Helping Your Depressed Teenager: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers [Paperback]

Gerald D. Oster (Author), Sarah S. Montgomery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 1994

"The authors have produced a very readable, extremely well informed and comprehensive book that will add greatly to the knowledge base of interested parents. This book is strongly recommended." --Stewart Gable, MD Chairman, Department of Psychiatry The Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado You supported and encouraged them as they grew from toddlers to teens. Now you are confronted with one of the toughest challenges you and they will ever face . teenage depression. Adolescence is a period of peaks and valleys. Most teens negotiate these years with relative ease; yet for some these times are treacherous with countless pitfalls. When depression ensues, it can interfere with much of your child's potential. Clinical depression is now epidemic among American teens, and teen suicide can be a deadly consequence. Helping Your Depressed Teenager is a practical guide offering family solutions to a family problem. This book will sensitize you to the hidden struggles of adolescents and assist you in understanding their multifaceted problems. The authors are experts in this field and have helped countless youngsters confront and overcome their depressed mood. In a highly readable and gentle manner, they help you see behind the "masks" of troubled teens who attempt to hide their true feelings. They help you distinguish the subtle and sometimes not so subtle signs that something is seriously wrong. And they help you provide the loving support and assistance teenagers need to make it through this difficult life passage. Some of the useful information provided:
* What families can do to prevent teen depression
* How to tell the difference between moodiness and depression
* How to read the warning signs of a troubled teenager
* How to know when professional help is needed and where to find it
* How to choose the right treatment options for your teen

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Depression is painful, and when children are depressed, they can fall behind peers in learning, growth, and general maturation. The complex fabric of adolescent development--the physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological changes it entails--and the challenges posed by today's higher risk environment form the context in which teen depression and suicidal feelings may be understood. Oster and Montgomery review the most important issues of the early, middle, and late teen years--sexual maturation, jobs, driving, other sources of freedom and privacy, and graduation and separation from the family. They address what constitutes clinical depression, determining whether a child is depressed, prevention, suicidal thoughts and suicide, genetic predisposition to depression and family history, unresolved conflicts, and other matters. They also consider treatment options, including counseling, medication, and hospitalization. Somewhat stern in approach despite the citation of case studies, this parents' guide yet provides a wealth of information about depression, its causes, and its treatment. Kathryn Carpenter

From the Publisher

A superlative guide to understanding and confronting adolescent depression and suicide, offering practical advice on what to do with teenagers under stress. Discusses the process of seeking professional help, explaining individual and family therapy, the use of medication and the possible need for hospitalization. The appendix contains a list of resources for parents and families with depressed adolescents as well as organizations which focus on suicide prevention.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (November 4, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471621846
• ISBN-13: 978-0471621843
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Postpartum Depression

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Better review then Alex, August 27, 2004

By 

Mark Twain "Sam" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Helping Your Depressed Teenager: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers (Paperback)

This book helped me understand the way to help a teen. This is a great book for parents who want to get their child some psychologicical help, when they don't want to be helped. It helps with understanding how to talk to your depressed teen in a way where you can communicate instead of fight.