Depression and Your Child

A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

By (author) Deborah Serani

Hardback - £40.00

Publication date:

05 September 2013

Length of book:

232 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442221451

Seeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age. Depression and Your Child gives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children.

Current research, treatments and trends are presented in easy to understand language and tough subjects like self-harm, suicide and recovery plans are addressed with supportive direction. Parents will learn tips on how to discipline a depressed child, what to expect from traditional treatments like psychotherapy and medication, how to use holistic methods to address depression, how to avoid caregiver burnout, and how to move through the trauma of diagnosis and plan for the future. Real life cases highlight the issues addressed in each chapter and resources and a glossary help to further understanding for those seeking additional information. Parents and caregivers are sure to find here a reassuring approach to childhood depression that highlights the needs of the child even while it emphasizes the need for caregivers to care for themselves and other family members as well.
Depression and Your Child will prepare parents with the in-depth understanding needed to navigate the potentially turbulent waters ahead. . . . Thoroughly researched and accompanied by a lengthy bibliography, the book delivers on its promise to explore normal stages of child development, as well as the warning signs of depression and what they look like in different age brackets. . . . Serani’s writing is lyrical at times, making for a pleasant and personable read, a boon to parents looking for advice from health care professionals who are strong in empathy and compassion. . . . Depression and Your Child may be a bookshelf must for any proactive parent who wants to learn how to identify when professional intervention is needed or seeks resources for their struggling families.