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Clinical Depression in Children

If your teenager seems depressed or irritable, you may wonder, if it is just a phase he's going through?  Or if your teen is moody and rebellious, you may think that's what makes her a teenager, right?  Well, not always.  For more than three million teens in this country, they are signs of clinical depression - a mental illness that can lead some teens to purposely injure themselves or even worse, take their own lives.  Depression is an illness that requires treatment with medication or therapy.  But how can parents tell the difference?   Join host Dr. Winnie King as we journey through this very difficult and prevalent problem.  You'll hear from two experts about how to recognize the warning signs of teen depression.  And you'll also hear from two courageous young women who share the stories of their battles with depression.

Guests:

Alec Miller, PsyD - Chief, Child & Adolescent Psychology and Director, Adolescent Depression & Suicide Program, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, NY; Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Miriam Kaufman, BScN, MD, FRCP - The Hospital for Sick Children
Staff Physician, Division of Adolescent Medicine; Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto; Author of Easy For You To Say: Q & A's for Teens Living With Chronic Illness or Disability, All Shapes and Sizes: Promoting Fitness and Self-Esteem In Your Overweight Child, Mothering Teens: Understanding the Adolescent Years  and Overcoming Teen Depression: A Guide for Parents

Amanda Pellicier - Teenager who suffered from depression, attempted suicide and also would intentionally injure herself.

Vanessa Perez - Teenager dealing with depression.


Tips & Hints:

Signs of Depression

To find out if your teen might be depressed, they need to exhibit four (4) or more of these symptoms lasting two weeks or more.  One of those symptoms traditionally is either #1 or #2.

  1. Depressed or irritable mood
  2. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
  3. Change in eating habits
  4. Change in sleeping habits
  5. Chronic fatigue or lack of energy
  6. Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
  7. Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
  8. Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thinking or behavior
  9. Physically agitated or physically slowed down

Resources:

Books:

Overcoming Teen Depression: A Guide For Parents
by Miriam Kaufman, MD

More Than Moody: Recognizing and Treating Adolescent Depression
by Harold S. Koplewicz, MD


Organizations and Websites:

Screening for Mental Health, Inc
http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/
781-239-0071

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
http://www.nami.org/
800-950-NAMI

The National Mental Health Association (NMHA)
http://www.nmha.org/

Focus Adolescent Services
http://www.focusas.com/

In the Mix - Depression: On The Edge
http://www.pbs.org/

Teen Depression: Prevention, Detection & Causes
http://www.teen-depression.info/

Teens Health: Depression
http://www.kidshealth.org/