My journey as a vocational youth ministry worker started out in 1995 with a minty-fresh seminary degree, killer guitar chops and the ability to capture the attention of even the most distracted adolescent. Overflowing with time, talent and treasure, I landed a job in a growing, affluent suburb in south Kansas City. I had every reason to feel good about my situation.The youth ministry expanded, kids were having mostly injury-free fun, and there was even some evidence of discipleship going on. I was certain I would be a “lifer” and die at the age of 73 under a dog pile of sweaty middle school kids, happy and fulfilled in my calling.

Darren made me uncomfortable. I couldn’t reach him. I never captured his gaze when I taught the group. His flat, colorless affect was marked with a perpetual scowl. My leaders tried to include him, but he always managed to remain elusive and detached. He was an apparition who materialized and vanished sporadically.

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I knew Darren had serious problems at home, with a single mom and an absent father. His grades were abysmal, and there were rumors he was a pothead. I was overwhelmed and ill-equipped at the time to understand how to minister to Darren and other students like him who struggled with what I now know as the double-headed monster of adolescent depression and anxiety.

A few years later, I developed what I call a “Holy Spirit irritation.” I wanted to draw nearer to families and kids who were experiencing pain. The restlessness eventually led me on a serendipitous path toward a new vocation as a marriage and family therapist.

I still think of myself as a youth minister who works with a different set of tools. I seek to help youth workers develop a better understanding of the various aspects of mental illness and how they can be a healing force in the lives of those who suffer. My hope in this article is to share information with you that will equip you with a measure of competence and confidence as you minister to the stu­dents in your spheres who might be suf­fering from anxiety and depression.

Identifying Anxiety

Today’s typical school-age children report higher levels of anxiety than child psychi­atric patients did in the 1950s, according to a study by Jean M. Twenge in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Anxiety is often a precursor to depres­sion, and sometimes even seasoned clini­cians have difficulty distinguishing between the two. The easiest way to describe the difference is that anxiety usually involves a marked, maladaptive stress response, while depression involves severe hopelessness and a flattening of mood.

Fear is actually a gift given to us by our Creator that enables us to respond to various forms of danger and adversity. Chronic anxiety happens when the fear response gets stuck in overdrive, causing feelings of apprehension and impending doom. Anxiety is marked by both psychological and physical symptoms and can appear in different forms, such as: