Walking with Students through Mental Health Crises

Fellow Youth Pastors,

You are doing a good job of navigating the constant wave of youth these days! There are days you fall into bed completely drained, days that leave you encouraged, days when you wonder if you know what you are going to do tomorrow, and days you feel like giving up. Know that you are seen!

Our youth groups are full of students who are experiencing some of the highest levels of mental health issues we have seen in recent years. I don’t know about you, but at times I can feel so far out of my depth that I am at a loss for what to do. If you have ever felt this way, I want to encourage you that you are not alone. Don’t give up! You are more than capable of walking with these students as you together navigate the waves of the mental health crisis hitting our youth groups.

Here are a few practical tips that I have found helpful as I walk with students struggling with their mental health:

Encourage them to share their feelings.

  1. Simply ask your students how they are doing and truly listen to their response; remind them you are there for them.
  2. Acknowledge and understand emotions they might be experiencing even when it feels uncomfortable; you could say, “I understand,” or “I hear you and that makes sense.”
  3. Give them space to share how they are feeling.

Provide your youth group with a gospel that speaks to their reality.

  1. We can get wrapped up in our lesson planning and forget to speak to where students are at. Don’t forget to share the good news of Jesus and how it can help them right where they are at.
  2. Our students can begin to disassociate when they are feeling depressed or experiencing high levels of anxiety, so give them practical ways to combat any spiral they are fighting. For example:
    • LOOK UP — We pause during anxious thoughts to look up and refocus on God by taking encouragement from the Bible and talking with others who are walking in their faith.
    • LOOK INSIDE — We look inward and reflect on where God is at work inside us even in the midst of our struggles.
    • LOOK AROUND — We take a good look at the world around us so we can deepen the relationships that help us navigate it.[1]

Care for yourself

  1. As you walk with students through their mental health crises, don’t neglect your own self-care, because we are only truly effective when we are pouring from a full cup. It is not always easy, and it will take intentionality, but when you take care of your own mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, you are able to model for your students.
  2. Make time in your day to do things that encourage you and help you manage your own stress.
  3. Here are examples that help me cope when I am working with students going through various mental health crises: exercise, getting outside, spending time reading, journaling, taking an art class, and spending time with loved ones

You are not alone, and neither are your students! They need the church to understand where they are at, walk alongside them and meet them with the grounded hope that God is walking with them.

My prayer is that you will experience divine empowerment from the Holy Spirit as you walk with your students and that your soul would be encouraged. God has you!

From a fellow Pastor on the journey,

Hannah

[1] Fuller Youth Institute Blog Post – Mental Health Friendly Youth Ministry

Hannah Beers-Borger
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