|
Contributors
Barbara F. Meltz writes the Globe's Child Caring column. She is author of "Put Yourself in Their Shoes, Understanding How Your Children See the World," and a frequent speaker to parent groups. Join her chat on the first and third Monday of the month at noon.
NEW: Talk about child rearing issues and pregnancy in our Parents forum.
Child Caring ArchivesWeek of:
October 14
Week of:
October 7
Week of:
September 30
Week of:
September 23
Week of:
September 16
Week of:
September 9
|
« Sick or not? | Main | Remember tummy time for baby » Monday, September 10, 2007Teen suicide: One scary issueOne of the scariest issues to ever cross a parent's radar screen is teen suicide. Unfortunately, we have reason to be more scared than ever. Both the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are reporting that the rate of teen suicide was the highest in 15 years in 2003-2004, the years for which the most up-to-date records are available. One possible explanation could be the use -- or lack thereof -- of antidepressants among teens. In 2004, the FDA required warning labels on antidepressants proscribed for teens, citing an increase in suicide among those who were taking such meds. That led to a 22 percent drop in the use of antidepressants, according to the AACAP. Maybe the lack of the drugs led to the the increase in suicide? There are no easy answers for parents whose teens are depressed. Click here for a fact sheet on teen suicide, here for some information on proscription drugs, and here for a column of mine on how one town coped with a teen suicide. Posted by Barbara Meltz at 01:57 PM
|
