Anxiety and mental issues in young people…

I was reading Rachael Newham’s article on Premier Radio’s website, where she stated a disturbing fact concerning young people struggling with their mental health. Rachel is a youth worker and founder of Think Twice, whose primary aim is supporting and caring for those affected with mental illness. Their main aim is raise awareness about key issues within the society. According to Child Line in England, there is a 35% rise in counselling sessions with young people about anxiety.

The causes of anxiety are a number of factors: in England, the unrest of Brexit; the unrest in the Middle East; the impact of terrorism such as migration; unstable homes; money pressures; the increasing barrage of the news cycle we have to endure etc. These have been an assault on our young people – who are often left with no trusted, productive and viable outlet – then consider committing suicide.

Is this different in a church?

Rachael gives these suggestions in her article: as parents and youth workers we can’t shield our young people from the world in the way that we might have been able to in the past or the way we might want to, and so we need to be up front with them – talk to them about the things they hear, teach them to listen critically and develop an understanding of how the media works, while encouraging them to ask questions about the things they hear and see.

She continues: As youth workers we also need to be proactive in how we talk about emotions and develop our understanding of mental health conditions through books or training, encouraging healthy ways to manage difficult feelings such as anger and anxiety before they become a problem, rather than just reacting to crises. Youth workers have a vital role in these conversations – the whole spectrum of emotions are seen in the Bible and we can draw on the scriptures to inform our work. Consider studying the Psalms, looking at how emotions are written about or using Mental Health Awareness Week or World Mental Health Day to have a particular focus. We must move beyond the superficial use of verses, exclamations such as: “Do not worry about anything,” plucked from Philippians 4. While this can be a powerful call to prayer, we have to ensure that we don’t stop there. Telling someone to stop being anxious can just add guilt to anxiety, but allowing our young people to delve into the text and glimpse the God who experienced his own anguish and anxiety through Jesus sends a message that God can be trusted with our emotions and our whole lives.

I asked this question: is the experience different in a church? Are youngsters in the church suffering on two fronts – from the pressures of the world and the church’s often inability to deliver a positive outlook on life. We are so mired and emotionally tied especially in the U.S. in a knot by what happens in the Middle East; the impact of immigration; the role of the government, and even tied by the carnality of our nature that we have been unable to be free off. The many flaws that we had before coming to Jesus are still alive and well. We are so fixated on the problems we see, such that we have forgotten our one and only commission. We bring the world’s negatives into our churches, homes and even our state of being. Is it that the blood of Jesus is ineffective? No! It is most certainly that we have refrained due to one reason or the other to be elevated to where our carnal nature is totally diminished. The fruits of this carnal nature of course is sin; but this can be punishing for our children and young people. Because what we profess is not what they see. They often see the opposite. This is a challenge that knocks on their senses too. Indeed our kids pick off on all of these. And so it seems that we have to make room for a positive conversation rather than being riled up alongside the world. Now I must add, these are not the only reasons why youngsters are struggling; but these do indeed add to their many pressures in life.

It is time to be attentive to what our children see, hear and go through. We must be sensitive to their mental state, and refuse the world to impress successfully on them its negative elements, as well as create an environment in our homes that is true to the word of God: listening; encouraging; dealing with issues rather than running away from them; being transparent; always applying the word of God. This seems a tall order, but we can do this with the help of God!

Linda Faith

Linda faith is the Editor in Chief of Jewels Magazine. She co-pastors along with her husband Revival Worship Church, Tampa. She is a prolific writer and powerful speaker, inspiring many women to be all God has called them to be. She is the founder of Joy Women’s conference which reaches out to empower, inspire and motivate women in their faith walk. She was a software developer before she started writing.