Depression and Suicide

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) – Teen Suicide
This page by the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania answers questions about suicidal behavior and causes of adolescent suicide and attempts. It also has facts about teen suicide, risk factors, warning signs of suicidal feelings, thoughts, and behavior and information about treatment and suicide prevention. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year olds. For every suicide victim, there are eight to twenty-five suicide attempts. Two of the strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in teenage children are depression and substance abuse.

WebMD – Teen Depression
This page explains the symptoms of teenage depression and why adolescents become depressed. When a teenager’s irritable mood lasts for more than two weeks and is accompanied by other symptoms of depression, such as, apathy, physical pain, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, memory loss, loss of interest in activities, and other symptoms, the irritability may be more than just a bad mood; it may be a serious form of depression. There are many different reasons why a teenager may become depressed including family problems and other environmental stressors.

Surviving: Coping with Adolescent Depression and Suicide – Guidelines for Parents
This page has information about teen depression and suicide. It lists the warning signs and also tips for adults on how to help depressed teenagers.

Teen Depression: Prevention Begins With Parental Support
This is a page to educate parents about teenage depression. It explains the causes and how to prevent it. It also has a lot of other information for parents.

Mental Health America: Fact Sheet – Depression in Teens
This is a link to facts about teenage depression on the Mental Health America (MHA) page. It helps adults detect the signs/symptoms of adolescent depression.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), created this Web site to educate adolescents ages 11 through 15 (as well as their parents and teachers) on the science behind drug abuse. It has a section for facts about different kinds of drugs such as anabolic steroids, ecstasy, inhalants, marijuana, prescription drugs, stimulants, tobacco, and other drugs. There is also a FAQ section and personal stories from teenagers about their experiences.

Teen Substance Abuse, Children’s Mental Health Family Guide – Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
A Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free is a public education Web site developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to communicate to parents and other caring adults about how they can help promote their child’s mental health and reduce his or her risk for becoming involved with alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. This page has a section on ways to talk with children and explains the importance of being involved in their lives. It also stresses the importance of being a good role model for young people.

Spotting Teen Drug Abuse of Cough Medicine: Tips for Parents
This page has a list of signs of teen cough medicine abuse such as grades dropping, mood swings, secretiveness, and change in sleep patterns. It also has a list of tips for parents about how to confront a teenager when they suspect that the teenager may be misusing cough medicine.

Teen Drug Abuse: Help Your Teen Avoid Drugs
This page is about how to prevent teenage drug abuse. It explains why teenagers may abuse drugs, consequences of teen drug abuse, how parents can talk to teenagers about drug use, and more.

Teen Drinking: Talking to Your Teen About Alcohol
This is a page designed for parents/guardians of teenagers to help them talk to their teenagers about drinking alcohol.

Talk to Your Kids About Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs
This page is designed to help parents talk to their children about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. It has links to other pages about facts on drugs, including alcohol and tobacco.

Teenagers, Driving, and Marijuana
This is a page about teenagers driving under the influence of marijuana. It helps parents know what to say and do and explains how marijuana affects a person.

Helping Your Children Navigate Their Teenage Years: A Guide for Parents
This page is to help parents talk to their teenagers about drug use.

Other

Rhode Island Department of Health – How to Talk to Teens About Traumatic Events
This page has information on how to talk to teenagers about traumatic events such as the death of a friend, hurricane, or war. It explains to adults how to react in those situations to help teenagers handle the events. It explains the importance of being open, available, and positive in situations like those.

Marriage Counseling
This page explains what marriage counseling and couples therapy is. It explains why couples undergo therapy and how to prepare for it. It also explains what to expect.

Kids Health from Nemours – Nine Steps to More Effective Parenting
As part of The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with perspective, advice, and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect children and teens. This is a list of ways for parents to be more effective while taking care of their children. Some of these include nurturing the child’s self-esteem, setting limits, and being a good role model.

Positive Parenting Tips
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page has tips for parents and caregivers for how to take care of kids ages 0 to 17 years old.

Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence – U.S. Department of Education
This is an online pamphlet designed for parents and other caregivers of young adolescents. It explains the changes that young teenagers experience. There are many physical, emotional, and cognitive changes that a young adolescent experiences. There are tips on how to be an effective parent and how to better communicate with children.

Helping Teenagers With Stress (PDF File – Feel free to reprint)
This pamphlet, part of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry’s Facts For Families series, provides parents and teenagers with ways to cope with their stress.

Bullying (PDF File – Feel free to reprint)
This pamphlet, part of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry’s Facts For Families series, discusses adolescent bullying and ways to help your child cope.

Articles

“The Blessings of a B-Minus” (Belkin, Lisa, The New York Times, 10/12/10)
This article contains information on Wendy Mogel’s latest book The Blessing of a B Minus: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Resilient Teenagers.

“Off to College Alone, Shadowed by Mental Illness” (Clemetson, Lynette, The New York Times, 12/08/06)
For young people diagnosed with serious mental disorders, the transition from high school to college can be particularly fraught.

“Parenting as Therapy for Child’s Mental Disorders” (Carey, Benedict, The New York Times, 12/22/06)
The science behind nondrug treatments for childhood behavioral disorders is getting stronger.

“Living With Love, Chaos and Haley” (Belluck, Pam, The New York Times, 10/22/06)
The families of children diagnosed with mental disorders are often left on their own to sort through a cacophony of conflicting advice.

“What’s Wrong With a Child? Psychiatrists Often Disagree” (Carey, Benedict, The New York TImes, 11/11/06)
Increasing numbers of children are being treated for psychiatric problems, but naming those problems remains more an art than a science.

“Proof Is Scant on Psychiatric Drug Mix for Young” (Harris, Gardiner, The New York TImes, 11/23/06)
A growing number of children are taking combinations of powerful medications, but there is little evidence to justify the multiplication.

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