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News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

The By Parents For Parents Blog is regularly updated with the latest news and information on topics that relate to parenting teenagers. We'll post parenting advice and tips from trusted online news sources and expert parenting columns.

We invite you to add your comments. Please let us know if you would like some specific topics covered, want to share your experience as a parent dealing with teens, or just have general feedback on the By Parents For Parents Blog.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Bullying Linked With Suicide in Children

A study from Yale University's School of Medicine found a link between suicide in children and bullying or being bullied.

Dr. Young-Shin Kim wrote in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health that bullying victims were two to nine times more likely to think about killing themselves. Children who are bullies themselves are also at higher risk.

Dr. Kim analyzed 37 studies of bullying, which experts estimate between 10 and 50 percent of all children. Kim noted she did not know if other factors make certain children more susceptible to both bullying and suicide.

"While there is no definitive evidence that bullying makes kids more likely to kill themselves, there is a likely association," Kim wrote. "We can act on it and try to prevent it."

Read The Social Consequences of Being the Victim of a Bully for more information.

Labels: bullying, research, suicide

posted by ByParents-forParents at 7:34 AM 0 comments

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Parental Insomnia Linked to Teen Suicide Ideation

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School have found a link between chronic insomnia in parents with and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in their teenage children. Only 1.7% of teens whose parents do not have sleep disturbances attempt suicide, compared to 9.5% of teens whose parents have chronic insomnia.

Chronic insomnia is defined as ongoing sleep disturbances such as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, as well as waking up too early. People with depression and bipolar disorder often suffer from chronic insomnia - and this recent study indicates that if parents have this condition, the risk of suicidal thoughts in their teenaged children is tripled.

Dr. Xianchen Liu, a professor of psychiatry at University of Pittsburgh, presented the study at a meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

Labels: influences, insomnia, suicide

posted by ByParents-forParents at 5:00 PM 1 comments

Friday, May 02, 2008

Canadians Find Link Between Suicides and Warnings on Antidepressants

Yet another university study links a drop in the use of antidepressant medications to an increase in teen suicides. This time, Canadian scientists at the University of Manitoba found that teen suicides climbed 25% after the appearance of new warnings against the use of such drugs among teens and children.

"We are concerned that the way things are communicated may have unintended consequences," said psychiatrist Dr. Laurence Katz, whose study appears in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

He also pointed to another Canadian study, this one from Kinank Child and Family Services that revealed that 38% of parents are too embarrassed to admit that their teen may need treatment for anxiety or depression.

Labels: anti-depression_medications, mental_health, suicide

posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:39 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

FDA Strengthens Warnings for Teen Antidepressants

On May 3, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration expanded "black box" warning labels on the use of antidepressants for adolescents. The new rules require a warning that the drugs increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among users ages 18 to 24 years old. There is no increased risk for those over 24 years, and the risk actually decreases among people over 65 who take such medications.

This change occurs less than a month after research printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that antidepressants do more good than harm among adolescents, and that the increased risk of suicide created by their using such drugs was minimal.

A residential treatment center can help your depressed teenager find what's really bothering him or her and create a plan that works for you and your family. The Aspen Institute of Behavioral Assesment can get to the root of your child's issues and Island View can carry out your child's treatment. Learn more about residential treatment centers at AspenAssessment.com.

Labels: adolescents, anti-depression_medications, suicide

posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:40 PM 0 comments

Monday, May 07, 2007

Teen "Cutters" Are Not Suicidal

"Cutting" or inflicting injuries on oneself is on the rise among American teenagers. However, the good news is that "cutters" are usually not suicidal.

Dr. David Klonsky of Stony Brook University in New York found that one in six American teens self-injures as a way to relieve anxiety and stress. Scientists used to believe that this behavior was a sign of severe mental illness and suicidal tendencies but Dr. Klonsky discovered that it is only a coping mechanism.

"There is a build-up of overwhelming negative emotion from frustration, anxiety or loneliness," he said. "Afterwards, they feel calm and relaxed. However, often on the next day, they feel angry or ashamed."

This study appears in the Clinical Psychology Review of April 2006.

Labels: risky_behavior, stress, suicide

posted by ByParents-forParents at 11:24 PM 0 comments

Monday, April 23, 2007

Benefits of Antidepressant Drugs may Outweigh Risks for Teen Suicide

A new study published in the Journal of American Medicine indicates that antidepressant drugs prescribed for children and adolescents have benefits that outweigh their risks.

Other research posed a link between increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. This research caused the Federal Drug Administration to require warning labels on pediatric antidepressant medications.

Dr. Jeffrey Bridge of the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, found that using such drugs increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors by less than one percent. There were no actual suicides in found in his review of randomized controlled trails involving drugs prescribed to young people suffering from depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and non obsessive-compulsive anxiety.

"The strength of the evidence supports the cautious and well-monitored use of antidepressant medications as one of the first-line treatment options," Dr. Bridges said.

Do you have a troubled teenager that hasn't responded to previous treatments? More than just a residential treatment center, the Aspen Institute, conducts all of the assessments necessary to provided specific and actionable recommendations for your child. If you are struggling with how to help your teen, the Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment can bring clarity of diagnosis and provide the best treatment options available. Aspen Institute is more than a residential treatment center, visit www.aspenassessment.com to learn more today.

Labels: anti-depression medications, depression, suicide

posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:15 PM 0 comments

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