Screening Teens for Depression

[random3434]

Some groups want it to be mandatory. What are your thoughts?

Parents of teens, do you talk to your children about depression? Do they tell you about friends who are depressed and have talked about suicide?


Panel advises depression screening for US teens

 

[Sky Dancer]

I have a few thoughts about this but I'm not parenting teens right now. I do talk to many people who are dealing with serious depression--including teens. I struggle with depression myself.

 

[nukeman]

MOST teenagers are depressed at some point or another during their teen years. Do i feel it should be mandatory?? NO.

the government needs to stay out of peoples lives as much as possible. If parents would actually have a dialogue with their OWN children than this wouldn't even be an issue. I have 2 teenagers at home right now, 16 and 13, my wife and I talk them ALL THE TIME. In fact some people are amazed at what they will tell us. We have a very open relationship with them and they know that we will always be there for them, but they also know that we are the final say right now....

Teenagers need structure just like any other child, they just need to be given the amount of freedom they can handle and that is best judged by the parents not a clinician who thinks their child "may be depressed".

 

[random3434]

MOST teenagers are depressed at some point or another during their teen years. Do i feel it should be mandatory?? NO.

the government needs to stay out of peoples lives as much as possible. If parents would actually have a dialogue with their OWN children than this wouldn't even be an issue. I have 2 teenagers at home right now, 16 and 13, my wife and I talk them ALL THE TIME. In fact some people are amazed at what they will tell us. We have a very open relationship with them and they know that we will always be there for them, but they also know that we are the final say right now....

Teenagers need structure just like any other child, they just need to be given the amount of freedom they can handle and that is best judged by the parents not a clinician who thinks their child "may be depressed".

Good Points! I wasn't sure where you left off, but I guess that other paragraph is your sig!

Yes, of course parents need to have an open, honest dialogue with their children. Of the parents I've talked to on here, it seems most do.

But, I have a 13 year old daughter. She tells me about kids at her school that talk of suicide. There are kids on myspace and facebook that say on their profile page they want to 'kill themselves.' Is it for attention, are they serious? Is it a game they play?
Who knows, but it is scary, because what about the ones who are serious? A girl from our town's high school just hung herself last week. How does a parent deal with that?


You are right about the government staying out of our private lives, but I think free screening should be available for those who want it.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Depression is a serious problem among teenagers and often the parents are the last to know how bad it is for their child.

I support teens being screened for depression.

 

[editec]

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAd idea.

 

[Sky Dancer]

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAd idea.

What's a bad idea? Suicide preventation?

 

[editec]

Screening every child for depression is a bad idea.

That's not suidide prevention that's a full employment for psychologists idea.

You obviously have a one hell of a lot more faith in those snake charmers than I do.

 

[Truthmatters]

There should be a place for teens to go to talk about this if they wish.

Manditory screening I agree is not a good Idea.

How about a open door counselors office for teens to walk in and talk to someone about anything in every high school?

 

[dilloduck]

That's not suicide prevention that's a full employment for psychologists idea.

Bingo---immediately followed by a request for taxpayer money. Those who seriously care about depressed teens will respond. Misdiagnosing teens is as dangerous if not more so than depression itself.

 

[editec]

There should be a place for teens to go to talk about this if they wish.

Manditory screening I agree is not a good Idea.

How about a open door counselors office for teens to walk in and talk to someone about anything in every high school?

The last people on earth that most depressed kids will talk to are the morons who typically work in high school guidance offices.

If any of you happen to be high school guidance coucilors who aren't morons, my apology in advance, but ya' gotta admit that your peers are generally worse than useless.

 

[nukeman]

That's not suicide prevention that's a full employment for psychologists idea.

Bingo---immediately followed by a request for taxpayer money. Those who seriously care about depressed teens will respond. Misdiagnosing teens is as dangerous if not more so than depression itself.

precisely, how many teen suicides have been atributed to the "phsycotropic" drugs they were on. When the sideffects inlclude "suicidal feelings" I have to draw the line......

 

[random3434]

That's not suicide prevention that's a full employment for psychologists idea.

Bingo---immediately followed by a request for taxpayer money. Those who seriously care about depressed teens will respond. Misdiagnosing teens is as dangerous if not more so than depression itself.

precisely, how many teen suicides have been atributed to the "phsycotropic" drugs they were on. When the sideffects inlclude "suicidal feelings" I have to draw the line......

Another good point. We had a poster here whose daughter committed suicide, and she attributes that to the anti-depression drug she was on. This is not idle gossip, she wrote about it a lot, and felt very strongly about what these drugs can do to teens.


I would hope WE are the kind of parents our children's friends feel comfortable coming to, to talk about issues like that, if they don't feel like they can talk to their parents or a counselor.

 

[nukeman]

Good Points! I wasn't sure where you left off, but I guess that other paragraph is your sig!

Yes, of course parents need to have an open, honest dialogue with their children. Of the parents I've talked to on here, it seems most do.

But, I have a 13 year old daughter. She tells me about kids at her school that talk of suicide. There are kids on myspace and facebook that say on their profile page they want to 'kill themselves.' Is it for attention, are they serious? Is it a game they play?
Who knows, but it is scary, because what about the ones who are serious? A girl from our town's high school just hung herself last week. How does a parent deal with that?


You are right about the government staying out of our private lives, but I think free screening should be available for those who want it.

I am going to say it is MOST likely for attention. So many parents feel they have to work to give their children EVERYTHING they want! When most of them only want their parents to acknowledge their exsistance...

We have become to materialistic as a country and our children are paying for it. My wife and I decided that when it we were going to have children one of us would stay home with them. She still only works part time to be there for all of them yes we have made sacrifices for our dicision but I dont thin you can put a price on a healthy happy child. We have 4 healthy good natured kids that listen to their friends and give pretty good advice....

It all comes back to the parents. if you are not involved in your children they will not be involved with you, this includeds the ability for them to talk things out with you instead of a stranger.

PARENTS......................GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR CHILDREN..........


That is by far the best medicine and prevention you could ever need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sky Dancer]

Screening every child for depression is a bad idea.

That's not suidide prevention that's a full employment for psychologists idea.

You obviously have a one hell of a lot more faith in those snake charmers than I do.

Yeah, I have more faith in psychologists than you do. It doesn't take a psychologist to screen for depression.

Parents and teachers can learn to do it.

Teens with depression are at high risk for suicide. As someone who survived the loss of a loved one to suicide, I would do anything it took to spare someone else from that pain.

 

[editec]

Screening every child for depression is a bad idea.

That's not suidide prevention that's a full employment for psychologists idea.

You obviously have a one hell of a lot more faith in those snake charmers than I do.

Yeah, I have more faith in psychologists than you do. It doesn't take a psychologist to screen for depression.

Parents and teachers can learn to do it.

Teens with depression are at high risk for suicide. As someone who survived the loss of a loved one to suicide, I would do anything it took to spare someone else from that pain.

Yeah, well you're starting out with the presumption that the benefits of screening outweigh the costs of screening which will give these nitwits FALSE POSITIVES, aren't you?

I'm not.

Most psychologist are worthless in clinical situations in my NEVER humble opinion.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Is there really a cost to screening? I'm talking here about the child's primary care physician asking a few key questions in that direction during a regular check-up, much as they ask questions looking for symptoms of common physical problems during the same check-up. While parents can and should talk regularly and in-depth with their children, they may not always recognize certain warning signs of depression, much like they may not recognize warning signs of physical ailments.

What I DON'T support is automatically slapping a person on drugs just because they show signs of depression. That isn't always the best choice, nor - unfortunately - do medical professionals always monitor such usage as closely as they should.

 

[Agnapostate]

Been watching the CBS Evening News? They never miss an opportunity to vilify youth in some manner. It's unfortunate that the facts often happen to disagree with their preferred ideological perspective, of course. Katie Couric's role as an affable Eva Braun marks perhaps the first time I've agreed with Ann Coulter...except that Katie is hardly "affable"; she's more of an annoying and obnoxious little shrew than anything else.