When is the best time to access care for mental health challenges? There’s a simple answer to that question: as soon as possible, because the longer a mental health issue remains untreated, the more serious it can become.
That said, for teens, young adults, and families who have been considering treatment, summer is often the easiest and most convenient time to access the care they need. Starting therapy during the summer can set young people up for a positive and rewarding year—and give them powerful tools for navigating life’s inevitable stressors and challenges.
From a flexible outpatient program to a more comprehensive care setting like residential, young people can find a level of care that helps them build coping skills, strengthen communication, and get peer support. No matter what, our team can help your loved one find the care they need to thrive.
What You’ll Learn
- Is summer the best time to start teen mental health treatment?
- Why do mental health challenges sometimes feel more intense during summer break?
- How can starting teen mental health treatment now help avoid bigger struggles later?
- What skills can teens and young adults build before returning to school or college?
- How can treatment become a life-changing experience for young people and their families?
Quick Read
Summer can be an ideal time for teens and young adults to access mental health treatment. With fewer academic demands and more flexible schedules, it’s often easier to begin care without disrupting school or other responsibilities. At the same time, the lack of structure that comes with summer break can worsen existing teen mental health challenges, making support especially important. Starting treatment during the summer can help young people build coping skills, strengthen relationships, improve emotional well-being, and return to school feeling more confident and prepared. Whether through outpatient services or more intensive levels of care, summer offers a valuable opportunity to focus on healing and growth.
Why Start Mental Health Treatment During the Summer?
Here are five reasons why the summer months are often the easiest times to overcome obstacles to care and ensure that adolescents and young adults access the treatment they need to thrive.
1. Summer is a more convenient time to step away from activities and responsibilities.
The summer months are more likely to be unstructured and unplanned for teens and young adults on school vacation. That makes it simpler to enter treatment; there’s no need to take a leave of absence from high school or college. Summer jobs or internships can be canceled or postponed more easily than year-round activities.
While talking about treatment is a powerful way to reduce the stigma around mental health, accessing care during the summer means you have a choice about when and how much you want to reveal, rather than being required to share sensitive information with a high school or college administration.
2. The unstructured summer months can make mental health issues worse.
The long summer break can intensify existing issues for teens in high school and young adults in college. While school can be challenging for young people struggling with their well-being, it can also provide goals, purpose, and a sense of community, and those regular routines often support mental well being. So losing structure in the summer can worsen anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
Without that structure and social connection, young people can experience more loneliness, FOMO, and anxiety, and social comparison on social media. During the summer, there can be warning signs such as persistent feelings of sadness, social withdrawal, and social isolation that can indicate a young person needs mental health support.
There’s also the risk of increased drug use and drinking, especially when risk factors like boredom, peer pressure, and underlying stress contribute to substance use, which can lead to a substance use disorder. Seeking care in summer prevents problems from escalating while helping young people find long-term recovery from underlying issues that get worse in summer.
3. It’s often easier during the summer to access treatment quickly.
Because going back to school tends to exacerbate problems and complicate existing mental health issues, many families tend to seek help during the fall months. 50% of all lifetime mental health disorders begin by age 14, and in Minnesota, with one in three high school students reports persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. And the Minnesota Department of Health reported 20% of students had felt nervous, anxious, were depressed, or were worried for more than seven days in the past two weeks.
Because of how many young people may need support when school returns, that can make the admissions process lengthier and the waitlists longer for mental health services or programs. In the summer, it’s often easier to expedite the admissions process and access inpatient, residential, or an outpatient program, like a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), or an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).
4. Teens and young adults gain the skills to support a positive transition back to school.
Along with healing the underlying trauma that catalyzes mental health disorders and behavioral issues—2 in 3 teenagers experience a traumatic event by age 16—treatment in the summer gives young people the tools they need to go back to school strong. Untreated anxiety and depression can disrupt focus and school functioning, making the transition back harder.
Instead of the rocky and tumultuous start they may have experienced in the past, they can step into the new school year with enhanced skills for emotional regulation, relationship building, and executive functioning. Treatment in summer can help teens avoid being held back a grade due to behavioral or mental health issues, and set young adults up with more vital skills for navigating college.
PrairieCare offers an educational component in our Partial Hospitalization Program, residential treatment, and inpatient hospital. As part of our daily programming, patients enrolled in school are taught in a structured classroom environment with specialty-trained staff from local school districts. While participating in academics, patients also examine school-related stressors, including academic pressure, and find helpful ways to manage their mental health challenges. In addition, we support young adults in strengthening their executive functioning and life skills to pursue their academic and career goals successfully.
5. Treatment can be the most meaningful and memorable experience a teen or young adult has ever had.
Treatment isn’t a vacation, but it’s a powerful experience that young people will never forget. While it’s hard work, it’s gratifying for the patient and the whole family. Young people overcome challenges in a safe environment, build self-mastery and self-esteem, and discover new strengths.
Moreover, within a supportive community of peers, teens, and young adults often feel a sense of belonging and connection they’ve never felt before. Participating in modalities such as art and music therapy gives young people time with caring friends, doing activities they enjoy—two of the best parts of summer.
Start Mental Health Support This Summer
In summary, many families find that accessing teen mental health treatment during the summer months is more convenient than during the year. In the fall, young people can go back to school or work with stronger self-awareness, better coping skills, and the motivation to reach their goals.
At PrairieCare, we offer evidence-based care through individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, mindfulness practices, art therapy, adolescent psychiatry, and more, all delivered by expert clinicians. Our multidisciplinary treatment teams take a whole-person approach to ensure you or your loved one gets the tools to feel empowered in mental wellness.
To get started, call our team at 952-826-8475 or learn more here. You can also request a mental health screening by clicking the button below and filling out the form on the right. Our team will then contact you within one business day to get started.
FAQ
What are the most effective summer therapy programs for adolescents?
- The most effective summer programs depend on a teen’s needs, but options can include outpatient therapy, Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs), Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs), residential treatment, and inpatient care. These programs help teen mental health by building coping skills, improving emotional regulation, strengthening relationships, and receiving support from mental health professionals.
Why is summer an ideal time for intensive teen psychiatric intervention?
- Summer often offers fewer academic and extracurricular demands, making it easier for teens to participate in treatment without missing school. It can also be easier to access care more quickly due to shorter wait times and allows teens to build skills before returning to school.
How does the lack of school structure in summer contribute to teen depression?
- School provides routine, social connection, purpose, and daily structure. During summer, the loss of these supports can increase loneliness, social isolation, anxiety, FOMO, and persistent sadness, which may worsen depression and other teen mental health challenges.
What mental health support is available for teenagers during summer break?
- Teens can access individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, psychiatric services, mindfulness-based interventions, art therapy, IOPs, PHPs, residential treatment, and inpatient care. The right level of support depends on the severity of symptoms and individual needs.
What should a school counselor recommend for summer treatment for a suicidal or self-harming teen?
- A school counselor should encourage immediate evaluation by a mental health professional. Depending on the teen’s level of risk, appropriate options may include intensive outpatient treatment, a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), residential treatment, or inpatient hospitalization. Early intervention during summer can help stabilize symptoms and provide support before the next school year begins.