A Yuletide Apocalypse

GENERATION DEPRESSED: Teens try to beat the blues of depression:

In the past 15 years, the number of teenagers on anti-depressants has skyrocketed. Between the early 1990s and 2001, the prescription rate of anti-depressants for those under 18 more than tripled. In 2002, 11 million anti-depressant prescriptions were written for children and adolescents in the United States.
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The BU center treats about 150 to 200 children and teenagers each year. The majority - anywhere from 60 to 90 percent - are treated successfully without medication, with most therapy treatments lasting three to six months, Ehrenreich said. The center uses cognitive behavioral treatments to help children and teens with anxiety disorders, which often go hand-in-hand with depression.
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A recent study has confirmed that cognitive behavioral therapy can be quite effective at treating depression - but most effective when combined with medication.
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‘‘I always understood depression as being where you can’t get out of bed, you lose your interest in food and in life,’’ she said. ‘‘Maureen was going out and doing activities and functioning. I thought she was OK. When I look back, I realize she was irritable and angry and arguing with me, but you think they’re just being teenagers. It turns out that was all part of her depression, and I had no clue.’’

A pretty good all around article on teenage depression.

(Via The Patriot Ledger.)