Your teenager's next visit to the doctor could include an emotional check-up as well as a physical one. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recently recommended that kids between the ages of 12 and 18 be regularly screened for depression -- a recommendation that has moved teen depression to the forefront of adolescent care.

Major depression affects more than 5 percent of teens and is linked with suicide, substance abuse and other serious problems. Yet it often goes undiagnosed and untreated. (Source: USA Today)

The Task Force has urged the screening for all teenagers, not just those who appear to be "troubled," and recommends a simple questionnaire as a starting point.

Regular screening should continue throughout adolescence, the task force recommended, even if no "red flags" are raised during the initial evaluation.

Labels: depression, mental_health, mental_illness, teenagers

Divorce is hard on every family it touches. Sometimes an unintended consequence is that the kids feel responsible -- thinking they did something wrong, something that caused one of their parents to want to leave.

Attorney-at-law Marjorie Shaw-Currie has seen instances like these as marriages dissolve in the divorce court. In fact, she said these situations are not rare and, when they occur, she prescribes counseling ... Divorce brings many changes, and changes are hard for children ... They may wonder, 'If my parents stop loving each other, can they stop loving me?' -- Source: Cleaner News (Jamaica)

Psychologist Karen Richards says parents should reassure their children of their love and ensure them that they are not to blame for their parents' divorce. During and after a divorce, every family member will need time to process and to grieve. Make sure kids have an opportunity to do this, whether it's through talking to a parent, confiding in a teacher, or attending sessions with a trained pediatric counselor.

Regardless of parents' marital status, keeping the lines of communication open is an important part of promoting healthy childhood development, and has even been cited as a means of reducing adolescent and teen depression.

Labels: children, depression, divorce, parental_involvement

Officer Al Cruz spent 20 years as an Army Ranger. In 2003, he joined the police force, and last summer he started a soccer league, aimed at reaching out to at-risk youth. Every Monday evening he can be seen in a Springfield, Virginia gym, trying to hold his own against a group of middle school students.

After the match, he assembles the players on the bleachers. Each opportunity to connect may be his last ... He starts talking about drugs and gangs. Most of these boys aren't into drugs gangs, but a few are on the edge. (Source: The Washington Post)

Cruz worries that, as winter gives way to spring, Monday night soccer will lose its appeal and the kids will be back on the streets. The first day of summer soccer arrives, with torrential rain and gusty winds. But 40 kids show up anyway. Forty kids in the rain, Cruz calculates, means 200 kids on a sunny day. Two hundred kids staying out of trouble and learning to be part of a team.

Officer Cruz's effort is the latest in a long line of mentoring programs that have been established to provide guidance, direction, and motivation for troubled or at-risk adolescents and teenagers.

Labels: adolescent, mentoring, sports, teenagers

Current statistics tell us that about one in five teenagers intentionally abuse prescription drugs. While parents and teachers may be aware of the problem of teen prescription drug abuse, they may not realize that it is so prevalent. What has caused such a dramatic increase in this type of drug abuse? An Oregon newspaper cited three causes for the rise in prescription medication abuse among teens and adolescents: availability, access, and awareness.

Availability: There are many prescription and over-the-counter drugs that have potential for abuse. They are being used more frequently and are readily available. Access: The drugs are easy to get ... Awareness: The visibility of these drugs has increased through television advertisements. (Source: Statesman Journal)

There is also a general attitude among teenagers that prescription drugs are less risky than illicit street drugs because they come from a doctor. Parents, teachers and other adults need to help raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drugs, and parents need to make sure that their medications are locked up and inaccessible.

Labels: adolescent, prescription_drug_abuse, teenagers

A new study from the University of Kentucky found that only 10% of the 1.4 million American teenagers with substance abuse problems receive treatment. One reason is that most teen treatment programs are of only medium quality.

Dr. Hannah Knudsen found that fewer than one-third of the addiction treatment programs have special teen components. Of the 154 programs she selected at random, only a small number scored high in nine areas of quality. The high-quality programs, fewer than 30% of those evaluated, offered more intensive treatment services, such as residential or inpatient treatment.

"For parents looking for high-quality programs that offer the most comprehensive array of services, a good indicator is whether the program has an inpatient or residential level of care," she said. "The lack of comprehensive services in substance abuse programs for teens raises questions about whether teens will get what they need since we know they are likely to have co-occurring psychiatric conditions and to engage in HIV high-risk behaviors."

This study appears in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

Labels: addictions, drug_use, treatment_programs

First and second graders who report above average levels of anxiety are more likely to be depressed as adolescents. Girls in primary grades who exhibit anti-social behaviors are particularly at risk.

Researchers from the University of Washington followed 800 children in first and second grade until they entered the eighth and tenth grades. Dr. James Mazza and his colleagues asked the children, their family, and teachers about their levels of depression, social skills, and anti-social behaviors.

"One finding from this study that is a mind-grabber is that young children can identify themselves as being anxious and depressed," said Dr. Mazza. "We were a bit surprised because we thought they'd say, 'My life is fun and I play a lot.'" This supports the notion that even children as young as 6 years old can provide valuable information about themselves.

Boys who display anti-social behaviors and anxiety as very young children often continue to "act out" in anti-social ways. Girls tend to turn their anxiety inward, and suffer from eating disorders, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors as adolescents.

This study appears in the Journal of Early Adolescence.

Labels: children, depression, teenagers

Rutland County, New York, has begun a new campaign aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of underage drinking - not just the dangers for those who consume, but also for those who buy.

"Surveys of teens nationally show that the largest source of alcohol for those who do drink is from others, rather than stores directly. Males tend to get beer from their older friends or from people they meet near the store... Females tend to get alcohol from males that are older."

In response to these facts, Rutland County has developed the "Sticker Shock" campaign, which will place notices inside stores, warning of the consequences of buying alcohol for minors. Students and authorities hope these warnings will deter people who might otherwise be tempted to promote underage drinking. Source: Denton Publications (NY)

Labels: adut