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Article Archive: Mental Health
2008-09

Delonte West back with Cavs, reveals his personal battles (Cleveland PD, Oct. 17, 2008)
"For a while you feel like a weaker man because you've got to raise your hand and ask for help. But I found out over the last week that made me a stronger person." Prompted by his outburst directed toward a high school referee who was working an intrasquad scrimmage during practice Oct. 3, the Cavs' guard knew he had to do something. Having battled depression for years, he recognized the signs. <Read More>

Study Links Inhalant Use to Depression (CADCA, Sept. 18, 2008)
Researchers found that those with a past-year major depressive episode (MDE) were more than three times as likely as their counterparts with no past-year MDE to start using inhalants. <Read More>

How to know when a therapist can help you (Clev PD, June 24, 2008) "If you're unhappy, if you're not as productive as you want to be, if other obstacles exist between you and your goals, it's a good idea to seek professional advice," says Joel Gecht, a psychologist and president of BMA Impact in Beachwood, which provides counseling and other services to colleges, universities, corporations and individuals. <Read More>

Behavior Disorders in Teens Are Focus of New R&D Effort (EdWeek.org, Sept. 2, 2008)
The numbers tell a grim story: By the time students with behavioral or emotional problems get to high school, they may be so alienated from adults or disruptive to their classmates that they simply drop out. <Read More>

Know! stress is a major contributing factor in teen drug abuse (KNOW Newsletter, Sept. 2008) Youth deal with stress differently. Some find healthy constructive outlets to release built up stress while others make decisions that ultimately prove destructive. Recent survey results indicate the number one reason teens say they would use drugs is to deal with the pressures and stress of school. While 73% of youth cited stress as a major contributing factor, only 7% of parents believed teens might use drugs to relieve stress (Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, 2007). <Read More>

Bipolar Disorder
What's happening to my son? by Irene S. Levine, PhD (Readers Digest Oct 2007) "But in the past few years, more and more kids are being diagnosed (with bipolar disorder). Mental health professionals have been rethinking the criteria after finding that many adults with bipolar disorder claimed to first experience its symptoms in childhood."

Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation

The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood’s Most Misunderstood Disorder Book by Demitri Papolos, MD and Janice Papolos The Bipolar Child Web site of authors Demitri Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos, author of best-selling book, The Bipolar Child (Broadway Books, 1999). Offers excellent newsletter with archived articles of interest to families.

Web Resources for Bipolar Disorder
BPChildren.com features information, publications, and resources for young people and adults to help them understand pediatric bipolar disorder. 
Connect for Kids, a program of the Benton Foundation. Searchable state-by-state listing of advocacy and other helpful programs for kids in your state.

Co-Occuring Disorders
The term "Co-occurring Disorder" (COD) refers to both substance-related and mental health disorders affecting an individual at the same time. Symptoms from both substance abuse or dependency and mental health problems can overlap. They can even imitate each other, making treatment and diagnosis difficult.
Mental Health America: Links and Resources

Depression
SafeYouth.org: A link to a list of articles and fact sheets relative to depression in youths.

Children's Depression Checklist (pdf)

Youth Depression and Substance Abuse (pdf)

Suicide Prevention
Know about suicide, you could save a life: Article gives stats about suicide and what parents can do.

Suicide rate among U.S. girls soars The biggest increase - about 76 percent - was in the suicide rate for 10- to 14-year-old girls.

Responding to a depressed or suicidal student: Step by step information about how to respond in this situation.

Child and Adolescent Suicide (pdf)

Suicide FAQ

What can I do to help? Gives a list for parents and friends

Epilepsy drugs may raise suicide risks, study says

Information from the Family Education site: Link to many articles on teen suicide including warning signs, FAQs, and how you can save a life.

Parents make a difference
SNAPS Newsletter (Nov. 2008)
Parents of a child on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan are invited to join Westlake’s Special Needs Advocacy and Parent Support Group (SNAPS). Established last year, the group is parent-driven with goals of communication, improving knowledge of the special education process, and parents supporting parents.

Get Involved : Young people are much less likely to have mental health and substance use problems when they have positive activities to do and when caring adults are involved in their lives.

Failure and recovery - without parental meddling (Plain Dealer Editorial, Feb 6, 2008) As a mother of two small children, I find this type of parenting suffocating. As a career educator, I find it a hindrance to a child's social and academic development. While we presume that nobody wants to see his or her child suffer frustration or face failure, an experience I had last year illustrates the benefits that can come from letting a child find solutions to problems that are sometimes of his or her own making.