perceived rejection by parents (Lasko et al., 1996). Oster & Montgomery (1996) stated that "when parents are struggling over marital or career problems, or are ill themselves, teens may feel the tension and try to distract their parents." This "distraction" could include increased disruptive behavior, self-inflicted isolation and even verbal threats of suicide. When a young person feels they might be depressed, it is very important for them to see the proper medical professional. So, how can the physician determine when a patient should be diagnosed as depressed or suicidal? Brown (1996) suggested the best way to diagnose is to "screen out the vulnerable groups of children and adolescents for the risk factors of suicide and then refer them for treatment." Some of these "risk factors" include verbal signs of suicide within the last three months, prior attempts at suicide, indication of severe mood problems, or excessive alcohol and substance abuse. Many physicians tend to think of depression as an illness of adulthood. In fact, Brown (1996) stated, "it was only in the 1980's that mood disorders in children were included in the category of diagnosed psychiatric illnesses." In actuality, seven to fourteen percent of children will experience an episode of major depression before the age of fifteen. In a sampling of 100,000 adolescents, two to three thousand will have mood disorders out of which eight to ten will commit suicide (Brown, 1996). Blackman (1995) remarked that the suicide rate for adolescents has increased more than two hundred percent over the last decade. An estimated two thousand teenagers per year commit suicide in the United States, making it the leading cause of death after accidents and homicide. It is common 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 depr...
