Up to one-half of all visits to primary care providers are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems (CFHC, 1998).  Recent figures from the World Health Organization  estimate that by the year 2020 childhood neuropsychiatric disorders will increase by 50% and will be 1 of the 5 most common causes of childhood morbidity, mortality and disability.(NIMH, 2004). Mental health problems increase dramatically during adolescence as the presence of multiple stressors in the adolescent’s life increases vulnerability to mental health disorders.  In order to promote mental health within this population, the practitioner must be knowledgeable regarding adolescent development and the variables that impact the emergence of a stable, well-adjusted adult.  One such variable is the presence of demoralization which has been suggested as a precursor to depression. Demoralization is described by Frank (1974) as a persistent inability to cope accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, meaninglessness, helplessness and subjective incompetence with a resultant diminished self-esteem.  This paper presents a mid-range theory of the development of demoralization in the adolescent and a model of empowerment of the adolescent through nursing interventions that can ameliorate this condition. Based on this model the following relational statements are proposed:  1.  Engagement between the nurse and the adolescent will lead to an increased sense of power over future events.  2.  As the nurse facilitates the adolescent’s identification of his/her strengths a greater sense of competence will result.  3.  Exploration of options for action with the adolescent will increase his/her feelings of hope.