y their parents to excel in sports and scholastics, and at the other end there are teens that are never given direction or aspirations by their parents. Those pressured to excel maybe come overwhelmed by what is expected of them and can fall into using drugs and alcohol as a form of escape and may feel the only way out is that of suicide. On the other hand those teens without direction and lack of interest on the part of their parents, may also turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape. They may contemplate and even attempt suicide as a way of either drawing attention to themselves or to just end their lives because no cares about them anyway. Dr. William Beardslee of Boston, working with children and teens exhibiting depression and suicidal tendencies feels these disorders are likely based on a complex interplay of biological/genetic forces and developmental transactions between teens, family members and the outside world. Some teens manage to survive and even flourish under the most difficult circumstances, while others flounder under the same conditions. Beardslees research led him to several core factors in how well a teen or child will do in overcoming ongoing adversity. Primary among them were the ability to form strong relationships, an action-oriented outlook and a keen and cohesive sense of identity.An estimated 2,000 teenagers per year commit suicide in the United States, making it the leading cause of death after accidents and homicide. Blackman (1995) stated that it is not uncommon for young people to be preoccupied with issues of mortality and contemplate the effect their death would have on close family and friends. Once it has been determined that the adolescent has the disease of the depression, what can be done about it? Blackman has suggested two main avenues to treatment: psychotherapy and medication. The majority of cases of depression is mild and can be dealt with through psychotherapy sessions with ...
