Center Directors Answer Parents’ Questions on Depression

During the Webinar Series Hosted by United Chinese Americans (UCA) on Youth Mental Health on August 1, our Center’s directors Dr. Justin Chen and Dr. Juliana Chen, clinical psychologist Dr. Weiyang Xie from the University of Notre Dame, and guest panelists Tim He and Sandy Chen shared their insights on questions frequently raised by parents. Below are some of the highlights that emerged.

How can we distinguish between mental health issues and normal mood swings in adolescence?

People all feel down or sad from time to time, but this kind of feeling usually lasts only a few hours or days. Depression, on the other hand, is characterized by longer and deeper feelings of despondency. It can last for more than two weeks, months, and even years. It is usually associated with changes of moods, behaviors, and daily activities - for example, feelings of sadness, worthlessness, hopelessness, and excessive guilt, diminished interest and pleasure, weight loss, and sleep changes, including insomnia (having trouble falling asleep) or the need to sleep a lot. Depression is common and treatable.

Why is my child depressed?

When an individual suffers from depression, people usually think that it is caused by a social factor, in other words, something that is going on in the individual’s life. However, it is important to realize that multiple factors can lead to depression. Biological factors, including one’s genetics and brain chemistry, and psychological factors, such as one’s personality, attitudes, and life narrative, also need to be considered. This is referred to as the biopsychosocial model of mental health by clinicians. Some of the risk factors - things that increase a person's chances of developing depression - that parents can look out for include: emotional sensitivity, low self-esteem, social anxiety, stress, perfectionism, self-criticism, negative thinking, family conflict, etc.

How should I communicate with my child who may be struggling?

It is ok to ask questions. Many parents are afraid to ask their children if they have suicidal thoughts, believing that such questions will catalyze their suicidal tendency. Dr. Xie emphasized that parents do not have to have such concerns. Studies have shown that this type of question does not trigger the child. In fact, by asking questions and demonstrating openness to discussing this, the child may feel relieved and more willing to share.

Be a good listener. When communicating with your child, be patient, and listen to what they have to say, especially when your family does not have a good communication atmosphere. Don't over-analyze, criticize, or judge them for what they said or did, nor invalidate their experience.

Be supportive. Show your child that you understand what they are feeling, and let your child know that you are always there to support them.

What are the treatments for depression?

Talk therapy (counseling): For mild to moderate depression, the first-line treatment is therapy, where there is the greatest evidence base for positive benefit. Therapy provides a safe space to help individuals name and understand their problems, recognize unhelpful patterns and behaviors, and learn concrete skills and strategies for coping better.

Medication: The combination of therapy and medication is the gold standard treatment for more moderate to severe depression. There are many categories of antidepressants (medicines that we use for depression); the main category of antidepressant is called an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and includes Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, etc. The goal of antidepressant treatment is to help your child or teenager decrease symptoms and return them to functioning. In general, these medications are not habit-forming or addictive, and they do not change a person’s personality. If a medication does not work or bothers your child in any way, medical professionals can taper and take off the medication.

In line with the conversation with parents, Center Executive Director Dr. Justin Chen shared his personal experiences attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, where there was a recent student suicide. Dr. Chen described his experience of extreme pressured to succeed. He recalls students around him pushing themselves to take advanced courses, to gain acceptance to prestigious universities, and to not let others down, with a very narrow and unrealistic understanding of what it means to be successful. As the closing remark, Dr. Justin Chen urged the audience to reconsider the definition of success for themselves and their families, and to think about, “what is most important in life? What are the costs of that success? How are we contributing to the systems that result in the suicides of young people, and what can we do to change that?”

The full video of the webinar can be found here.