Talk therapy can save lives
Today the New York Times reported the results of a study showing that adolescents who receive talk therapy along with antidepressant medications are less likely to have suicidal thoughts. Talk therapy alone was also more effective than antidepressants alone in reducing suicidal thoughts. The study was led by Dr. John March, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Duke University Medical Center.
Many parents are rightly concerned about their son or daughter who seems depressed and sometimes expresses suicidal thoughts. In the last few years, parents have also been alarmed to hear stories that certain antidepressants may actually increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Though it has been shown that fluoxetine – which is usually called Prozac – does not cause suicidal thoughts, many parents are understandably cautious about antidepressant prescriptions for their adolescent children. It’s good to know that if you or your son or daughter are not interested in antidepressants, talk therapy is actually more helpful. I have worked for years with adolescents, offering cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical-behavioral therapy to help lift them out of depression and better control their emotions. Let’s talk!
Here’s the New York Times link.
