance creates anxiety.

3. List three mistakes that support passivity in a depressed teen/young adult.