Teen Depression Talk Packs Auditorium
In the aftermath of three Lake Forest High School student deaths in the past three months, residents of the community filled an auditorium Tuesday evening seeking out solutions. The talk was part of a week-long series of gatherings that the high school coordinated to facilitate discussions regarding teen depression. The crowd of three hundred people piled into the Gorton Center to hear the five mental health and social service experts talk about warning signs of depression, how to broach the topic with their teens, and most importantly, how to take advantage of the local resources available.
Parents, residents, and community leaders were prompted to hold such a meeting less than two weeks after Ed Schutt, a Lake Forest High senior was killed by a train, the third student since January. With the January 9th suicide of sophomore Farid Hussain and death of freshman William Laskero-Teskoski on February 28th, it served as a wake-up call to the community. It is no longer acceptable for parents to assume that their children are healthy and happy.
Common questions asked during the meeting:
-How do I approach a conversation regarding depression with my children?
-What if my child rejects help?
-What are the side effects of depression medication?
The experts were careful to stress that depression is a brain disorder and suicide results from numerous problems culminating at once. Another reminder by the experts is to not place too much pressure on the children to be overachievers, meeting unrealistic standards, or being mirror images of their parents. Carol Hynes, program manager for the Northshore University Health System emphasizes, “In the North Shore area, kids are defined by academic and athletic success. Not every kid is going to fit into that mold.”
Students are encouraged to get involved in the “Youth Discussion on the State of our Community.” Additional efforts to aid in the fight against depression began last month with the development of a community task force comprised of parents, school officials, community leaders, police, along with
mental health experts.
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Tiffani Chin is a reporter for GoStrengths!, a site dedicated to combating teen depression via resilience skill training for parents and teens.