Dr. Lisa Damour: How Can We Protect Teen Mental Health?

Whether it’s watching a young person struggle with a social situation, lose sleep to social media, experience loss, feel school stress, consider self-harm, or try to support a friend, so many adults worry about how kids are coping emotionally in an increasingly complex world. How can we adults help? 

Dr. Lisa Damour, a psychologist and author, who has spent decades working as a clinician and researcher. Her three books about young people and their mental health are written to help adults better understand and support kids. In this episode, Dr. Lisa Damour brings us a world of wisdom about the struggles of today’s young people and how adults can respond, both generally and specifically.  

This episode was recorded with a live audience at The City Club of Cleveland, and the audience contributed some wonderful questions of their own. 

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. 

(02:46)    What is the current state of teen mental health? 

(06:10)    How should we think about mental health? 

(07:38)    When should parents intervene in their kids’ mental health? 

(09:43)    Is adolescence different for the current generation? 

(11:05)    Why are kids sleeping less? 

(13:19)    What is the primary job of parents, in terms of mental health for kids? 

(17:44)    How can parents talk with kids about self-harm? 

(20:30)    How can we help kids find balance about things that trouble them? 

(22:45)    When can parents expect the peak of emotional swings in adolescence? 

(25:12)    Are kids more fragile these days? 

(27:49)    Are kids experiencing loneliness? 

(29:45)    Are online friendships as deep as in-person friendships? 

(31:14)    Do kids of different genders form friendships differently? 

(32:58)    How can we help boys initiate deeper friendships? 

(34:31)    Can we get past societal expectations of what boys and girls feel? 

(38:19)    What role can school play in supporting emotional well-being? 

(40:27)    How should parents approach technology and social media for kids? 

(46:46)    What gives Lisa Damour hope? 

(48:01)    What is the mental health status of college-aged people?  

(51:55)    How does privacy work for young people seeking mental health support? 

(53:54)    How can we help young people who are feeling apathetic? 

(56:42)    How badly do tech devices interfere with sleep and what to do about it? 

(58:51)    Can we manage kids’ devices while allowing them to feel connected? 

Dr. Lisa Damour, Psychologist and Author

Instagram: @lisa.damour 

Twitter: @LDamour 

Facebook: @lisadamourphd 

About Dr. Lisa Damour 

Dr. Lisa Damour is the author of three New York Times best sellers: “Untangled,” “Under Pressure,” and “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.” She co-hosts the "Ask Lisa" podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association. Dr. Damour is also a regular contributor to The New York Times and CBS News. 

Dr. Damour serves as a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University and has written numerous academic papers, chapters, and books related to education and child development. She maintains a clinical practice and also speaks to schools, professional organizations, and corporate groups around the world on the topics of child and adolescent development, family mental health, and adult well-being. 

Dr. Damour graduated with honors from Yale University and worked for the Yale Child Study Center before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. She has been a fellow at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the University of Michigan’s Power Foundation. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters.