How Adults Can Support Youth in Uncertain Times

Internet memes annually poke fun at how long January’s 31 days feel, but for some, recent governmental changes and actions are adding confusion, worry, and anxiety to a stretch of time that already feels never-ending.

Federal funding freezes across a number of social and educational entities—and the swift legal challenges that quickly halted their execution—cause uncertainty among leaders who are questioning how they will continue to provide their piece of the public good. News outlets report that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more than 1,000 people in one day in raids across 10 major metropolitan areas as well as various cities in Texas. Now ICE officers can enter schools, causing some immigrant parents to wonder if they can safely send their children to school. Surely more changes will continue to unfold.

The wave of uncertainty sweeping across many households in this country is not the first one to cause stress, nor will it be the last one. More than 60 percent of the young people Springtide Research Institute interviewed in 2021 said life changes are one of the top sources of stress and discomfort in their lives, and 2024 findings on young people and politics show that almost half of young Americans report unhappiness with U.S. politics and society. All the recent changes and breaking news developments in 2025 and their potential impacts could add more fuel to this fire of discontent, leaving young people with growing anxiety about how drastically their lives, and their nation, may change in the coming weeks.

In times of uncertainty, young people tend to turn to close family and friends for care and support. Yet this collision of the political and the personal could push young people to share thoughts and emotions with a select few—or no one at all. When experiencing distress, young people need safe spaces, especially within the confines of relationships. And relationships that feel like safe havens are generally not built in a day—especially not the rough days. Taking on relationship-building with young people as a deliberate and continual process positions an adult to be that familiar and trusted conversation partner during those moments when feelings and emotions loom large. This could deliver the just-in-time mental health support a young person needs.

To serve as a safe space for young people, adults can:

• Commit to sharing authentically. Young people are trying to make sense of complicated events and a mix of resulting feelings. Sharing your experiences in treading those same waters creates bonds, strengthens connections, and builds trust. Don’t hesitate to be vulnerable and appropriately transparent with a young person, especially on big issues. This includes knowing when to say, “I don’t know.”
• Commit to listening when they talk. It’s easy to not be fully present in a conversation, but young people need attention and active listening to build connection. When talking with a young person, listen intently and follow up by asking questions to clarify what you heard. It’s important to listen with a sense of curiosity rather than judgment. If young people perceive judgment or irritation during the exchange, they might disconnect altogether.
• Commit to modeling the behavior. Young people are at developmental stages where emotions can be heightened—and they’re still learning critical skills to manage them. In conversation, adults can model self-regulation by naming what emotions they’re feeling and describing how those emotions feel physically. Sometimes just being able to name and recognize emotions can bring a person back to a more calm and regulated state, which is where cognitive functioning takes over. When an adult models how they’re balancing their emotional state with what’s happening around them, young people can follow suit.

Change is the norm, and yet this may be the first time a young person is experiencing change at this scale and at this rate. Take time to check in with those young people closest to you and invite them into conversation. A safe space to process might be just the lifeline they need.