Why Do Teenagers Refuse Mental Health Treatment?
Human life is comprised of 4 main phases; infancy, childhood, teenage and adulthood. All of these phases have an immense influence on how the person will live.
Infancy period: A period between 0 to 2 years. During this phase, the person still relies mainly on others for help as they cannot do everything on their own.
Childhood period: The phase where the person is beginning to learn to do some activities on their own i.e. walking, talking, running, playing with the ball or dolls, eating and many more. Normally it begins at 3 years to 12 years.
Teenage period: Also called adolescent age, is the age between 13 years to 19 years. This is the time when one is learning the ropes and establishing contact with the world.
Adulthood: As from 20 years onwards, the person will enter into the phase of maturity where they learn to make their own decisions and chart their own path of life. It is at this phase when they determine their fate.
In all these phases, the mental well being of the person is important. But the sensitive one is teenage phase because in most cases those affected will find it difficult to seek help.
This article will discuss various factors affecting mental health of teenagers, why they may refuse treatment and how to help them overcome such a state.
Factors That Affect Teenagers Mental Health

1. Peer pressure
Everyone wants the good things in life and will do everything to get them. Some youth come from well off families and can access all the spicy things they need. This makes them the favorite amongst other teenagers in their social circles. Those from not so well families will want to try to fit in and this affects their mental health when the don’t achieve their goal.
2. Social bullying
Social bullying by other teenagers who seem to have a better life than them can also make the teenager feel undermined. The society can influence the mind of a person through its culture and norms. Society sometimes sets standards which might be way above the reach of others. This can make a person feel left out in the cold. For a teenager, this feeling has a bearing on their mental well being.
3. Social standing
Poverty is not something to be proud of and no one wants to associate themselves with a poor person or family. In the same case, teenagers are sensitive when it comes to comparing their families with others who are well off. They can find it even difficult to walk with other kids from rich backgrounds because they feel intimidated. This affects their mental well being and lead to them feeling lonely and isolated.
4. Social Media
With the new era of technology social media is easily available to many teenagers. Different countries have different laws on internet regulation and thus in some parts of the globe, teens access the internet easily and all types of explicit games and videos. The information they get there can sway their mind as they will tend to view the world from a different perspective.
5. Traumatic experiences
Teenage period is a sensitive phase of life. Any traumatic event the teenagers experience will have far reaching negative outcomes for the rest of their life. This is because at this stage, the person is learning and anything that comes their way will remain a lasting memory. If a teenager had a sad incident, then they will always be reminded about it whenever they find themselves in same environment as where the incident occurred.
Why Teenagers Refuse Help With Their Mental Problems?
a) Fear of shame
Many teenagers will look at the effects of coming out and talking about their personal issues. If they feel that they will be embarrassed about opening up, then they will refuse to seek help. Maybe they can see that the environment is not favorable and will really make it worse than help them. This fear of shame will keep them from seeking treatment.
b) Discrimination/ neglect
The gravest mistake any parent or guardian can make in their life is to place other children above others. When a teenager feels neglected, they will seek warmth and a sense of belonging elsewhere and sometimes it may not be the safest of the places. Discriminating against the teenagers will keep them from opening up to their parents.
c) Know it all mindset
Sometimes, the teenagers think they own the world and know everything that is going on. More so, they tend to have an answer to every issue or challenge they encounter. This makes them seek own solutions to the problems they face instead of enlisting the help of those older than them.
d) Inability to read the signs
When the teenagers are not aware of signs regarding mental health problem, then they will not accept to seek help even when they have an issue. Being able to read the signs is not easy even for the parents and sometimes it requires the help of an expert.
e) Lack of confidentiality
When there is lack of confidentiality on the part of a counselor, it becomes difficult for a teenager to open up. Sometimes, the person can go to the counselor for help because they know that their personal issues will remain a secret between two people. Then the counselor uses the information in other social forums without express permission from the teenager. This will be a total turn off to them.
How to help teens who refuse Mental treatment?

1. Open channels of Communication
Communication is key to every problem. When two parties sit down and negotiate, then they are sure to reach an agreeable compromise. Parents should create an environment where their teenage kids can feel comfortable enough to open up about themselves. And even when the teenagers talk about their problems,, the parents should never reprimand them but treat them with love.
2. Establish trust
By creating room for trust the parent will be telling the teenager that it is okay to open up on their issues, and that they are there for them. Trust is what makes them have courage to pour their hearts out because they know that someone is looking out for them. It gives the teenager a sense of belonging.
3. Never impose a decision on them
Even when it is the duty of the parent to protect their kids and can sometimes make decisions on their behalf, when it comes to mental treatment things are different. It is good to point out the road to recovery but leave the final decision to the teenager. When it comes from them, it means they are really ready to change, but when the parent imposes the decision, they might relapse because it wasn’t their decision.
4. Be patient
Teenage mental health is a challenge which requires time and patience on the part of the parent to overcome it. As a parent, one should be patient enough when their kid is trying to resolve their mental problems. Being patient and showing them that they care pushes the kid to try harder.
5. Contact an Expert
The parent may do everything that is necessary but still the mental treatment doesn’t go through. At this juncture it will be prudent to solicit the services of an expert. They will know how to handle the situation and turn the tide.
Conclusion
Throughout the phases of human development, teenage period is the one which is the most sensitive. During this stage, which is also a learning period, teenagers tend to experiment with everything that comes their way. From their peers to social media, they want to savor the delicacies of the world.
This is the point when their minds are expanding. If there is no one to look out for them, then they may fall into complex challenges which affect even their mental health.
Many teenagers pull back from seeking help because of many issues. These range from the feeling of embarrassment by opening up to the world to lack of confidentiality on the part of the counselor.
Also, teenagers sometimes feel they know about everything and will want to solve the problems on their own. All these factors are an impediment to the teenagers getting treatment of mental problems.
The duty of the parent is to create a perfect environment for their children to grow in. They have to protect them from harms way.
However, if it happens that the kid has a problem, they should feel assured of help from their parents. From good communication to building trust, the parent can be able to help their kids overcome issues of mental health. Even more so an expert can be called in when things seem to be thick. Whatever happens the parent must never give up on their teenagers.