What is mental health?

Mental health is about the state of our social, psychological, and emotional wellness – how we think, feel, and behave day to day. It affects how we handle our stress, relationships, and choices. When our mental health is in a good place, we can cope with challenges, build healthy relationships, find joy in our lives, and grow to be our best selves.

But sometimes, we are not okay. Being a teenager and young adult can be really hardfriends, school, job, parents, money, the future, identity, life. You are not alone – we all experience mental health challenges, though some of us struggle more than others.

What does mental health look like? | Safer Sacramento Youth

We all have different experiences that impact how our mental health is affected

Common risk factors

• Trauma

• Pressure to conform – from peers, family, society

• Pressure to perform – from teachers, family, society, and yourself

• Stigma

• Substance use and misuse 

• Abusive or unhealthy relationships

• Financial instability

• Chaotic home life

• Uncertainty about the future

• Loneliness and isolation

• Discrimination – race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability

Consider this

About 1 in 5 teens and young adults say they experienced a major depressive episode in the last year.

Nearly 1 in 5 teens and 2 in 5 young adults (18-25) report experiencing serious anxiety.

Who is most vulnerable to mental health struggles?

What can you do about your mental health struggles?

Learn about some of the most common mental health conditions

Other mental health struggles