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Chapter 13
Depression, Suicide &
Introduction to Depression
The Child Mind Institute offers an excellent introduction to depressive disorders in youths. You can learn more about the different kinds of depressive disorders mentioned in the textbook, take their online depression screening test for teens, and explore evidence-based treatments like behavioral activation and challenging negative ways of thinking.
Does Social Media Cause Depression?
There's no doubt that smartphone usage and mental health problems in adolescents are correlated, but are they causally related to each other? Experts like Jonathan Haidt, Michael Rich, and Jean Twenge disagree. In this video, they share their views on this controversial topic. If you'd like to take a deep dive into the research, see Haidt's repository here.
The Sad Story of Paxil
In the late 1990s, the pharmaceutical company now known as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) conducted two studies examining the effects of the antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil) in children and adolescents. These studies indicated that the drug was no better than placebo in treating depression. Despite these findings, one of the studies was published with the conclusion that paroxetine was “generally well tolerated and effective” for adolescents. This study was then used by GSK to market the off-label use of the medication. Later, independent researchers gained access to the raw data and found no efficacy of the medication and increased suicidality among youths who took it. GSK eventually pleaded guilty to fraud and paid $3 billion in fines, the largest fraud settlement in US history at the time.
Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide
According to this theory, youths are at elevated risk of suicide when they (1) see themselves as a burden to their parents or caregivers, (2) lack a sense of belonging to their family other social networks, and (3) are not afraid to injure or kill themselves. This NPR story describes an adolescent who was manipulated by an online community to engage in self-harm. The story is frightening, but it also illustrates how the three elements of the interpersonal-psychological theory can be used to explain the way these individuals took advantage of this adolescent. Warning: This story contains descriptions of suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury.
Dementors
"Dementors are amongst the foulest creatures to walk this Earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory until a person is left with absolutely nothing but his worst experiences. You are not weak. Dementors affect you most of all because the horrors in your past. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
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