Often through no fault of their own, it can take some time for parents to recognize that their teen has a mental health issue that requires treatment. For one, it can be difficult to distinguish between teen angst and depression. Moreover, some teens may hide their suffering, or their mental health conditions may manifest as behavioral issues like aggression and anger. Or parents may assume that a moody teen is suffering from a temporary issue like stress during the holidays or the holiday blues.
Parents also have other reasons for resisting the idea of starting teen treatment during the holiday season. Below are some of the reasons why parents question whether the holidays are the right time for getting a kids and teens to start treatment.
What You’ll Learn
- How can parents tell the difference between typical teen behavior and a mental health issue?
- What are the most common fears parents have about starting teen care during the holidays?
- What benefits can families experience when they choose to begin care now rather than wait?
Quick Read
Parents often hope holiday stress is the reason for a teen’s mood changes, but symptoms like sadness, anger, or withdrawal can worsen this time of year. While it may feel easier to wait, the holidays are actually a meaningful time to begin care.
Treatment doesn’t isolate teens—it connects them with supportive peers and clinicians who understand what they’re going through. Many find comfort, structure, and even joy through therapeutic activities and shared experiences.
Starting treatment now can also strengthen family relationships. As teens gain stability, parents receive tools and support that help bring more harmony and understanding into the home—during the holidays and beyond.
“I don’t want my child to be alone at this time of year.”
No parent wants their child to feel isolated and alone—at any time of year. And it’s natural to want to spend time together as a family during this season. However, teen treatment is the opposite of isolation. It can help teens with a mental health condition overcome the loneliness they’ve been feeling for a long time.
In fact, one of the biggest benefits of teen treatment is that young people find a trusting community of peers who have had similar experiences. Being in treatment for a mental health condition is often the first time that an adolescent experiences the relief of knowing that they are not alone. Surrounded by caring mental health providers and by peers who understand what they’re going through and are equally committed to the healing journey, teens feel a sense of belonging and connection, despite being away from family.
“They’ll start feeling better during the holidays.”
Unfortunately, more often the opposite is true. Holiday depression statistics show that depressive symptoms increase during the holidays, as do anxiety and other psychological issues. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 64 percent of people with a diagnosed mental health condition find that the holidays make their symptoms worse.
Holiday stress usually makes teen mental health issues worse. In a Healthline survey, 65 percent of Gen Z, 61 percent of millennials, and 62 percent of Baby Boomers experienced stress during the holidays. That means that the parents of a struggling teen are likely to be feeling even more stressed than usual or dealing with their own case of the holiday blues. That makes it harder for them to address their child’s mental healthcare needs.
“They won’t get to do anything fun if they’re in treatment.”
Treatment for mental health during the holidays can be challenging, but it can also be fun, exciting, and fulfilling for young people. At PrairieCare’s various locations, activities during the holidays include games, special guests, therapy animals, and innovative activities supported by our team of recreational therapists.
Moreover, mindfulness and reflection are ongoing components of our programming, and this can be especially meaningful during the holidays. The daily schedule of mental health services at PrairieCare includes time to focus on personal goals with their team and peers. While spending the holidays in treatment is nothing like spending them at home, it has some surprising benefits and joys.
“Treatment is too expensive.”
Many families don’t seek treatment for teen mental health issues because they don’t realize that affordable mental healthcare is an option. As recently as 20 years ago, clients were forced to pay out of pocket for their child’s mental health treatment. Today, many insurance payers cover our full continuum of services. And they are much more willing to provide coverage when they know that a program offers safe, effective, and clinically driven treatment.
“We want our family to be all together during the holidays.”
Authentic connection as a family is what parents and children truly want more than anything. At PrairieCare, this work is a central component of the healing process. We support patients and families alike throughout the treatment plan, so teens feel safe turning to their parents for love and support.
Ultimately, starting a teen in treatment for mental health during the holidays can not only transform their life, but it can also transform the time families spend together, in this season and all year round. The gifts of treatment include stronger relationships, greater harmony in the family, and mutual understanding and respect between parents and children.
Mental Health Services in Minnesota
The truth is that there’s no perfect time to embark on the healing journey. The best time to get started is always now.
We provide individuals of all ages with the psychiatric care they truly need. Our programs and services span the full continuum of care, knowing that each patient has their own unique experiences, life stages, and set of needs. We offer various outpatient programs to accommodate a patient’s symptoms and level of severity through clinic services, intensive outpatient program, and partial hospitalization program.
For acute, immediate psychiatric care, our inpatient hospital provides people 35 years and younger with symptom stabilization and a safe treatment environment. In addition, residential is a long-term care option for youth experiencing severe symptoms supported by a multidisciplinary team.
Call us today at 952-826-8475 or use the button below to request a screening.
