Lonely, Sad and Angry: A Parent's Guide to Depression in Children andAdolescents

All children experience occasional feelings of loneliness, sadness, and anger. However, when these feelings are so strong and so prolonged that they appear to overwhelm the child, the possibility of childhood depression must be considered.



In Lonely, Sad And Angry, authors Barbara D. Ingersoll and Sam Goldstein define depression in straightforward terms and explain how depression differs from the normal "ups and downs" of life. They describe what kinds of behaviors signal depression in children and adolescents and explain how to tell if a child or adolescent is depressed. They discuss the causes of depression and examine treatment options with an eye toward helping parents decide which treatment--medical, psychological, and environmental--might be most beneficial to a depressed youngster. Detailed information is provided about what parents and teachers can do to help depressed children at home, in school, and in the community. The book includes guidelines for what to do in a crisis situation and suggestions about where to turn for further help. Finally, the authors look to the future and offer some ideas about what lies ahead for children diagnosed with depression.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Barbara D. Ingersoll is the clinical director of Montgomery Child and Family Health Services in Bethesda, Maryland.