Children's Literature
"What may appear to be normal struggles through the teenage years may actually be depression." In this teen-friendly book, the stories of seven teenagers who faced depression and received help are told, candidly describing the powerful effect depression had on their lives. Seventeen-year-old Kevin became depressed after he was dumped by his girlfriend, thirteen-year-old Lindsey's grandparents moved, eighteen-year-old Anthony is bipolar and in college, seventeen-year-old Molly's mother died in a car accident, and so forth. Moragne says, "The message these young people wish to convey is that depression is a treatable disorder and that help is readily available." Good descriptions of the symptoms, forms, causes and treatment of depression are provided. Medications are described, and the role of the psychiatrist as the best person to prescribe is emphasized. The warning signs of suicide, the family's role in depression and strategies for boosting self-esteem are discussed. The author also explains the need for a full complement of responses to this illness, as it seems "to be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological and environmental factors." The chapter layout of the book creates a useful resource and the text is clearly written. The book jacket, with a split photo of a sad face, is unappealing. Contains an annotated list of associations, a further reading list, an index and table of contents. A valuable book for adults and teens, and helpful for a teen who has a friend experiencing one of the seven crises described."
