Keeping Kids Healthy: Clinical Depression in Children

CLINICAL DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN: If your teenager seems depressed or irritable, you may wonder, if it is just a phase he's going through? Or if your teen is moody and rebellious, you may think that's what makes her a teenager, right? Well, not always. For more than three million teens in this country, they are signs of clinical depression - a mental illness that can lead some teens to purposely injure themselves or even worse, take their own lives. Depression is an illness that requires treatment with medication or therapy. But how can parents tell the difference? Join host Dr. Winnie King as we journey through this very difficult and prevalent problem. You'll hear from two experts about how to recognize the warning signs of teen depression. And you'll also hear from two courageous young women who share the stories of their battles with depression.

Guests:

Alec Miller, PsyD - Chief, Child & Adolescent Psychology and Director, Adolescent Depression & Suicide Program, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, NY; Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Miriam Kaufman, BScN, MD, FRCP - The Hospital for Sick Children Staff Physician, Division of Adolescent Medicine; Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto; Author of Easy For You To Say: Q & A's for Teens Living With Chronic Illness or Disability, All Shapes and Sizes: Promoting Fitness and Self-Esteem In Your Overweight Child, Mothering Teens: Understanding the Adolescent Years and Overcoming Teen Depression: A Guide for Parents

Amanda Pellicier - Teenager who suffered from depression, attempted suicide and also would intentionally injure herself.

Vanessa Perez - Teenager dealing with depression.

Part Two: CLOWN THERAPY: When a child is seriously sick, the whole family is sick - and modern medicine now views laughter as a powerful part of the child and the family's treatment. Hear how some doctors are clowning around using laughter and play to help seriously ill children and their families get better; meet the clowns who reach out to these children, and the patients whose lives are touched by this unique form of therapy.

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Disclaimer: The information contained on this site, and in the video programs on this site, is neither a diagnosis nor a treatment recommendation for specific illnesses for patients. Please consult your doctor with your own healthcare questions or concerns.