myth:

Troubled youth just need more discipline.

fact:

Almost 20% of youths in juvenile justice facilities have a serious emotional disturbance and most have a diagnosable mental disorder.

US Department of Justice

myth:

Teenagers don't suffer from "real" mental illnesses–they are just moody.

fact:

One in five teens has some type of mental health problem in a given year. Ten million children and adolescents suffer from a diagnosable psychiatric disorder.

myth:

People who abuse drugs aren't sick, they're just weak.

fact:

Over 66% of young people with a substance use disorder have a co-occurring mental health problem which complicates treatment.

Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health

myth:

Eating disorders only affect celebrities and models.

fact:

3–5% of teenage girls and 4–10% of boys have a diagnosable eating disorder. Anorexia affects 2.5 million Americans and has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

myth:

Children are too young to get depressed, it must be something else.

fact:

More than two million children suffer from depression in the United States and more than half of them go untreated.

US Center for Mental Health Services

myth:

We're good people. Mental illness doesn't happen in our family.

fact:

One in four families is affected by a mental health problem.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

myth:

Childhood mental health problems are the result of poor parenting.

fact:

If someone in your family has a mental illness, then you may have a greater chance of developing the illness. Mental illness generally has little or nothing to do with parenting.

myth:

Talk about suicide is an idle threat that need not be taken seriously.

fact:

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among high school students and the second leading among college students. Talk about suicide should always be taken seriously.