How Family Life and Personality Shape Teen Mental Health

Teenagers go through a lot. Their brains are still growing. Their emotions are all over the place. And sometimes, they have thoughts or experiences that feel a bit "off." These are called psychotic-like experiences (PLEs).

What Are PLEs?

• Seeing or hearing things that aren't there.
• Believing things that aren't true.

These experiences can be scary. But they don't always mean something is wrong. In fact, many teens have them from time to time.

What Causes PLEs?

It's not just one thing. It's a mix of factors:

1. Family Environment

   • How parents treat their kids can make a big difference.
   • A home full of stress can affect a teen's mental health.

2. Personality or Temperament

   • Some teens are more sensitive to their surroundings.
   • Others are more laid-back and might not be as affected.

The Study

A recent study looked at how family life and temperament work together:

• Temperament plays a big role.
• It can act like a middleman, taking the stress from the family environment and turning it into PLEs.
• A teen's personality can make them more or less likely to have these experiences.

The Good News

Understanding this can help parents and teens:

• If a teen is more sensitive, parents can be more mindful.
• They can try to create a calmer home environment.
• If a teen is having PLEs, it doesn't mean they're going to develop a mental illness.
• It's just a sign that they might need some extra support.