 This summer my oldest son lost a close friend to depression, the day before he was to begin his junior year in high school. All of the high school felt the loss. I was really affected by the numbers of overwhelmed sixteen year-olds present at the funeral: boys and girls, raw and defenseless against their grief. His close friends knew he was being treated for depression, he didn't hide the medication he took to help control it. They respected him for his candor and took it in stride. Truth told, he was a great kid; funny, kind and well-liked. His humor may have hidden his struggle with unrelenting depression. Teen depression is strongly linked to teen suicide. But the fact is that suicide is complicated. Underlying depression may be exacerbated by life stressors, such as death, divorce or trauma in the family, traumatic romantic breakups, school failures or being victimized by bullying, etc ... Every case is individual. Teen suicide is a major cause of death among teens - in adolescents, suicide is the 3rd most common cause of death, after accident and cancer. Luckily, most most suicide attempts are unsuccessful. For every adolescent who kills him or herself there are 8 others who tried and failed (and lived.) I am proud of my son and his friends - good kids reeling from a terrible tragedy. They organized to do something positive with their grief. A group of friends are planning a community walk in his memory to raise money to try to prevent future suicides with education and increased awareness. Walking in the Out of the DarknessCommunity Walk, this October 22 will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Their group, Team Zack, will be walking with thousands of people nationwide to raise money for AFSP's research and education programs to prevent suicide and save lives, increase national awareness about depression and suicide, advocate for mental health issues, and assist survivors of suicide loss. If you would like more information about the organization, see: outofthedarkness.org. If you want to contribute to this cause, please follow link: I hope that if you are a teenager, you will keep talking to your parents about the things that worry you and bother you. If you're a parent, I hope that you acknowlege how common teen depression is in our adolescents. And, noting the connection between depression and suicide, that you will continue to talk with your teens about signs of depression, and if present in your own home, get help from your physician as well as a therapist. Remember: 1 in 5 high school students consider suicide at some time. Typically in times of difficulty, often with underlying depression and anxiety. If depression hits your home, recognize it, and use everything at your disposal to intervene. Teen depression is not avoidable. Teen suicide may be. Where does the money raised go?
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