Getting Closer to Personalized Treatment for Teens with Treatment-resistant Depression

Some teens with treatment-resistant depression are more likely than others to get well during a second treatment attempt of combination therapy, but, as a newly-released study details, various factors can hamper their recovery.

Adolescents with Depression Not Harmed in Studies Using Placebo

According to an analysis of data a study published January 15, 2009, in the American Journal of Psychiatry, teens with depression who initially are randomly assigned to placebo treatment (inactive pill) during a trial are no more likely to experience harm or have a diminished response to subsequent active treatments than teens who are initially randomized to active treatment.

Risk of Depression Higher For Teen Girls Who Had Low Birth Weight

Findings of a recent nationwide study suggest that pediatricians and parents of girls who were of low birth weight should pay close attention to the young child's mental health as she enters puberty.

Children's Suicide Rates Lower in Areas of the Nation with High SSRI Use

According to a recently study published study (November 2006 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry) suicide rates for children ages 5 to 14 are lower in areas of the country with higher rates of antidepressant prescriptions.

Study Highlights Ways In Which Bipolar Kids Misread Faces

New study on provides some of the first clues to the underlying workings of the episodes of children's mania and depression that disrupt their friendships, school, and family life.

Antidepressant Medications for Kids: Information for Parents and Caregivers

Depression in children is a serious disorder that causes significant problems at home, in school, and with peers. It increases their vulnerability to substance abuse, and puts them at risk for suicidal behaviors. To help address growing concerns about the safety of using antidepressant medications for children, the following information is based on the best currently available information.

Helping Young Victims of Trauma

When a child or adolescent encounters violence, disaster, or other traumatic events, they experience a wide range of unsettling feelings. Even a disturbing news event that they only see on TV or hear about but don't directly experience can make them feel fearful and sad. There are ways parents and other caring adults can help young people cope with these intense emotions, learn to talk about their feelings and concerns, and begin to feel safe again.

Recovering From Depression

Many famous people have struggled with depression--Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Georgia O'Keefe, Ernest Hemingway, Rod Steiger, and Mark Twain, to name just a handful. However, if you're one of the 15 million Americans suffering from symptoms of depression at this very moment, it probably doesn't matter much to you how common the condition is or how distinguished other victims of depression may be--you just want the sadness to lift so that you can feel like yourself again.

Depressed Adolescents Respond Best to Combination Treatment

Depression in teens is a serious illness that can and should be treated aggressively. According to results from a major study published in the October 2007 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication appears to be the most effective treatment for adolescents with major depressive disorder—more than medication alone or psychotherapy alone,

New Report Finds More Than 13% of America’s Teens Think Suicide

According to a just-released government survey--the first of its kind ever done--three million American teenagers have thought seriously about or even attempted suicide. Depression--a treatable condition--is considered the main cause of suicidal thoughts. Only 36% of the teens who considered suicide in 2000 received mental health treatment or counseling…