13 More Reasons: Understanding Teenage Depression and How You Can Help

May 15, 2018 by Dr. Gary Brown

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Photo Credit – Netflix

If you are a parent of a teenager, then you most likely have heard of last year’s groundbreaking Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. The general topics revolved around teen stress, anxiety, depression, and self-harm.

If you are a parent who would like to learn more, I highly recommend that you first read this article about the series, and then go back and watch Season 1 if you haven’t already done so.

Note: I routinely see parents and teens in my office and I believe that watching this series (both seasons) is a great way to get a conversation started about the increasing incidence of suicide and depression amongst teens. Having three children of my own, I certainly agree that sometimes it’s a challenge to know what’s going on with our kids, especially during their teenage years and this show can serve as a gateway to help you and them to begin talking openly about this subject.

Here are a few tips to help you:

I recommend previewing this first before your teen watches the series, if at all.

Previewing the episodes independently may give you some insight into the sometimes, dark landscape of their lives.

Previewing it first will also help you assess if this may be appropriate for your teen to see.

Note: I strongly recommend that pre-teens do not watch this series, and only teens who you as a parent determine are sufficiently mature and relatively emotionally stable enough to watch this series.

Netflix premieres Season 2 on Friday, May 18th and I was again approached this time by Her Campus to offer some thoughts on the second season of this powerful series, and to talk about how it relates to mental health during the teenage years.

If you have an immediate concern, please call National Suicide Prevention Center

1-800-273-8255

The National Suicide Prevention Lifelines is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, including holidays. This hotline is a network of 163 crisis centers in 49 states.

In addition, you can chat online with a suicide hotline counselor.

I hope that you find these articles, and this series helpful. If you and your teen need support during a challenging time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would be more than happy to offer you a free 15-minute consultation to see how I may be of service to you.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: 13 reasons why, depression, parenting, suicide, teens

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