How Prevention and Mindsets Will Help Mitigate the Teen Mental Health Crisis

When I was a kid, every neighborhood had a community pool, and every kid was on the swim team. Saturday meets were less about competition and more about community — eating Krispy Kremes and swapping lawn mowing tips. We had fast and slow swimmers (I was the latter), but we all spent a lot of time in the water. As a result, every kid I knew became a confident swimmer.

As a tween on family vacations at the Atlantic, I’d disappear for hours in the ocean, body surfing and getting tossed by waves. I’d get slammed to the ocean floor, nose full of water, gasping for air. Once or twice, I got sucked out by the undertow, but I knew what to do — float with the current, swim parallel to shore, and head back in for more fun. I got shaken up regularly, but the thrill of the waves outweighed any fear of drowning.

One summer, I met a boy from Minnesota. He was a better swimmer and athlete than I was, but after getting stuck in the undertow, he panicked and nearly drowned before adults rescued him. The difference wasn’t skill, but mindset. Physical or intellectual ability only takes you so far without the right mental approach.

What if we could equip teens with the ability to create mindsets of their choosing? Equally important, what if our children possessed this ability long before they encountered life’s litany of challenges so they’re not only able to overcome setbacks but can create their own opportunities.

The Problem: Teen Mental Wellness

Adolescence (ages 10-19) brings the most dramatic physical and emotional changes in our lives. Traditionally, this time was meant for awkward growth and self-exploration. But today’s hyper-connected world — with social media, technology, and societal pressures — complicates that process. Instead of following a natural path, teens are forced to react to a confusing, often contradictory world. Many lack the cognitive and emotional strength to deal with these challenges. Making it worse, some feel isolated in their struggles, hesitant to reach out for help.

The CDC’s Youth Risk Survey Data Summary & Trends Report (2011-2021) highlights alarming trends: mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, and experiences of violence have worsened significantly. Female students are faring worse than males on almost every measure.

Teen mental wellness issues span all communities, regardless of economics or geography. For example, pressure to excel is now one of the top 4 adolescent mental health risk factors. 

What the CDC Recommends

1  Increase school connectedness — Foster connections among students and make schools feel safe and supportive through social-emotional learning and youth development programs.

2  Expand access to services — Ensure students and parents can access the mental health and social services they need.

3  Improve health education — Provide evidence-based education for students and parents to make informed choices about mental and physical wellness.

The CDC concludes that every adolescent deserves access to knowledge, skills, services, and a supportive environment. I would add: “at a minimum.”

Good recommendations. Now, how do we achieve them? We have a chronic shortage of mental health professionals. Even if we were flush with providers, many teens wouldn’t use them. Most teens can’t access mental health care without parental consent and about a third aren’t comfortable asking their parents for help. Boys, especially, are hesitant to seek out help from providers, parents and even peers. So, teens turn to social media, which may worsen their mental health.

Teen Performance Coaching

Beyond mental health care, we owe teens coaching to maximize their performance in academics, sports, and life. The performance coaching industry is booming, but few teens have access to a personal coach, and those who do likely come from the highest income brackets. Michael Jordan says sports are 80% mental. I assert that all of life relies on the quality of your mental game. Yet, we leave the mental aspect to chance. Imagine how much potential is wasted without proper “inner game” coaching. 

More STEM or More Human?

As we prepare kids for the future, are we making them more human or more like technology? We’ve long prioritized STEM education, thinking it secures future success. But with AI replacing more cognitive tasks, the value of human traits like creativity, emotional intelligence, leadership, and curiosity will grow. In a world increasingly dominated by technology, we should focus on helping kids develop the skills only humans possess.

AI may challenge careers like software development, accounting, and engineering. The best professionals will use AI as a tool while enhancing their uniquely human abilities. Shouldn’t we encourage the next generation to focus on both math and being more human?

Emotions: A Human Advantage

One area where humans have the edge over AI is emotions. While technology will advance, emotions remain our superpower. When regulated properly, they can drive performance in all areas of life. However, teens are largely running on emotions they don’t understand or control. Their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed until their mid-twenties, meaning they’re navigating life without fully developed emotional regulation skills. Shouldn’t we equip them to understand and manage their emotions better?

Mental Wellness, Performance Coaching, and Being More Human Are Interconnected

Mental wellness, performance enhancement, and becoming more human are deeply intertwined. After all, our brains and bodies are intricate and connected neural networks. Improving one area affects the others. If a teen overcomes fear of failure on the tennis court, that boost in confidence will impact their academic and social life. Likewise, learning to better connect with others will enhance their emotional intelligence and help them better understand their own anxiety. 

Current Solutions Fall Short

Governments, institutions and individuals have spent billions addressing the teen wellness issue. Yet, by all measures, the situation continues to worsen. The U.S. Surgeon General says “mental health is the defining public health crisis of our time.” Doubling down on what we’re already doing seems nonsensical. While the need for solutions is widely acknowledged, practical, effective options are limited. Even if they weren’t cost-prohibitive, there aren’t enough qualified therapists, counselors, or coaches available to meet the growing demand. Apps offering live therapy sessions are out of financial reach for most at around $80/session. Text-based therapy either with an actual therapist or an AI bot show some effectiveness but struggle to keep users coming back. AI-based therapy is still impersonal and reliant on data that may not be well-curated. Mindfulness and meditation apps help with anxiety, but they don’t address the root causes.

Most current solutions focus on therapy for stress, anxiety, and depression. But the stigma surrounding therapy keeps many teens from seeking help, especially boys. Additionally, not every teen needs therapy. They may need to just better understand how their thoughts and emotions materialize and how to use them to their benefit. Teens need to learn to be self-sufficient. We must focus on equipping teens with inner tools to thrive in all areas of life, not just “fixing” them after-the-fact.

The Real Solution: Prevention

The teen mental health “solutions” often address problems after they’ve already taken root, like chronic anxiety. But what if we could prevent these issues from escalating? Teens with resilience, emotional regulation, creativity, agency, and the ability to form meaningful connections are far less likely to develop chronic emotional challenges. If they do, they’ll have the mental and emotional tools to manage them. Looking back at the swimming story from the beginning of this article, helping teens build their inner game early in life is like training them to be confident swimmers. Those with a strong inner game can thrive while those who don’t may drown in life’s challenges.

Creating Resourceful Mindsets

Two people can experience the same situation and react completely differently based on their mindset. A growth mindset helps individuals learn from failure and continue to improve. Controlling one’s mindset can lead to eudaimonia—well-being, purpose, and a life well-lived. When teens can manage their mindsets, they can recover from setbacks, make informed decisions, and build strong relationships. In addition to solving life’s problems, growth mindsets allow teens to enhance their performance, productivity and impact on those around them.

Fully Utilizing the Power of the Mind

The mind is powerful—so much so that belief can impact biology, as demonstrated in placebo trials. If science has determined that the mind can heal the body, what else is it capable of? 

Much of our mental processing happens unconsciously—up to 95%, according to science. Intuition, emotions, and automatic skills all stem from this part of our brain. True, lasting change must engage both the conscious and unconscious minds. Solutions that focus only on cognitive strategies are only addressing 5% of the problem. The best decisions are often made by fully using your cognitive mind while not ignoring your intuition, which stems from the unconscious.

The Congruence App: A Comprehensive Solution

Driven by personal experience and science, I designed The Congruence App to help teens activate both their conscious and unconscious minds. The app helps them develop emotional regulation, resilience, and self-coaching skills. It encourages teens to respond to challenges with a mindset of "I’ll figure it out." With over 100 evidence-based activities (and growing), The Congruence App helps teens track their growth, celebrate their progress, and learn to be their own best coach. Best of all, The Congruence App can help prevent emotion-based issues from taking hold by preparing teens cognitively and emotionally before struggles arise. 

The Congruence App’s Unique Approach

The Congruence App uses a Performance Triad approach: the cognitive mind, the physical body, and the unconscious mind. Engaging all three is key to creating lasting change. The app incorporates scientific principles like neuroplasticity, the role of the vagal nerve, and the interaction between the three brains (head, heart, and gut) and others.

Unlike traditional therapy or meditation apps, The Congruence App gets to the root cause of issues like anxiety, rather than just treating the symptoms. The app minimizes the downsides of smartphone use by limiting screen time and relying on voice-activated activities. Teens can set their phones down and fully engage in the process without the distractions of technology.

Through visualization, education, and personalized coaching, teens gain a deeper understanding of their emotions, bodies, and minds. They learn to speak their responses, which science shows can lead to greater awareness and behavioral change. The app is personalized, meeting teens where they are and evolving with them. Each session is recorded, creating a journal of growth and allowing teens to revisit and reflect on their journey.

Key Benefits of The Congruence App

•   Whole Mind-Body Approach: Engages both the conscious and unconscious minds for deeper change.

•   Minimized Screen Time: Activities are voice-activated, reducing the negative effects of smartphone use.

•   Personalized Coaching: Each session is unique to the user, allowing for tailored growth.

•   Empowerment and Resilience: Teens build self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and resilience.

•   Ongoing Growth: Sessions are recorded, enabling reflection and further insights.

The Congruence App is designed to fundamentally reshape how adolescents grow into adulthood by empowering them to be more courageous, confident, resilient and curious. By fostering critical and three-dimensional thinking, it equips young people to make better decisions and build stronger relationships. They will learn to master their emotions and embrace discomfort and uncertainty tools for growth. The long-term impact? A generational shift towards a world filled with more engaged, responsible, and compassionate adults, capable of creating positive change on a global scale.

On a Personal Note

My sons are part of The Congruence App family business. In fact, I create The Congruence App activities based on issues they encounter. I’ve noticed more curious and creative mindsets. Issues are not roadblocks that stop them cold but puzzles to solve. I’m confident this will bleed into other aspects of life. Can becoming a creative problem-solver help one be more creative at, say, soccer or photography? I believe so. I’ve also noticed a mental toughness emerging. Understanding that challenges can strengthen you, they compete to see who can take longer ice-cold showers. Most importantly, no matter the activity or the struggle, they don’t quit. That’s pretty cool because, as they say, you only fail when you quit. All of this means they are gaining a sense of agency, whether they recognize it or not right now.

David Keeler is the CEO and founder of The Congruence App. He lives with his wife, two sons and yellow Labrador Retriever in North Lake Tahoe.