Are you the parent of a teen?

Get that kid to bed by 10!

According to a new study published in the journal, Sleep, parents who enforce earlier bedtimes are doing their teens a big favor.

Why?

Kids who stay up until midnight or later are 24 percent more likely to be depressed and 20 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts, than teens with bed times of 10 p.m. or earlier.

Dr. James E. Gangwisch and his colleagues of Columbia University Medical Center in New York City made the discovery. According to Dr. Gangwisch, “It’s… a common idea that older adolescents don’t need as much sleep as younger adolescents, but that’s really not true–they still need about 9 hours of sleep at night.” Depression has long been linked to inadequate sleep in both teens and adults. The team’s report verifies this fact and notes the connection could be “bidirectional”-meaning getting too little sleep boosts depression risk, while being depressed makes it harder to sleep.

Gangwisch’s team looked at over 15,000 seventh- through twelfth-graders who, along with their parents, were surveyed in 1994-1996. Fifty-four percent of parents said their teens had to go to bed at 10 p.m. or earlier on school nights. Twenty-one percent set bedtime at 11 p.m., and twenty-five percent allowed their children to stay up until midnight or later. More than two-thirds of the teens said they went to bed when they were supposed to.

Considering the possibility that parents who were stricter about bedtime might have other traits or behaviors that protect their child from depression, the researchers analyzed the relationships between the teens and their parents and then accounted for this in their study.

They found no link between a set bedtime and how much teens felt their parents cared for them, but there was a strong relationship between bedtimes and whether or not the teens felt they got enough sleep. Adding to the importance of getting enough sleep, the team learned that kids who got five hours of sleep nightly or less were seventy-one percent more likely to be depressed, and forty percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts than their peers who got eight or more hours of sleep a night.

“Getting adequate sleep is really important for our mental health as well as being able to focus and have the necessary energy and motivation to do the things we need to do during the day,” Gangwisch noted.

So, parents of teens, take note: Eight or more hours of sleep are vital to your teen’s mental health. Staying up late is not to be considered a privilege, but rather a health risk.

Acceptance

~A Poem~

She denied when first informed.

When she heard the girl was sick and always would be.

“Not my daughter.”

“She’s brilliant. We prize that.”

~

She raged as illness unfolded.

Living the day-in, the day-out, fearing dreams would never come about.

“This is not our life!”

She had such plans. She cherished them. She clung.

~

She trembled when the crazy bubbled up.

When her fear, fueled by helplessness, boiled on over with it.

She’d always had control.

That’s how she lived.  She controlled.

~

She prayed when hope refused to settle in.

When getting through a day sans crisis was success.

“God can do miracles.”

“We need one. I’ll do whatever it takes.” She begged.

~

She mourned as miracles failed to manifest.

When she knew the girl was sick and always would be.

When she knew that her mind was truly ill.

She, they, so prized it.

…time…

She loved when they spent time together.

When the girl chose to live and she chose to live beside her.

When she knew their plans had changed, but that the change was right and good.

They would move on. They would be well.

~

And now.

They rejoice.

She is ill, but lives, stays, well.

Lives, loves, learns. Well.

And ~ blessed be ~ brilliance, bravery, beauty ~ accompany.

They, too, are here to stay.

My beautiful son Michael has his own beautiful son.

After years of struggling with addiction and bipolar disorder, Michael has spent months working hard at sobriety and medical compliance. He’s in school, working and dedicating himself to his young family.

I share this to encourage you.

If you or someone you love deals with a serious mental illness, addiction or both, take heart, have faith and maintain hope. Michael was terribly ill for nearly 7 years. His dad and I were repeatedly told to “let it go” and “give it up.” We didn’t. We’re glad.

I’m not telling you to tolerate the intolerable, but I am urging you to maintain relationships, continue to love, and offer help and support when it’s solicited.

The rewards are SO worth the challenge.

And if you ever need to share your story or vent your feelings, I’m just a click away.

Lovingly,

Kathy Larson, author and illustrator of “Dancing Crazy,” generously agreed to an interview about this recently published children’s book aimed at helping kids understand bipolar disorder. Here is an excerpt from that exchange:

What motivated or inspired you to write “Dancing Crazy?”

I really had no choice.  Our daughter experienced the most challenging event in the course of her disease.  Doctors feared she was moving into a permanent catatonic state; we feared she was dying.  After spending three months in a secured setting, Susan was released from the hospital.  The world immediately became a different place-for her and her husband, their children, all of us, really.  Each of us helped as best we could-praying, baby-sitting, cooking meals and doing the laundry, all the while seeking reassurance in words we could understand.  There were many excellent books on the market for adults, but none for little ones.  So I wrote one.

Please share your personal experiences with serious mental illness.

Although never diagnosed with depression, my mother spent long hours staring out a window or napping on the couch.  As children, we figured she was just worn out from raising the five of us.  Now, as adults, we wonder how Mom even survived with such responsibility and little support.

Over the years, many of my students have suffered physical or emotional abuse from mentally ill family members.  Others continue to live with the results of parents or siblings who have either attempted suicide or been successful.  I think of one little fifth grader who stopped coming to school after excerpts from her father’s trial were detailed in the local newspaper.  She was positive everyone would figure out she was the person he’d raped and “stare at her”.

On a personal level, several members of my family take medication for anxiety or depression; and a few more probably should. Looking at the myriad of mental illnesses-from schizophrenia to borderline personality disorder to just plain naughty-we’ve got it all somewhere.

What do you hope to accomplish by publishing “Dancing Crazy?”

“Dancing Crazy” will reduce the fears of many children as they deal with Bipolar Disease.  Kids’ worries are so much the same.    Did I make my parent act this way?  Can someone “catch” bipolar?  What’s going to happen to me or my family tomorrow or the next day or the next?

What do you want people, especially children, to know about bipolar disorder?

Bipolar Disorder is a disease caused by a chemical imbalance in somebody’s brain. Your mom or dad did not get it because they work too hard.  Nor did they get it because they have too much fun.  The truth is everyone in your family will still have good days and not-so-good days, just like they did before someone got diagnosed with bipolar disease.

To learn more about Ms. Larson’s book, or to order it for yourself, click here. And if you know of other books about mental illness written specifically for children, please contact me.

Fondly,

Even if teens act as if they don’t need their parents’ help, research proves that they do.

Teenagers usually think of their friendships as their most important relationships; but new research shows that support from mom and dad, not friends, helps prevent suicidal behavior in teens that experienced depression or attempted suicide in the past.

Depression during high school and a previous suicide attempt were significant predictors of suicidal thought one or two years later, according to a study led by James Mazza, a University of Washington professor of educational psychology.

Young people who were depressed or had attempted suicide in high school were less likely to have suicidal thoughts if they had strong family support and more open communication. Having a girlfriend or boyfriend also helped.

“Our findings suggest that the protective quality of family support and bonding, or having an intimate partner, are not replaced by peer support and bonding in emerging adulthood,” said Mazza.

Bonding refers to a young adult’s closeness with family or a romantic partner and the ability to talk with them about important issues.

“Peers don’t provide the same type of safety net that comes from a family or by having an intimate partner,” Mazza said. “When it comes to suicidal behavior, young adults may feel that their family or partner may be more accepting and less judgmental than perhaps some of their peers.”

Data came from a larger National Institute of Drug Abuse 15-year study of youth in a Seattle-area school district that looked at risk factors for marijuana and cigarette use, binge drinking, depression and past suicidal behavior.

“Parents shouldn’t give up on their adolescents, because our work indicates they still rely on them in this kind of situation,” Mazza said.

Speaking from both personal experience and through my work’s observation, I couldn’t agree more with Mazza.

Never, ever give up.

6% of American teens - 2 million kids ages 12 to 18 - have clinical depression.

Only a fraction of those are diagnosed and treated.

These facts are particularly distressing because, when treated, a majority of teens show lasting improvements, though it may take several months for the benefits to appear.

Depression is a fact of life for millions of kids.

It is diagnosable and treatable.

Treatment works.

Consider the following:

Dr. Betsy D. Kennard of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas recently released the results from a study of 439 teens with major depression. Dr. Kennard found that while only one-quarter of those kids improved after the first 12 weeks of therapy, a full 60 percent were in remission by the 9-month mark.

Regarding long-term recovery, Kennard and her associates found that two-thirds of the teens who responded early to treatment remained well over the 9 months following their initial improvement. The same was true of 71 percent of the kids who initially took longer than 12 weeks to respond to therapy.

These findings illustrate the importance of not giving up, of continuing treatment, since remission rates get better over time.

The study also indicated that when teens participate in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) while taking antidepressant medications they improve more quickly than those on either treatment alone, warning that single-faceted therapy may slow recovery by 2 or 3 months.

Kennard and her colleagues also point out that despite the positive finding that a majority of teenagers got better, a substantial number were still clinically depressed after 9 months of treatment.

More research, they say, is needed to understand how to best help these teenagers — and to see whether recovery can come more quickly for others. It will also be important to understand why some teens who initially improve see their depression symptoms return.

Dr. Kennard’s study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Several researchers on the work have received funds from drug companies that market antidepressants.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, February 2009.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, made up of expert appointees who create guidelines for doctors, now recommends routine depression screening for all American teens in an effort to better diagnose and treat nearly 2 million kids who are affected.

About 6 percent of U.S. teenagers are clinically depressed, but most remain undiagnosed and untreated, said the panel. Having determined that detailed, simple questionnaires accurately diagnose depression, the task force wants primary-care physicians and pediatricians to begin screening all teen patients on an annual basis, not just those who appear to be at risk or in crisis.

According to Dr. Ned Calonge, task force chairman, depression is so common, “you will miss a lot if you only screen high-risk groups.” Recommending the use of well-researched questionnaires that focus on depression tip-offs including mood, anxiety, appetite and substance abuse, Calonge and his colleagues stress that since “depression can lead to persistent sadness, social isolation, school problems and even suicide, screening to treat it early is crucial.”

Addressing the fact that some antidepressants have been linked to increased suicidality, the task force stresses that medication alone is not appropriate, and that talk-therapy is vital to successful diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, childhood and adolescent depression respond well to treatment plans that include medication and talk-therapy.

Recently passed mental health parity laws mandate equal coverage for mental and physical illnesses which guarantees better coverage for children seeking mental health care. This shift in coverage combined with task force recommendations will force pediatricians and family physicians to get more involved in mental health care.

In response to the task force’s report, Dr. Alan Axelson, a Pittsburgh psychiatrist, wrote a report on behalf of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in which he recommends that pediatricians work closely with child psychiatrists, even sharing office space when possible. The Academy also says insurers should compensate pediatricians for any mental health services they provide.

Because families usually get to know their pediatricians, “having those doctors offer mental health screening can help make it seem less stigmatizing.” Axelson said, adding that “Most pediatricians aren’t trained to do psychotherapy, but they can prescribe depression medication and monitor patients they’ve referred to others for therapy.”

If you have children or teens, check with your family doctor to learn how he screens for depression in young patients.

A New Movie About Life, Love and Being Different

An online acquaintance, Chrysti Hydeck, whose amazing art is available at her Etsy store, The Altered Abbey, introduced me to Phoebe in Wonderland.

The trailer and publicity material are deeply moving. I expect wonder, enchantment and enlightenment from the film itself.

I cannot wait to see it. I will report back when I have.

“It’s not just that it’s okay to be different, but you can actually derive strength from it.”

Much to the world’s chagrine, Carrie Fisher is not Princess Leia.

Carrie Fisher is a writer.

And she’s very, very funny.

Both talents are verified in Wishful Drinking.

I loved this memoir not because it exposed any great truths about bipolar disorder or addiction, but because it exposed great truths about learning to live with them.

Honest, open and hilarious, Fisher points the spotlight on her own life and directs us through an amazing production.

Bravo, Ms. Fisher! Bravo!

It is letters like the one below that keep me writing about mental health issues and that treatment works and recovery is possible…

“I read your book today, started it today and finished it tonight, and i wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. My son has been battling Bi-polar disorder his whole life. (My mother also suffers) He was DX at age 7 and these days hope of recovery or well being is slim. He is now 13 and new issues are arising. Your book shined a new light of hope for me, and the courage to continue fighting his battle, and helping him to fight his battle. God Bless you Kate, your husband, and your three Children. Your journey touched my heart and made me feel not alone in the hopes of my son’s recovery towards feeling well. I hope to one day share his story and have the courage that you have now. Thanks so much for being a wonderful mother and human being.”

If you have a loved one with a mental illness, remember that yours is a journey shared and that hope always exists.

Blessings!