What to Do When Your Teen Refuses Treatment

A teen refusing to finish their homework can cause a minor family conflict. But a teen refusing treatment for a mental health concern can become a major problem. The good news is that parents have an array of options to help their child understand the value of getting help when they need it.

At Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center, we have developed a personalized, evidence-based approach to help teens whose lives have been disrupted by mental and behavioral health concerns.

Learn more about mental health treatment for teens in California  or verify your insurance now.

4 Common Reasons That Teens Refuse Treatment

When you’re trying to help a teen who has been refusing treatment for a mental or behavioral health concern, it can be helpful to understand the reason or reasons behind their refusal. 

It would be impossible to list every reason why a young person might be hesitant to speak with a professional, but we can address a few of the more common motivators.

Four potential reasons for teens refusing treatment:

1. They don’t think they have a problem: Denying that they need help, or that they even have a problem to begin with, is a common objection among teens as well as adults. Given the crucial development that occurs during the teen years, failing to acknowledge a problem can set young people up for years of continued struggles.
2. They don’t think treatment will help: Mental health concerns are often triggered by stressors or other external influences. If your teen’s challenges are related to school-related pressures or conflicts with peers, they may resist getting help because they don’t think treatment will address the root causes of their problems.
3. They are afraid or embarrassed: Stigma about mental illnesses and treatment is thankfully less common today than in decades past, but fear of being ridiculed or ostracized for getting help remains a prevalent concern among younger people. Teens may also refuse treatment out of fear that their therapist will share embarrassing or upsetting information with their parents. 
4. They’ve lost hope: Loss of hope for the future can be a warning sign of depression and various other mental health disorders. It can also be a barrier to treatment. If a teen believes that their life will never get better, regardless of how hard they try, they’re unlikely to see the value in counseling, therapy, or other interventions.

Teen Refusing Treatment: How Parents Can Help

There’s no single approach that will magically convert your teen’s resistance into enthusiasm. But there are a number of steps you can take to break through their treatment refusal and agree to give it a try.

Include Them in the Process

Teenagers are notoriously resistant to being told what to do without explanation or an opportunity to speak their mind. This resistance can be especially formidable when they feel like they are being forced into treatment for a disorder that they may not even believe they have.

As a parent, you are ultimately responsible for your child’s well-being and have the authority to make most health-related decisions. But that doesn’t mean you have to take unilateral action. 

Instead, it may be helpful to:

• Ask your teen to help you research different types of treatment: In addition to letting them play an active role in the decision-making process, this is also a way of helping them understand how many treatment options are available to them.
• Allow your teen to express their concerns and objections: This also offers multiple benefits. You can get a better understanding of the reasons behind your teen’s resistance to treatment and you can show them how two people can express opposing viewpoints without descending into an argument.
• Encourage your teen to propose alternate solutions: This refocuses your conversation on the most important topic, which is addressing the problematic behaviors or other concerning symptoms that you teen has been exhibiting. And once your teen has thoroughly explored other options, they may realize that treatment offers the best path forward.

Focus on Specific Benefits

The benefit of this approach is similar to the value of encouraging your teen to propose alternate solutions. It focuses on achieving specific goals instead of debating whether or not treatment is the right choice. 

For this to be effective, you first need to answer a few questions yourself:

• What, exactly, has your teen been doing that has caused you to worry about their mental health?
• Why do you think a mental health concern could be at the root of their struggles?
• How do you think treatment will improve their life?

Specificity is the key to answering these questions in a way that may convince your teen to get treatment. For example:

• Vague: “You seem depressed and I think you should see a therapist.” This barely explains why you think they need help, and gives them no idea of what benefits they can gain from treatment.
• Specific: “Your outbursts of anger are becoming more frequent, and I know they’ve been causing problems for you in school and with your friends. A therapist can help you find better ways of dealing with difficult emotions, so you can get back to being a great student and a good friend again.” 

Be Patient

Unless your teen is at a crisis point, give them time to consider what you’ve said and evaluate their options. It may take multiple conversations before they’re ready to give treatment a try, but they’re more likely to have a successful experience if they’ve agreed to see a therapist vs. if they feel like they had no say in the matter.

Other potential benefits of a patient approach include:

• You may get greater insights into the difficulties your teen has been dealing with.
• Your teen may be more likely to come to you with problems if they know you won’t overreact or immediately try to “solve” them.
• You’ll be showing your teen that healthy relationships prioritize mutual respect and honest communication.

Talk to a Professional

Whether you realize it or not, you have been affected by your teen’s mental health struggles. And your support can be crucial to their recovery. Both of these are excellent reasons to think about seeing a therapist or counselor yourself.

A trained mental health professional can help you process the impact that your teen’s challenges have had on your life. They can also help you view these challenges from a slightly different perspective, which can give you valuable insights into their causes and potential solutions. 

Also, taking part in treatment yourself is an excellent way to de-stigmatize mental health treatment and show your teen that talking to a professional is nothing to be ashamed of.

Find Teen Mental Health Treatment in Southern California

Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center is a trusted source of personalized residential care for teens who have been struggling with a range of mental and behavioral health concerns.

At our center in Agoura Hills, CA, young people ages 12-18 benefit from an innovative three-phased approach that combines evidence-based therapeutic practices with experiential activities and robust academic support. 

Our services also include family-focused programming to help you establish and maintain healthy boundaries with your teen.

To learn more call 800-275-1707 or verify your insurance now.