Mental Health and Identity: How do they relate?

Mental health is not just about making it through tough days or seeking happiness, but it's about finding out who we are, on the inside. For teenagers, especially, identity can be a puzzle with pieces that are scattered throughout different moments and feelings yet this puzzle can break without mental stability.

Mental Health as a Reflection

What we're feeling on the inside is what makes us see ourselves. When we're feeling confident and solid we reflect that. But if your mental health breaks that reflection changes and distorts. For example, a socially anxious teen might call themselves "awkward", despite being actually thoughtful and insightful. Or someone with depression may say that they are “unlovable” or “lack purpose”, when they're actually very compassionate and driven. Those are not who they actually are, yet these thoughts can create misleading thoughts affecting how one views themselves.

The Pressure to Be Someone Else

A lot of times one's identity can be limited, some individuals are under pressure to be what their family or community want them to be, even if that’s not what they want. Some others, especially teenagers, keep their secrets about how they feel hidden because they're afraid of judgment, especially in settings where mental health and new opinions aren't being discussed freely. In this kind of world, being honest about who you are takes courage. To be able to say, "I struggle sometimes" or "This is me, even though it doesn't fit the mold," is brave and important to do. It's where stigma ends and where the change begins.

Healing doesn't mean feeling better. Healing means getting the room to say, Who am I really? For teens, that can happen in all sorts of ways such as therapy, peer groups, creative arts, nature, and just being in a place where they can be accepted for who they are. For example, in peer-led communities like Sunday Steps 4 Mental Health, I always hear things like “same here” or “you’re not alone.” Having connections like these are important and crucial for every teenager to have.

Why This Work Matters

When mental well-being is a priority, teenagers thrive, they stop being limited to smaller versions of themselves to fit in and start building their true authentic identity. Every step, every discussion, every Sunday Steps drive helps create a world where more adolescents can say they feel like they belong.

Bibliography:

Kerpelman, Jennifer L., et al. “Identity Development in Adolescence.” *National Center for Biotechnology Information*, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4879949/ . Accessed 4 July 2025.

“Adolescent Identity Development.” *ACT for Youth Center of Excellence*, Cornell University, https://actforyouth.org/adolescence/identity.cfm . Accessed 4 July 2025.

Fry, Rachel. “Building a Powerful Self-Identity: Why It Matters for Adolescents.” *Monash Lens*, 1 May 2023, https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2023/05/01/1385697/building-a-powerful-self-identity-why-it-matters-for-adolescents . Accessed 4 July 2025.