Adolescent Mental Health: When It's Time to See a Specialist

Parents often notice worrying shifts in their teenager's behaviour but are unsure how serious the situation is or which professional to approach. Dr. Saulitis highlights several key points worth understanding.

When Changes Can No Longer Be Ignored

A teenager may try to cope with anxiety, panic, post-traumatic stress, or depression using whatever is within reach. Today, one of those readily available coping methods is cannabis. If a young person began using psychoactive substances in early adolescence and has continued, this is a serious reason to see a doctor without delay: the long-term effects on the developing brain affect abstract thinking, memory, and learning capacity.

Who Should Help

Not every professional with a psychology degree is equally equipped to work with adolescent mental disorders. Dr. Saulitis stresses that a genuinely competent specialist is one who has actually worked in psychiatric wards, encountered acute conditions, and accumulated real clinical experience. It is worth asking about a psychologist's background; where significant symptoms are present — anxiety, depression, behavioural disturbances — an initial assessment should be made by a psychiatrist.

What Parents Should Watch For

• A growing decline in academic performance that wasn't present before.
• Attempts to "calm down" through psychoactive substances.
• Anxiety, panic episodes, or signs of post-traumatic responses.
• Sudden and persistent changes in mood or behaviour.

None of these resolve on their own — and the sooner professional help is sought, the greater the chance of preserving healthy development.

Why Clinical Background Matters

Psychiatry is a field where a superficial acquaintance with disorders can be genuinely harmful. As Dr. Saulitis puts it, even grasping the basic tools of treatment takes years of real clinical work. This directly affects the choice of specialist for a teenager: ask about experience, and don't hesitate to clarify.