Adolescent Depression: A Guide for Parents

Until recently, psychologists and psychiatrists believed that adolescents did not experience true depression in the way that adults do. Medical experts now realize that young people can and do get seriously depressed, and that depression and bipolar disorder may be more serious and more difficult to treat in adolescents than in adults. Depression may also be harder to recognize as an illness, both because moodiness is considered universal among teenagers and because parents often resist having their child treated for a psychiatric illness that they think—and often hope—will be "just a phase."

In Adolescent Depression: A Guide for Parents, Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Francis Mondimore helps parents understand that serious depression in adolescents is an illness—an illness that can be effectively treated. He describes the many forms of depression and the many ways it can appear in young people—from intensely sad feelings to irritability, anger, and destructive rages. And he answers parents' questions, including: What are the danger signals of serious depression in teenagers? How are mood disorders diagnosed? How do medications work? What about talking therapies? How does depression relate to other problems, such as drug abuse, ADHD, and eating disorders and other self-injurious behavior? Of the one in five adults who go through a period of serious depression during their lifetime, many had their first experience of depression as teenagers. This comprehensive and compassionate guide detailing the symptoms, treatments, complications, and causes of adolescent depression provides parents with the information they need to ensure that their children receive the best possible treatment and become happy and healthy adults.

"I heartily recommend this book to parents and relatives of adolescents who have or may have mood disorders. It is written clearly and simply... and with a style that helps parents to understand the complexities of the problem that is optimistic of the likelihood of improvement with correct diagnosis and treatment." -- Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Fazal Ahmed, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This is an informative book on adolescent depression written by a faculty member of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Purpose:The purpose is to educate parents about the symptoms of adolescent depression to promote early recognition and to encourage them to seek early treatment and available interventions. The author tries to present depression as a medical model. He communicates the message successfully and uses simple narrative language and nicely avoids complex medical terms. The book largely meets the overall objectives.
Audience:The targeted audience are parents of adolescents who may be depressed. The book could be useful for all mental health workers, social workers, school counselors, etc. Family practitioners and pediatricians could also use the book while treating adolescents. The author is a credible authority in the field.
Features:The book is divided into four parts. The first deals with symptoms, syndromes, and diagnoses. The second covers medication and available psychotherapies. The third part deals with variations and causes. The final part covers strategies of treatment and the role of family. All the material is derived from the latest studies and the references are useful should one want to read further.
Assessment:Overall, this is a very useful and much needed book. It helps parents to understand all aspects of depression and related psychiatric issues in their adolescents. It will also help mental health workers, family practitioners, and pediatricians who work with this age group.

Francis Mark Mondimore, M.D., is a psychiatrist and member of the clinical faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His books include Depression: The Mood Disease and Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families, both available from Johns Hopkins.