Depression is a widespread condition affecting approximately 7.5 million parents in the U.S. each year and may be putting at least 15 million children at risk for adverse health outcomes. Based on evidentiary studies, major depression in either parent can interfere with parenting quality and increase the risk of children developing mental, behavioral and social problems. Depression in Parents, Parenting, and Children highlights disparities in the prevalence, identification, treatment, and prevention of parental depression among different sociodemographic populations. It also outlines strategies for effective intervention and identifies the need for a more interdisciplinary approach that takes biological, psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and social contexts into consideration. A major challenge to the effective management of parental depression is developing a treatment and prevention strategy that can be introduced within a two-generation framework, conducive for parents and their children. Thus far, both the federal and state response to the problem has been fragmented, poorly funded, and lacking proper oversight. This study examines options for widespread implementation of best practices as well as strategies that can be effective in diverse service settings for diverse populations of children and their families. The delivery of adequate screening and successful detection and treatment of a depressive illness and prevention of its effects on parenting and the health of children is a formidable challenge to modern health care systems. This study offers seven solid recommendations designed to increase awareness about and remove barriers to care for both the depressed adult and prevention of effects in the child. The report will be of particular interest to federal health officers, mental and behavioral health providers in diverse parts of health care delivery systems, health policy staff, state legislators, and the general public.

Although research on the diagnosis and treatment of depression in children and adolescents has lagged far behind that in adults, recent large-scale studies -- armed with operationalized criteria and validated assessment instruments -- have done much to close this gap. In The Many Faces of Depression in Children and Adolescents, Drs. Shaffer and Waslick lead a distinguished group of contributors in presenting an overview of the key findings and concepts emerging from recent empirical efforts to understand the cause of depressive illness in youth. Featured are the following: Current findings regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of depression in childhood and adolescence Results of major clinical trials evaluating outpatient psychotherapeutic interventions for depressed and suicidal children and adolescents (e.g., cognitive-behavior therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed children and adolescents; dialectical behavior therapy for suicidal youth) State-of-the-art principles of pharmacotherapy for acute, continuation, and maintenance treatment phases of major depressive disorder in children and adolescents Dilemmas and challenges related to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children Current knowledge regarding the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of -- and the etiological risk factors for -- suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicide Developments in the emerging field of youth suicide prevention An invaluable compendium of current thought on a disorder whose potential consequences can be nothing short of devastating, this volume belongs on the bookshelf of every clinician who treats children and adolescents.

Grounded in extensive research and clinical experience, this manual provides a complete guide to interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A). IPT-A is an evidence-based brief intervention designed to meet the specific developmental needs of teenagers. Clinicians learn how to educate adolescents and their families about depression, work with associated relationship difficulties, and help clients manage their symptoms while developing more effective communication and interpersonal problem-solving skills. The book includes illustrative clinical vignettes, an extended case example, and information on the model's conceptual and empirical underpinnings. Helpful session checklists and sample assessment tools are featured in the appendices.

Since the groundbreaking first edition of Rational Emotive Approaches to the Problems of Childhood by Albert Ellis and Michael Bernard two decades ago, our understanding of the nature and treatment of children’s problems has grown considerably. Now in a completely new volume, Albert Ellis and children’s REBT specialist Professor Michael Bernard have revised and updated this pioneering volume to reflect both the latest in clinical practice and research. Fourteen expert contributors (including many from the original) share with the editors a deep commitment to integrating REBT with other cognitive-behavioral methods, and to providing young people with developmentally appropriate care. Together they give readers a practical framework for conducting assessment, treatment, and prevention with individuals, clients and groups as well as in family and school settings. Key features of this new edition include: Developmental considerations in using REBT with children and adolescents Specific chapters devoted to major disorders -- aggression, phobias anxiety, depression, academic underachievement, and ADHD Latest strategies for challenging and changing the irrational beliefs of young people Techniques for building key REBT skills: emotional resilience and frustration tolerance Extensive research findings on the efficacy of REBT with young people Brand-new material on special issues -- involving parents, conducting group sessions, and working with exceptional children An overview of Rational Emotive Education and You Can Do It! Education, school-based applications of REBT With coverage this thorough, Ellis, Bernard, and collaborators have created a resource of immediate value to child and adolescent mental health practitioners including school psychologists, school counselors, school social workers, behavior therapists, and family therapists, and educators involved in helping young people overcome behavioral disorders.

In this new, thoroughly revised and updated edition, an international, interdisciplinary team of mental health experts draw together the latest findings in the psychopathology of depression in young people. Combining theory and practice, the psychological, neurochemical, and genetic causes are discussed and an account of the clinical characteristics and frequency of the condition is given. The key questions are fully addressed: the importance of life events and difficulties in the onset and continuation of depression; the efficacy of current psychological therapies and the role of medication; how depressed young people progress into adult life, and how depression arises and the effects it may exert on brain and behavior during this crucial developmental period. This book will appeal to child psychiatrists and psychologists, developmental psychologists, neuroscientists, and mental health professionals in clinical services.

This book is a practical and authoritative guide to diagnosis and treatment of child and adolescent depression in various clinical settings, health care systems, and cultures. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based precepts for treatment. The contributors address current controversies surrounding the potential risks of medications in children and discuss other biological treatments and psychotherapies. Key take-home points are listed at the end of each chapter. Flow charts and tables summarize treatment recommendations, and tables summarize evidence of effectiveness and quality of evidence. Also included are lists of other resources for clinicians, patients, and families.

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.