Clinical Psychologist Karen Nimmo says teenagers and young adults have had a hard time through the pandemic, disruption at school and university, having to do a lot of learning online. She discusses how best to help teenagers through this stage and how to recognise when they are struggling.

For nearly three years, teenagers and young adults have taken a psychological hit at a time when they should kicking off the next stage of their life, says clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo.

"What we've got is a micro generation of young people who feel ripped off by the whole Covid experience and obviously that's had an impact on mental health and wellbeing because that's time they can't get back," Nimmo tells Kathryn Ryan.

Listen to the full interview here

But adolescence has always been a challenging part of life, she says, even for parents.

"If parents are looking back through the ages, we've always struggled with that life stage in a way, because you've got this beautiful little child who suddenly turns into something of an alien to you and they're defiant, and they're oppositional, and you feel a little bit like you're losing control and you're helpless in that space.

"So when Covid came along and made it really hard on kids, I think that put extra pressure on not just parents but families."

Parents worry about their teens' withdrawal the most, and that too has been exacerbated by Covid, Nimmo says.

"It's the loss of motivation, it's feeling lost, it's not being able to make plans, it's all that time online when they're not sure exactly what they do, whether it's homework or gaming or on social media in a safe and healthy way, it's the impact on friendships, and the other really big one is loneliness.

"Let's be honest, adolescents always wanted to spend a lot of time in their rooms, but now it's kind of at a different level, so it's really hard for parents to figure out.

"The key words would probably be excessive and persistent change, so when you sort of notice that real shift in the way they present themselves to you, and their friends, and in the world, that's when it's time to take a little bit more notice."

Adolescents need time and space to figure things out for themselves, she says.

"I think we have to be careful not to do two things probably; not to overdo the positivity as in everything is going to be okay, you'll be all right, you'll get there, I just want you to be happy, all that sort of thing, because that is annoying and a little bit dismissive of where they are…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details