remarked that the suicide rape for adolescents has increased more than two hundred percent over the last decade. Brown also added that an estimated two thousand teenagers per year commit suicide in the United States, making it the leading cause of death after accidents and homicide. Blackman stated that it is not uncommon for young people to be preoccupied with issues of mortality and to contemplate the effect their death would have on close family and friends. Once it has been determined that the adolescent has the disease of depression, what can be done about is? Blackman (1995) has suggested two main avenues to treatment: ”psychotherapy and medication.” The majority of the cases of adolescent depression is mild and can be dealt with through several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening, advice and encouragement. Comorbidity is not unusual in teenagers, and possible pathology, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disability or attention deficit hyperactive disorder, should be searched for and treated, is present (Blackman, 1995). For the more severe cases of depression, especially those with constant symptoms, medication may be necessary and without pharmaceutical treatment, depressive conditions could escalate and become fatal. Brown (1196) added that regardless of the type of treatment chosen, “ it is important for children suffering from mood disorders to receive prompt treatment because early onset places children at a greater risk for multiple episode of depression throughout their life span.” Until recently, adolescent depression has been largely ignores by health professionals but now several means of diagnosis and treatment exist. Although most teenagers can successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, there are some that find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress. How can parents and friends help out these troubled ...
