133 Mental Health and Learning Resources for Kids and Teens
To support the growing needs of children and teens, OnlineCounselingPrograms.com has gathered resources on mental health, learning and other related topics from sexual identity to study skills. Below is a compilation of lists, articles, guides and videos to help parents, teachers, professionals and adolescents themselves to assist in social, academic, behavioral and emotional development.
Mental Health Resources
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Calming Anxiety, Coping Skills for Kids: a therapist’s look into different ways to address anxiety and anxious moments with the use of calming exercise for kids.
What Is Anxiety, Anxiety Canada: leading website in developing online, self-help and evidence-based resources on anxiety and anxiety disorders.
Anxiety Relief, Psych Central: guide with activities for parents and professionals providing techniques to help children with managing their anxiety.
Apps for Anxious Children, Anxiety: list of downloadable applications parents can use with tablets or cellphones for children dealing with anxiety.
Depression Resource Center, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: resource for parents and therapists on how to help adolescents with depression.
Sadness and Depression, Kids Health: self-help guide for kids on understanding sadness, depression, stress and coping skills.
Childhood Depression Screening, Brain Abilities: intuitive depression screening test meant for children to complete on their own.
Confronting Stigma Towards Youth Mental Health, Aviva Community Fund: video about reducing the stigma surrounding youth mental health issues.
Where Can Families Start? Supporting a Child or Youth with Mental Health Challenges, Kelty Mental Health: video on how parents can help their child cope with mental health issues.
Parenting Resource & Information, Healthy Place: guide for parents with children who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Life With Bob, Healthy Place: blog exclusively for parents by a parent with a child who has bipolar disorder.
Mental Illness, National Institute of Mental Health: statistical report on the prevalence of mental health disorders in children from age 8 to 18.
2019 Children’s Mental Health Report, Child Mind Institute: statistical report on the negative effects of mental health disorders in school, early intervention programs and school-wide behavior plans.
Mental Illness Education for Kids, Susie Shep: video with small animated drawings explaining mental illness in a way that children can best understand.
Children and Teens – Anxiety and Depression, Anxiety and Depression Association of America: guide to help educate parents, teenagers and professionals about evidenced-based treatment options for anxiety in teenagers and children.
National Eating Disorders, National Eating Disorders Association: organization that supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care.
The Media and Body Image, Mirror-Mirror: resource providing education on anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and compulsive eating.
Mental Health Facts, Children and Teens, National Alliance on Mental Illness (PDF, 1.5 MB): infographic on the relevance of mental health concerns in children and teens.
Mental Health: The Basics – Introduction, ClickView: video providing an introductory review of mental health.
RESOURCES FOR TEENS
Anxiety and Teens, WebMD: information for parents and professionals to help them understand anxiety in teenagers and adolescents and what interventions and support can be provided.
Erika’s Lighthouse: site that educates school communities about teen depression, eliminates the stigma associated with mental illness and empowers teens to take charge of their mental health.
Youth – AnxietyBC, AnxietyCanada: resource for teens who may be suffering from anxiety.
20 Confessions from Teens With Mental Illness, Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program: quoted experiences on mental health from teens, for teens.
Living With a Mental Disorder, Buzzfeed News: video that describes what it’s like to live with mental illness as a teenager.
10 Facts About Teens and Mental Health, Health Tricks: video about mental health facts and teenagers.
Mindfulness for Teens – Resources, Mindfulness For Teens: comprehensive list of mindfulness apps, books, websites, classes and programs for teenagers.
Teen Depression, National Institute of Mental Health: organization providing mental health education, resources and clinical trial research for certain diagnoses.
Depression, Teen Mental Health: information about depression, including how to identify risk factors for depression and what to do if you are concerned about yourself or someone else with depression, for all audiences.
Helpline, Teen Line Online: peer support line resource for teens, by teens; available 6 p.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Social and Emotional Health Resources
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
Family Tools for Expressing Emotions, Vanderbilt University (PDF, 5MB): parental guide on how to teach your children about expressing emotions.
Five Steps of Emotion Coaching, Parenting Counts: Discusses a step-by-step process for parents to emotionally coach their children.
Feelings Games, PBS Kids: online games that parents can use with their children to guide them on addressing feelings and emotions
Understanding Temperament, Center for Parenting Education: article geared toward assisting parents in understanding the spectrum of emotions in young children
10 Tips to Help Your Child With Anger, Aha! Parenting: parental guide on how to help children constructively regulate and deescalate their anger.
Anger Management Activities, School Counseling Files: complete guide for professionals and teachers that lists resources and visualizations to assist children in identifying anger and how to process the feelings associated with it.
Anger Management for Children, Scholastic: guide with important strategies for parents to teach children how to identify and control their anger.
Improving Kids’ Social Skills, Parents Magazine: guide to help parents learn about different social milestones children should have at different ages.
Teaching Social Skills, LD Online: resource developed for parents and professionals on teaching about social skills, learning abilities and ADHD.
Activities to Help with Social Skills, Friendship Circle: activities parents can do with their children to help improve their social skills.
Inventive Games, KQED: video game–based activities and inventive games that supply children with learnings about social skills.
Self-Concept Development, Scholastic: intelligent and detailed breakdown about the identity development processes children take at each milestone.
How to Build Your Child’s Self Esteem, Today’s Parent: parental guide with 11 ways to help your child build a positive and healthy self-esteem.
Activities for Kids, Kids Play And Create: activity-based creative resource centered on self-esteem-improving exercises and character-building activities.
Tips for Parents, More Self Esteem: site where parents can find more information about low self-esteem.
Positive Cultural Identity, Project Cornerstone: document for adults with materials and activities to promote the invaluable asset of positive cultural identity among children
Identity Charts, Facing History: graphic tool for teachers and professionals to use when helping children and adolescents understand self-identity.
RESOURCES FOR TEENS
Body Image and Self-Esteem, Kids Health: information for helping teenagers and adolescents understand what body image is and how their self-esteem can be affected.
15 Great Self-Esteem-Building Activities and Exercises for Teens and Adults, Enlightenment Portal: resource with self-esteem-building exercises for teens.
Toolkit: Identity Development, ACT for Youth: resource for teachers and professionals on how to explain identity development to adolescents.
Adolescence and Internet Identity, Psychology Today: guide for parents on how the internet can negatively affect their child’s identity.
Your Teen’s Search for Identity, Psych Central: parent resource on how to help their child understand what it means to develop an identity for themselves.
Academics and Learning Resources
Help My Child with Academics, U.S. Department of Education: resource for parents about various aspects of improving academics in children.
What Is Character?, Character.org: site for parents and educators about the basics of character education and how to develop healthy character development in children.
Elementary School Health, Kids Health: list of 10 ways for parents to help their child’s academic experience be more positive and productive; gives examples of tactics to become more involved in a child’s school life.
Good Character: resource about character education, including lesson plans, activities, programs and “how-to” instructions for character education.
Character Education in PreK & Kindergarten, Scholastic: list of activities for educators to help children develop their personal character.
Learning Disabilities Association of America: support and research site for parents who are either new to the world of learning disabilities or who have with extensive experience.
Motivating Kids to Practice, Sylvan Learning: guide designed for teaching parents on how to healthily motivate their children to study and create a routine.
100 Kid Activities to Build Character, Moments a Day: resource that features 100 activities that can be done with children to practice character skill building.
National Center for Learning Disabilities: educational site that offers a full list of programs and advocacy resources and a catalogue of studies.
Smart Kids With Learning Disabilities: resource that educates, guides and inspires parents of children with learning disabilities or ADHD; also helps parents recognize their children’s significant gifts and talents.
Recognizing Learning Disabilities in Teens, Parenthetical: parent-focused site used to help recognize learning disabilities.
Supporting the Emotional Needs of Kids With Learning Disabilities, Child Mind Institute: guide for parents on how to support the emotional needs of a child with a learning disability.
Through Your Child’s Eyes, Understood: information for parents and professionals about what it is like to have a learning disability or deficit as a child.
Homework and Study Habits, Child Development Info: list of recommendations for parents to use with their children to create a positive and productive study environment during homework and test prep.
Everyday Study Skills, Scholastic: overview for fostering healthy studying and forming good study habits that start in the classroom and transfer to a student’s’ home life.
30 Character-Building Ideas and Activities for School, Sign Up Genius: list of character-building exercises for educators to use.
5-Minute Film Festival: Resources for Teaching About Character, Edutopia: videos for teens that explain character development in self and others.
Career and Professional Development Resources
Preparing Kids for Careers, Education World: in-depth review of Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the period of 1998–2008, revealing a number of occupations that are likely to be in demand in the coming decade and beyond.
K–12 Resources, Bureau of Labor Statistics: K–12 resource guide providing tools, games, quizzes and resources for teachers.
Act for Youth: resource for professionals, families and children about positive youth development.
College Planning Resources for College-Bound Teens, Live Career: resource for parents and teens on critical college planning and college admissions articles with tutorials written especially for college-bound teens.
10 Things Parents of College-Bound Students Need to Do, US News & World Report: list of 10 things that parents of children going to college need to know about the college process from research to acceptance and moving in.
Helpful Resources to Share With High School Graduates, Edutopia: information for recent high school graduates on how to choose a major, how to apply for financial aid and what to expect as an incoming college freshman.
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education: resource for parents and teens on how to apply for financial aid; provides information on deadlines, how to apply and what information is required to qualify for financial aid.
5 Things Parents Need to Know About Financial Aid, Scholarship America: resource for parents on what they need to know about financial aid.
The 10 Best Sites to Search for Scholarships, USA Today: resource for parents and teens that provides tools on the steps to start the scholarship search.
Scholarships – Resources, Scholarships: guide for scholarship searches and directory, allowing students, parents or professionals to narrow down scholarships by state, school, education level and SAT score.
College Scholarships: search engine for researching college grants and scholarships. You can filter by gender, award amount, loans, and ethnicity.
The Best Scholarship Search Platforms of 2018, Reviews: ranking of scholarship platforms based on functionality, scholarship availability, ease of use, tools and offering of additional resources.
Career Center, Chegg: guide for teens and parents about career exploration, including how a teen’s interests, skills and personality type can lend itself to certain careers and success later on in life.
My Future: site for teens to help explore career options, including careers versus college and the benefits of considering the military.
Career Personality & Aptitude Test (for Students), Test Yourself Psych Tests: career aptitude measurement that parents and teachers can have students and teens take to see what careers may align with their personalities.
Family and Relationships Resources
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
Up to Parents: site that shows separated and divorced parents how to develop better futures for their families and themselves by focusing on meeting their children’s needs
Dealing with Divorce, Sesame Street: kid-focused resource that utilizes Sesame Street videos and characters to help simplify and explain the concept of divorce to children of various ages.
Children and Divorce, Mayo Clinic: in-depth guide on how to help parents assist their children with a divorce or separation.
Information for Professionals, Pedro Carroll: resource with ways that teachers and professionals can share resources and knowledge with children in their classrooms who are dealing with parental divorce.
(Divorce) Recommendations for Teachers Parents, University of Delaware (PDF, 33KB): guide that enlists strategies for parents and teachers to work together in the classroom and at home to help with the post-divorce transition for children.
LGBT Youth Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: list providing government agencies and community organizations for LGBT youth to help support positive environments for all LGBT supporters.
Comprehensive List of LGBTQ+ Vocabulary Definitions, It’s Pronounced Metrosexual: guide to gender identity terms and definitions that explores both the common and uncommon terms that may be brought up in daily conversation about gender fluidity and identity.
10 Tips on How to Come Out As LGBT to Family and Friends, The Guardian: article reviewing different ways to tell your family and friends about your sexual identity.
Handling Sibling Rivalry, Child Development Info: resource for parents to address conflict between siblings. Behavior management and parenting techniques are included.
Conflict Resolution, Kids Health: resource for teachers and professionals on how to teach, utilize and practice conflict resolutions in the classroom.
RESOURCES FOR TEENS
Am I in a Healthy Relationship? Teens Health: teen-based resource discussing what makes a relationship healthy or abusive, what do teens think is the most important in a relationship, how to break up respectfully and how to get over a breakup.
Gender Spectrum – Teens, Gender Spectrum: resource that helps to create gender-sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens.
Sexuality, gender identity and teenagers, Parents ReachOut: supportive resource for parents to learn more about sexuality and the concept of gender.
Promoting Healthy Relationship Development in Teens, Part I: How Dating Smart in Youth Can Foster Better Relationships in Adulthood, University of Florida (PDF, 1.2 MB): guide for parents and professionals on how to foster healthy relationship development in teenagers with a quiz at the end to help understand basic compatibility in young relationships.
Teenage relationships: Romance & Intimacy, Raising Children: discussion points for parents on how to create conversations on all aspects of teen relationships covering sexual, intimate and young relationships and the ramifications of domestic abuse.
Managing Parent-Teen Conflict, RG Lewis (PDF, 3.2): handbook geared toward educating parents and teens on family conflict and how to resolve them.
Parents Reachout: site for parents to help their teenagers navigate conflict within the family.
10 Important Conflict Resolution Skills for Teenagers, Mom Junction: article for parents providing the “10 Commandments” on how to teach children healthy conflict resolution.
Health and Safety Resources
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
Child Help: site that meets the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children
Child Abuse Resource Center, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: toolkit for parents and therapists on how to help children suffering from abuse.
The Underwear Rule Guide, NSPCC: explanation for children about sexual abuse and how to prevent them from being a victim of such heinous acts.
14 Drug Education Activities, Scholastic: professional-focused complete book of printable skills pages, including activities that support reading comprehension, graphing skills, sequencing skills and critical thinking.
Drug Abuse – Children & Teens, National Institute on Drug Abuse: information for parents, teens and professionals about how different drugs affect the brain and body.
Bullying and Substance Abuse: Who It Affects and Why, Drug Rehab: site dedicated to preventing bullying that leads to substance use and other mental health outcomes.
About Suicide, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: organization for those affected by suicide with a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action.
Talking With Kids About Suicide, Psychology Today: article for parents that teaches children about suicide and provides simplistic examples of storytelling to make the concept of suicide more relatable to children.
RESOURCES FOR TEENS
About Teen Pregnancy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: guide for parents, teachers, professionals and teenagers that provides statistics on teen pregnancy, including pregnancy by age, race and grade level.
Discovering Your Teenage Daughter Is Pregnant: 10 Tips for Parents, Psych Central: parent-focused resource offering advice on how to have a productive conversation with your child after you’ve found out that she is pregnant.
Teens – Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens: site offering science-based resources to educate teens and parents on the scope of various addictions.
Warning Signs of Youth Violence, American Psychological Association: resource for teens and parents to help recognize the warning signs of possible violence in teenagers.
Physical Abuse, National Child Traumatic Stress Network: resource list focused on various forms of trauma and abuse in children and teenagers.
Recovery: Helping Children & Teens, Phoenix Australia: resource for parents and professionals to help teens or children who have experienced trauma.
Resources for Pregnant Teens, Pregnancy Love To Know: toolkit for pregnant teens on how to tell your parents, friends and classmates.
Planned Parenthood: organization that provides information for parents, teens, educators and professionals on reproductive health and how to stay protected against sexually transmitted diseases.
Teen Drug Abuse – A Guide for Parents & Educators, Addiction Resource: guide to help teens and their loved ones stay on the road to recovery and successfully overcome addiction for life.
Training Programs, Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide: site dedicated to preventing teen suicide.
Save a Friend: Tips for Teens to Prevent Suicide, National Association of School Psychologists: resource with tools and knowledge for teenagers to recognize suicidal warning signs in their friends and what they can do to help.
Suicide Prevention, PBS: resource for educators and professionals to address suicide prevention with teenagers; a lesson plan with materials, video, links and classroom exercises is included.