A Profile of Adolescent Wellness: Implications for Working with a Help-Seeking Population

This study examined wellness profiles for 114 adolescents receiving counseling services at a local community mental health center. Participants were administered the Five Factor Wellness Inventory-Teenage Version and their responses were compared with a norm group (n = 1,142). Participants scored significantly lower on 13 of 23 variables assessed. ********** Adolescence is a challenging time marked by myriad psychological, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive changes (Rowley, Roesch, Jurica, & Vaughn, 2005). Many adolescents manage these changes successfully. However, a growing number of adolescents are finding that the stress associated with these changes proves too much to handle, leaving them susceptible to future problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2008), an estimated 10% of adolescents will suffer from a problem severe enough to cause some level of impairment. Furthermore, the American Academy of Pediatrics (2000) reported that one in five adolescents will develop a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. As a result, adolescents are oftentimes identified as an at-risk population in terms of mental health issues (Hill, 2007; Marshall, 1998). This vulnerability could lead some to make unwell decisions that might lead to the emergence of such issues as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, and even suicidal ideation. Although there has been an increased recognition of the need to address the mental health needs of this unique population, additional research exploring the efficacy of new treatment modalities is still warranted. To this end, we suggest the integration of a holistic wellness approach when counseling adolescents. Conceptually, holistic wellness is best understood as a multidimensional approach in which mind, body, and spirit are integrated in a purposeful manner with a goal of living life more fully (Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000). As Carney (2007) noted, counselors who adhere to holistic wellness models often find themselves in a better position to promote the full functioning of the clients they serve. Applied to the therapeutic milieu, counselors working from a holistic wellness model focus their efforts on helping their clients achieve high levels of wellness by first assisting them in identifying what their own wellness goals are, and then encouraging the clients to make deliberate, conscious choices that best allow them to reach these personal goals. As a result of this individualized focus, holistic wellness appears to be a good fit for humanistic counselors who see it as their responsibility to help clients facilitate their optimal development by identifying and building on their unique strengths and maximizing their human potential (Myers et al., 2000). It is therefore not surprising that an increasing number of counseling professionals have begun adopting holistic wellness approaches as the conceptual framework underlying their counseling activities. Indeed, the benefits of using a holistic wellness approach with a variety of client populations have been duly noted. Hartwig and Myers (2003) observed that the real strength as well as popularity of these approaches lies in their ability to address both healthy and unhealthy behaviors while simultaneously empowering clients to build upon their own strengths and develop in positive ways. This strength-based focus makes holistic wellness an ideal approach when working with adolescent clients because it has the potential to promote positive lifestyle changes that will help meet the wide range of developmental and remedial needs common among this age group. As Makinson and Myers (2003) contended, making wellness choices at an early age can have a cumulative effect across the life span. Consequently, teaching adolescents how to maintain optimal mental health early in life maximizes the chances that they will become more likely to enjoy a positive quality of life; function well at home, in school, and in the community; and remain free of the disabling symptoms of psychopathology (Hoagwood, Jensen, Petti, & Burns, 1996). …