The Unseen Crisis in Our Teenagers: Why Parents Must Be the First Line of Defense

By Jeff Grenell
August 27, 2026

The teen years, these should be the greatest days of burgeoning youth.
As our nation faces some of its greatest struggles, and our young people living in America experience the best opportunities globally, research shows that parents are increasingly aware of the toll that declining mental health is having on their children.
During the teen years, there is virtually no pressure to produce at the university level; concern for one’s vocation is hardly there, there is no worry about a mortgage or building a family, or meeting insurance premiums.
There is likely no serious relationship in the offing either.
NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) has done extensive research on the impact of parents and the family on child mental health development.
According to NAMI, 50% of mental health issues begin in the teenage years, thus as parents, we are bound by a mandate to protect our children’s mental and physical well-being.
A BARNA study on parenting and teen mental health confirmed what many parents already sense: today’s youth carry heavy emotional burdens. “Parents ranked anxiety, depression and loneliness among their top concerns for their teens. Many feel unsure of how to help — and are especially uncertain about when to step in with professional support.” (BARNA’s Gen Z and Mental Health Research, 2025.)
The role of parents to affect positive outcomes in the teenage years is vital.
This BARNA study also highlighted a hopeful reality: a warm, steady parent-child relationship is one of the strongest buffers against mental health struggles.
So what do parents do about the pressures of the culture surrounding our kids? Here are 7 practical principles:
—Check in emotionally with your children weekly.
—Create space for meaningful conversations at the dinner table 3 times a week.
—Get to know the friend circle of your teens so that you have a second line of communication to your kids.
—Understand that your teenager needs clear and consistent expectations.
—Set healthy schedules with sabbath and social boundaries.
—Model faith practices at home that further faith practice outside the home — prayer, reading, worship, and speech.
—Create an atmosphere of grace in the home.
Parents who establish these kinds of principles in the home will build teenagers who are able to navigate the storms and rough waters of our contemporary society.
Faith is still one of the most important influences on teenagers’ overall development.
Churches always play a pivotal role, by helping parents build family communication skills, foster ministries, intergenerational relationships, and address mental health — doing so from a biblical and theological perspective:
“2025 is showing a major rebound of Bible reading, along with a surge in usage among younger generations. This aligns with other signs of spiritual interest and reinforces the finding that Christian faith and practice are experiencing a reset moment,” David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group.
And with Millennials and Gen Z making big moves toward the Bible, the theological and spiritual principles will definitely aid young people to deal with the mental health problems affecting them.
Sure, there are times when a more clinical approach to mental health, or disciplined rest and diet, or the circle of friends around our children, and even resilience training are important. But Scripture brings a depth of practical wisdom when it comes to managing emotions and mindset daily.
At 50%, Millennials jumped an unprecedented 16 points in their reading of scripture. And Gen Z mirrors this pattern, rising from 30% to 49% in just one year.
BARNA’s 2025 reports show young people are the fuel that is increasing church attendance and discipleship programs. (commitments to Jesus; church attendance)
The family really could have an immediate impact on the mental health of our youth.
American youth in many instances is being raised in a fatherless generation, as well as motherless one.
Thus, the family structure has disintegrated before them, that very same structure we once enjoyed 50 years ago has passed.
“Family life is being reshaped in real time. From delayed marriage and shifting parenting roles to rising mental health and financial pressures, today’s households are navigating complexities most churches weren’t trained for,” BARNA’s Gen Z and Mental Health research, 2025.
The undeniably critical mission of the church is to transform people’s lives and culture through the message of Christ.
How do we see the world return to a relationship with Christ, one benefitting us and our children?
Allow this writer to offer some better options!
—Focus on a cohesive family unit and children!
—Ask who will be the next leaders in government, corporate America, education, social media, and the arts?
President Ronald Reagan said 41 years ago, during his exit speech from the presidency: “If you want to fundamentally change America, it does not begin in the halls of Congress here in Washington D.C. If you want to fundamentally change America, it begins at the dinner table in every home across our great nation.”
President Reagan obviously understood well the impact of parents during a child’s lifetime, so should we — unfailingly, otherwise we fail our most precious resource and do so forever.