When a clinician, a school, or an insurance form puts a name to what your teen is going through, that name can feel enormous. This page explains the conditions and diagnostic terms you are most likely to encounter in plain language, so the words on the page feel less like a verdict and more like information you can use. A diagnosis describes a pattern of symptoms; it does not capture your whole kid, and only a qualified professional can make one for your child.
Terms in this section
These are the conditions and diagnostic terms that come up most often in adolescent mental health. Each definition is meant to give you a working understanding, not to help you self-diagnose or diagnose your child. Symptoms overlap across conditions, many teens meet criteria for more than one at the same time, and the same label can look very different from one young person to the next.
- DSM-5-TR
- The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association. It is the reference most U.S. clinicians use to define and name mental health conditions. A diagnosis being “in the DSM” means there is an agreed-upon set of criteria for it, not that every clinician will apply it the same way.
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- A condition marked by a sustained low or irritable mood and loss of interest or pleasure, lasting at least two weeks and interfering with daily life. In teens, depression often shows up as irritability, withdrawal, or changes in sleep and appetite rather than obvious sadness.
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Persistent, excessive worry across many areas of life that is hard to control and is accompanied by physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, or trouble concentrating. Anxiety is one of the most common reasons families seek care for adolescents.
- Panic disorder
- Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks — sudden surges of intense fear with physical symptoms such as a racing heart or shortness of breath — along with ongoing worry about having more of them.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- A pattern of intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) done to reduce distress. OCD is distinct from being “neat” or “particular”; the thoughts are distressing and the rituals feel compelled, not chosen.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- A condition that can follow exposure to a traumatic event, involving intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in mood, and heightened arousal. Symptoms can look different in adolescents than in adults.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- A neurodevelopmental condition involving ongoing patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with functioning and appear across more than one setting. It often coexists with anxiety, depression, or learning differences.
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- A neurodevelopmental condition affecting social communication and involving restricted or repetitive interests and behaviors. “Spectrum” reflects how widely support needs and presentation vary from one autistic person to another.
- Bipolar disorder
- A mood condition involving episodes of depression and episodes of mania or hypomania (periods of elevated or irritable mood and increased energy). Accurately distinguishing it from depression or ADHD in teens is genuinely difficult and benefits from careful, specialized evaluation.
- Eating disorders
- A group of conditions — including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder — involving serious disturbances in eating behavior and in thoughts about food, weight, and body. They are serious medical as well as psychological conditions and can affect young people of any body size, gender, or background.
- Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
- A pattern of angry or irritable mood, argumentative or defiant behavior, and vindictiveness that goes beyond typical adolescent pushback and persists over time. It frequently appears alongside ADHD or underlying anxiety or depression.
- Substance use disorder (SUD)
- A condition in which use of alcohol or other drugs continues despite harmful consequences. In teens it commonly occurs alongside another mental health condition, and the two are usually best addressed together.
- Comorbidity (co-occurring conditions)
- When a person meets criteria for more than one condition at once — for example, anxiety with depression, or ADHD with a learning difference. This is the rule rather than the exception in adolescent mental health and shapes how treatment is planned.
- Self-harm (non-suicidal self-injury)
- Deliberately hurting oneself, often to cope with overwhelming feelings, without the intent to die. It is a sign of serious distress that deserves a compassionate response and professional evaluation, and it is not the same as a suicide attempt — though it does raise risk and should always be taken seriously.
How to use this glossary
Read these entries as a way to understand the language you are hearing, not as a checklist to apply to your own child. Symptoms overlap, and the same behavior can point to very different things depending on context, history, and what else is going on. Recognizing a few features here does not mean a diagnosis fits.
If something on this page sounds like your teen, the right next step is an evaluation with a qualified professional — a pediatrician, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, or a licensed therapist — who can assess the full picture over time. A good diagnosis is a starting point for getting the right help, not a label that defines who your child is.
If you are worried about your teen’s safety right now, you do not need a diagnosis to act. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Related sections
Once a condition has a name, the next questions are usually about what helps and where to get it. The treatments and modalities section explains the therapies and medications used for these conditions, and the program types section covers the different settings and levels of care. For finding clinicians in your area, see help by condition.
Sources
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) — Facts for Families and clinical resources (aacap.org)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — health topics on child and adolescent mental disorders (nimh.nih.gov)
- American Psychiatric Association (APA) — publisher of the DSM-5-TR (psychiatry.org)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — HealthyChildren.org guidance for families
- National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) — education on eating disorders (nationaleatingdisorders.org)
- [Formal citations will be added at clinical review. See medical review.]