How to identify teen depression?

Look for a sadness that interferes with life functions. Symptoms may include a refusal to go to school and interference with two or more areas of daily activities (eating, sleeping, grades, favorite hobbies, etc.). Help teens by identifying all roles that they have. Focus on things teens do well and feel good about. How to monitor Internet and telephone usage? Parents should check teens” phone and computer usage spontaneously, keeping the computer in a room where it is visible, and checking the history list. Parents need to discuss how teens can self-regulate computer use and why limits are needed. Impersonating someone in a chat room can have serious legal ramifications. Remind teens never to include subject matter in their electronic submissions that they wouldn’t want their grandmother to see. Software that records keystrokes is available to see a record of what has been typed; however, the panelists agreed that computer-savvy teens could easily disable these programs. What are ...  more