Coping with Depression in Young People: A Guide for Parents

About the authors ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xiii

1 What is depression? 1

What depression feels like 7

How common is depression in young people? 8

Causes of depression 10

Is depression in young people more common now than in the past? 12

What happens to young people with depression? 12

2 How to recognise depression in young people 15

Which young people are most likely to get depressed? 15

Changes in mood and behaviour 16

3 Depression in young people who already have difficulties 23

Learning difficulties 24

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 25

Conduct problems 30

Asperger’s syndrome 31

Conclusion 36

4 Could it be due to something else? 39

Is it due to alcohol? 40

Could it be due to drugs? 41

A serious physical illness 42

Sexual abuse 43

Schizophrenia 44

Eating disorders 46

Bipolar affective disorder (manic depressive disorder) 47

5 Getting help 51

Talking to others who know your child 52

Help within the family 52

Finding out what help is available 53

Counselling 54

Child and adolescent mental health services 55

Communicating with your teenager about the need for further help 56

Approaching your depressed child 58

6 Treatment of depression 63

Multiple approaches 64

Therapeutic help for the young person 64

Parent support 66

Family therapy 67

Medication 69

Hospitalisation 71

Day treatment programmes 72

How long does it take? 75

7 What can parents do? 77

Supporting your teenager 77

Dealing with discipline and conflict 84

Keeping yourself going 90

Helping your other children to cope 91

Tackling family problems 92

Conflicting advice from family members/friends 93

What parents can’t do 94

8 Suicide and self-harm 97

Some myths about suicide 98

Are there warning signs? 98

What to do if you suspect your young person is suicidal 99

Coping with suicide attempts 100

Dealing with discipline after a suicide attempt 101

Dealing with self-cutting behaviour 104

Suicide and alcohol 105

9 Dealing with common problems 107

Depression and school 107

Depression and exams 108

He won’t go for help 110

Sleep problems 111

Anger and aggression 112

Depression and bullying 113

10 Learning from young people who have recovered from depression 115

The Working Things Out study 116

What it felt like when they were depressed 118

What they thought had caused them to feel the way they did 121

What they thought had helped them to get through their difficult times 123

Conclusion 129

Interactive CD-ROM 130

11 Depression – what does the future hold? 131

The statistics 132

‘Good effects’ of depression? 133

The brain and depression – current research 134

The future and your child 135

Resources 137

Index 143