Young person’s view: Depression
In this Step, we meet Jack and Emma – two young people who’ve experienced depression. We’ll hear about how depression affected them. Please watch the clip and try to pick …
Course: Understanding Depression and Low Mood in Young People
The causes of depression
Depression does not discriminate; it affects people of all races, cultures and classes. As a parent, it’s very normal to wonder why your teenager has become depressed, and even to …
The adolescent brain
In this Step, we’ll be learning a little more about the developments that occur in the brain during adolescence. It can be helpful to learn about these changes because they …
Is this course for me?
This course is relevant for anyone with an interest in depression and low mood, and we’ll assume that you have little or no knowledge of the subject. It’s appropriate for …
Why is this course so important?
Mental health difficulties tend to start in childhood, not adulthood. Research tells us that around 75% of mental health difficulties like depression start before a child reaches their 18th birthday, …
Reviewing progress
You may need to remind your teenager regularly to apply the things that have been helpful to them. It’s a good idea to also practise strategies when they’re having a …
Problem-solving in school
Sometimes it’s appropriate or necessary to become more involved with your teen’s school when there are issues such as bullying, attendance or academic difficulties. Young people with depression often find …
Problem-solving
Depression can get worse when there are high levels of external demands, pressures and changes in the family that cause stress. Of course, this isn’t surprising since too much pressure …
Tips for good communication
When trying to avoid or reduce communication problems and conflict, we suggest you keep the following points in mind: Spend more time talking to your teen about positive, humorous or …
You say, they hear: Part 2
In this video, we watch the same scene again but this time from a different perspective. See how Jack and Pete speak to each other to demonstrate miscommunication (how they …
You say, they hear: Part 1
In order to give a better sense of what miscommunication might look like, we have produced a short simulated video of Jack and Pete speaking to each other. Please note, …
Communicating with a Depressed Teenager
Communication with teenagers at the best of times can be challenging. When a teenager is depressed, the situation can become even more difficult. You may be aware of the biases …
Family relationships and communication
Despite your support and encouragement, it’ll be likely that there’s a limit to how much influence you’ll be able to have on your teenager’s world outside of the home. This …
Expert’s view: Look after yourself
In this video we hear Dr Monika Parkinson discuss the importance of remembering to look after yourself when caring for a depressed young person. If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, …
Parent’s view: Looking after yourself
Looking after someone with depression is NOT easy. It can be very hard work, particularly when you care about that person deeply and when you want to help them to …
These articles are from the online course:
Understanding Depression and Low Mood in Young People