From boot camps and wilderness therapy camps to social-emotional learning programs and behavior modification programs, the so-called “troubled teen industry” has sold promises of transformation to concerned parents for decades.

But recent documentaries like Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare and Teen Torture Inc. have exposed various alleged abuses that have taken place at programs for troubled teens. Children involved in these troubled youth programs have made claims of practices like kidnapping, starvation, forced labor, and excessively punitive measures.

Instead of helping teens, such damaging programs are more likely to worsen the emotional and behavioral issues that they were already experiencing. Some even left their teen participants scarred for life.

Moreover, the National Youth Rights Association notes that these kinds of “discipline interventions” are actually estimated to increase recidivism by up to 8%. It’s crucial that our country’s health experts develop and offer more effective alternatives.[i]

Dramatic exposés detailing abuse may make the headlines, but even well-meaning troubled teen programs often come up short. Why?

It’s because they’re missing the foundation of better mental health and wellness: the brain. Find out how focusing on brain health can be the difference-maker in helping teens overcome emotional issues and behavioral problems.

WHY ARE OUR TEENS SO TROUBLED?

Before we examine science-based treatment methods, let’s review the state of our young people today. The world has changed so rapidly in recent years that kids’ upbringings can look vastly different than their parents’.

Most of us remember that being a teenager isn’t easy—in fact, it’s one of the most tumultuous times of life. It’s normal for teens to worry about fitting in, peer pressure, and uncertainty about the future, all while navigating their growing independence and self-discovery.

Some teens, especially ones who already have a history of trauma, may cope with these challenges in self-destructive ways. Troubled teenagers may display a range of disruptive behaviors: skipping school, promiscuity,abuse, eating disorders, physical aggression, and more.

The teen years may also reveal the first symptoms of a developing mental health disorder. Research shows that about half of all lifetime mental conditions begin to emerge by the mid‐teens.[ii]

Experts theorize that our youth’s mental health may be further compromised by modern-day influences. Social media use, for example, has been linked to record levels of sadness and suicidality, especially among teen girls.

Bullying, both in-person and online, is another danger that can alter our kids’ mental health. Research has shown that being bullied can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as increased risk for anxiety disorders, clinical depression, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and suicidal thoughts.[iii]

Meanwhile, social isolation, propelled by factors like technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, is also associated with increased rates of anxiety and depression.[iv]

Clearly, many of our teens are in trouble—perhaps more than ever before. But we’ve witnessed that overly punishing or restrictive troubled teen programs, such as boot camps for troubled youth, can do more harm than good.

Many teens take part in these kinds of programs. According to a 2021 article by the American Bar Association, roughly 120,000-200,000 young people were residing in some type of group home, residential treatment center, a boot camp for teens, or correctional facility.[v]

Of these, more than 50,000 were placed there by their parents. But these residential treatment programs are often for-profit enterprises that aren’t overseen or regulated, either by the federal government or by individual states. It all adds up to taking a huge gamble with the potential future leaders of our country.

Using “tough love” and other unproven approaches can make teens’ problems even worse, or lead to trauma with lifelong negative aftereffects. It’s time for a scientifically sound approach to help our young people.

BRAIN-BASED RECOVERY FOR TROUBLED TEENS

Most troubled teen programs are missing the foundation of better mental health and wellness: the brain. It’s this organ, after all, at the root of emotional and behavioral problems.

Today, we know that brain health is a critical component of recovery from addictions, mental health conditions, and more. Without looking at the brain, we don’t get a full picture of the underlying issues that are influencing behavior.

Even if a troubled teen program provides genuinely helpful strategies to improve mental health and behavior, unhealthy brain function will make it harder or even impossible for those positive changes to stick. Helping teens understand and optimize their brains will allow them to begin the recovery process.

Fortunately, we now have technology that allows for targeted treatment rather than trial and error. Brain imaging using a technology called single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a state-of-the-art tool that offers a 3-D image of the brain.

Doctors diagnosing through symptoms and observations alone often prescribe young patients psychiatric medications that can have serious side effects. And these drugs might not even work effectively for common issues like depression.

In contrast, SPECT offers an accurate full picture of the brain, showing blood flow and activity in its different regions. The results indicate which areas of the brain are working well, which are overworking, and which have low activity.

And, because mental health symptoms can have biological causes that go undetected, SPECT helps rule out other culprits. A scan can point to, for example, head trauma/brain injury, toxic mold exposure, infections like Lyme disease, drug toxicity, or inflammation.

Scans can be performed on children of all ages. In fact, Amen Clinics has seen clients as young as 9 months. And most patients (about 85%) report improvements in symptoms and better quality of life after six months of treatment.

UNDERSTANDING BRAIN TYPES FOR EFFECTIVE TEEN TREATMENT

Another helpful aspect of brain imaging is that teens and their parents can learn more about their brain type. This information can explain why your teen is acting the way they do.

Parents can find relief in knowing these issues aren’t just a result of unchangeable character flaws, rebellion, laziness, defiance, or criminality. Knowing concrete medical causes for behavior helps teens feel less stigma and allows parents to develop more understanding.

All brains are different, but they do tend to show common patterns. Amen Clinics, through its extensive brain imaging over 30-plus years, has determined 5 basic brain types and how they influence personality and behavior. Here’s a quick breakdown of each:

• Brain Type 1: Balanced—overall healthy brain
• Brain Type 2: Spontaneous—lower activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is associated with impulsivity and risk-taking
• Brain Type 3: Persistent—increased activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), associated with compulsive worries and behaviors, rigid thinking, and intrusive thoughts
• Brain Type 4: Sensitive—increased activity in the brain’s limbic or emotional centers, possibly triggering negativity and self-medicating behaviors
• Brain Type 5: Cautious—heightened activity in the brain’s anxiety centers (such as the basal ganglia, insular cortex, or amygdala), which may provoke anxiety and/or substance use

Armed with this information, teens can start on the path to recovery. The most successful treatment plans will address the individual’s entire body—not just offer temporary bandages in the form of medication.

Helpful treatment suggestions may include:

• Keeping blood sugar levels balanced through a healthy diet
• Stress-management techniques, like deep breathing
• Adequate sleep
• Nutritional supplements
• Dopamine-stimulating activities, such as exercise, meditation, yoga, massage therapy, uplifting music, and physical touch (like hugs)
• Questioning and reframing automatic negative thoughts (ANTs)
• Joining forces with mental health professionals and/or support groups

Following brain-based steps rather than harsh punitive measures, teens are more likely to find long-term success and recovery. They can change the emotional problems, behavioral problems, destructive habits, and mental health disorders that are wreaking havoc on their families and their lives.

HOW TO HELP YOUR TROUBLED TEEN

If you’re a parent struggling with a teen who’s acting out, don’t overlook the importance of their brain. Getting them healthy requires first understanding and optimizing their brain function, then addressing their thoughts and behaviors.

Without a healthy brain, teens can’t fully reap the benefits of a treatment program. And ineffective troubled teen programs are only the tip of the iceberg. In the worst cases, as we’ve seen from some traumatizing and abusive organizations, they can make your teen’s issues even worse.