GREETINGS PARTNERS
NIMH Director Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.
It is common for parents to feel like they are on a roller coaster with their teenager. One day their teen is upset and cannot be consoled, and the following day their teen denies anything is wrong. Mood swings can be normal in teens, between the hormonal and neurodevelopmental changes their bodies and brains undergo, and the social and academic pressures they experience. Most will successfully weather this time in their lives. For some teens, however, persistent changes in mood and behavior may be signs of something more serious. In 2016, an estimated 3.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States—or nearly 13 percent—had at least one major depressive episode. Most teens with depression go untreated, which puts them at risk for a host of negative outcomes, from school and relationship struggles to involvement in risky behaviors like substance use and self-harm.
The American Academy of Pediatrics raised this concern in its new guidelines on adolescent depression screening. The guidelines call on primary care providers to screen all youth ages 10 to 21 annually for depression and, along with parents and others, to watch for any signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth. During a recent NIMH workshop, researchers noted the suicide rate in adolescents and young adults has been steadily rising since the early 2000s. Between 2007 and 2015, the rate increased 31 percent for teen boys and doubled for teen girls. While depression is not solely to blame for this rise, it is a significant risk factor for suicide.
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NIMH is hard at work supporting research into the causes and treatment of adolescent depression as well as educating the public about what we are learning. I encourage you to check out NIMH resources on teen depression and suicide as you gear up for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in May, including the refreshed NIMH statistics webpages on depression, the teen depression brochure, and the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) toolkit. ASQ, which has been translated into eight languages, can help providers identify and manage youth at risk for suicide. Finally, in observance of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, NIMH will host a Twitter Chat on adolescent depression featuring Dr. Argyris Stringaris and Dr. Ken Towbin from the NIMH Intramural Research Programs (IRP) Mood Brain and Development Unit. Follow @NIMHgov on Twitter and please join us on Thursday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Outreach Partners are disseminating NIMH materials and research findings throughout their states.
MHA of Georgia tweeted about an NIMH workshop highlighting the latest research on adolescent suicide prevention.
Through its weekly community television show, United Self Help, the Hawaii Outreach Partner, makes viewers aware of resources available on the NIMH website.
Partners distributed NIMH materials to support victims of Hurricane Harvey. At community informational sessions, MHA of Louisiana handed out brochures to individuals who had relocated to Lafayette, LA. During a variety of campus activities, Sam Houston State University, the Texas Border Outreach Partner, shared materials with students impacted by the hurricane.
NAMI Maine distributed NIMH publications to health care providers and community members at a Mental Health First Aid training in the northernmost, rural county of the state.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance-West Virginia shared NIMH materials at its peer support group meetings across the state.
Outreach Partners are adapting NIMH information for materials they create for their community education efforts.
Outreach Partners are using NIMH materials and research in their efforts to address mental health disparities.
NAMI South Dakota shared NIMH publications at the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board Summit, reaching tribal members in communities and reservations from across the state.
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NAMI Washington distributed NIMH materials to Veterans and their family members at local Veteran’s Administration (VA) functions, including the VA Mental Health Awareness Day and the VA Mental Health Summit.
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In addition to referring individuals and families to Indiana University FEP programs, NAMI Indiana has been educating its state legislators about FEP and Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) with information from the NIMH RAISE webpages.
To support the University of Minnesota's NAVIGATE FEP project, NAMI Minnesota (NAMI MN) conducted a series of focus groups with communities of color to learn more about cultural views on mental health, and approaches to education and support. In addition, the NAMI MN Annual Research dinner featured a presentation on identifying and treating children and adolescents at risk for psychosis.
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Outreach Partners are informing their communities about NIMH-funded clinical trials actively recruiting participants.
The Alaska Youth and Family Network posted a study flyer for the NIMH IRP study about teenagers and depression on its Facebook photo stream.
NAMI Connecticut uses its website to promote research opportunities such as an NIMH-funded study of an emotional dysregulation psychotherapy treatment being conducted at Yale University.
MHA Illinois convened its statewide coalition of mental health advocacy, professional, and community organizations to meet with research staff from an NIMH-funded study about suicide prevention among older Chinese adults. Coalition members learned about the study and provided suggestions for new avenues to reach the study population.
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The Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH) assisted in promotional efforts for the NIMH-funded Boston Adolescent Neuroimaging of Depression and Anxiety study. In addition to sharing study materials on Facebook, MAMH offered ideas to research staff for recruiting adolescents with a history of depression and anxiety.
MHA of South Mississippi used Facebook to promote National Institutes of Health (NIH) and VA studies that it identified on Clinicaltrials.gov.
NAMI Vermont informed through its e-newsletter its members about the opportunity to participate in an NIMH IRP depression study.
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Partners are educating their communities about the importance of research and the research process.
During in-service professional development seminars, the Arizona State University Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy provided information about clinical research and current opportunities to participate in trials.
As part of a webinar about mental health resources and referrals for primary care physicians, MHA of Middle Tennessee highlighted NIMH publications online and how to find research trials in the state.
Partners are providing opportunities for NIMH scientists and grantees to take their research to the community.
MHA California (MHA CA) hosted Michael Schoenbaum, Ph.D., NIMH Senior Advisor for Mental Health Services, Epidemiology, and Economics, at its behavioral health wellness fair to educate its statewide coalition of community and professional organizations about the latest research to improve outcomes for young people after initial onset of psychosis.
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