Therapeutic Interventions for High-Risk Adolescents

Therapeutic Interventions for High-Risk Adolescents

Introduction

A myriad of mental health disorders begin to manifest in early adolescence or late childhood, and they may contribute to mental disorders even later in life. During adolescence, certain conditions or behaviors begin to emerge, which affect not only the health of adolescents, but they may lead to disorders during adulthood. Behaviors such as drug abuse, alcohol use, and even smoking begin at adolescence and are the reason for high mortality and morbidity rates. Mental disorders that emerge during this age bracket may sometimes lead to suicidal behaviors and must be addressed using proven and approved therapeutic interventions. These are programs or practices whose effectiveness has been tested and approved based on informed evaluation and research. This discussion will explain two therapeutic interventions that could be applied to high-risk adolescents with suicidal ideations. Benefits and drawbacks for the proposed interventions will also be provided.

Therapeutic Interventions for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideations

There are several factors that could cause adolescents to have mental disorders and suicidal ideations, such as anxiety, depression, isolation, traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, or even drug abuse. It is, therefore, advisable for adolescents with these conditions to seek medical assistance. Family members and even friends could also be advised to encourage and offer emotional support to adolescents with mental conditions. In an attempt to assist the client in question, other factors such as alcohol use, substance abuse, and even isolations should also be addressed. As a counselor, I would recommend the following interventions.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

This kind of therapy focuses on functioning difficulties in individuals with the aim of reducing depressive symptoms and improving interpersonal relations. This approach assumes that deficits in interpersonal relationships are the reason for mental disorders. This approach is rooted in the attachment theory, which mainly focuses on interpersonal relations. The theory argues that “early attachments with their caregivers form the basis for future relationships.” The attachments get modified throughout one’s own lifespan. This means that individuals who do not develop secure attachments early in life can still do it later in life. Secure attachments are associated with good mental health, while poor mental health statuses are linked to insecure attachments. People with insecure attachments are less adaptive to stressful situations and may develop suicidal thoughts. When using IPT, therapists pay attention to four areas: interpersonal sensitivities, interpersonal disputes, the role of transitions, and grief. The goal is to determine the specific difficulties in interpersonal relations within the four areas for the therapist to be able to treat symptoms effectively.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT refers to an amalgamation of behavioral and cognitive healing approaches that could be used to remedy behavioral problems. It is usually a short term approach and mostly comprises of about 8 to about 12 sessions. It involves the therapist and the client working together in order to identify the behaviors and thoughts that are considered to be a problem so that the therapist can be able to provide the necessary techniques and tools to change how they think, behave or feel in given situations. The main goal of CBT is to replace maladaptive thoughts with more realistic and helpful ideas. It has been found to be an efficient approach in addressing behavioral problems in adolescents, including mental disorders. Additionally, CBT is a handy tool for solving behavioral issues in youths who have the potential to harm themselves. Townsend et. Al. (2001) suggested that  “a problem-solving approach within a CBT framework4 is more effective at reducing repeated self-harm than control interventions”.

Problem-solving therapy can be said to be a type of cognitive therapy applied to people with severe depression or those who harm themselves. The approach attempts to determine the problems that the client could be facing and try to come up with solutions, problem-solving, and coping skills. This kind of therapy differs from others because it shifts focus from the client to the family unit, and it emphasizes human problems, and social situations and contexts. For CBT outcomes to be positive, the support of the parents is very crucial, considering the fact that child depression and anxiety could be tied to the parents. I would recommend CBT for this particular client because it has been proved to be the most effective.

Benefits of the Above Approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

As stated above, CBT focuses on the relationships that exist between behaviors, feelings, and thoughts. In other therapy approaches, clients reflect on their feelings and thoughts, with the therapists only providing guidance. But in CBT, both the therapist and the client work collaboratively in uncovering the problem and coming up with solutions. In other words, CBT is an action-focused and problem-focused approach. Discussed below are some of its advantages.

1. Support network – CBT provides a network of support to individuals with mental challenges. Considering their action-based approach, clients have confidence that there is always someone to help them work through their problems. This kind of confidence comes not only with self-esteem, but it also enables the clients to get rid of negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.
2. Relapse prevention – CBT provides clients with tools and techniques to prevent relapses. By enabling them to know their problems and equipping them with coping methods, the clients are able to tell the kind of behavior patterns to be avoided.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

IPT focuses more on social relationships and roles. The therapist and the client work together in identifying problem areas such as significant life changes or conflicts with friend s and family. Its benefits are as follows:

1. Enhanced relationships – since this approach is mainly focused on relationship problems in the life of the client, the IPT approach also focuses on how individuals can better their interpersonal relations with the aim of improving the patient’s ability to adapt to stressful situations. Clients are able to apply the recommendations arrived at by the therapist in enhancing the relationships and developing secure attachments.
2. Reduced self-destructive behaviors – as discussed above, patients with insecure attachments may sometimes self-harm themselves, or they may exhibit suicidal tendencies. By working on building secure attachments, clients are able to develop their relationships with others, which reduces hostile behaviors or self-destructive behaviors.

Disadvantages

A primary disadvantage associated with CBT is that the patient must be committed; the therapist can advise, but the patient must cooperate. In other words, CBT is mainly focused on a person’s ability to change their behaviors. A significant limitation of IPT is that it depends on the client completing a twelve to 16 weeks treatment course. If the patient does not complete all the recommended sessions, they may not benefit from the program, or they may not find a solution to their problems. I would encourage the client to embrace therapy by assuring them that I would be there for him or her throughout the whole process. By guaranteeing my assistance and cooperation, the client would be convinced that I care about what they are going through and what I want them to change. With this kind of assurance, they will be willing to give therapy a try because they are sure that they are not alone