Clare Rowe, Child Psychologist speaks about Depression and Anxiety. 

[ReachOut.com]

[Clare speaks]
When you have a teenager that is struggling with depression or anxiety, parents can often feel at a complete loss to know what to do. Seeking professional support, like seeing a psychologist is important, but there are simple things that you as parents can do at home to support your child.
When a teenager is experiencing difficulties - such as depression and anxiety - it impacts the whole family functioning. I often try to get parents to talk to the siblings of the teenager to support them and help them understand what their brother or sister is going through.

[What to avoid]
If a young person is struggling in your home, try not to make attacking comments that are filled with instructions of how they could fix the problem. Such as “Well if you'd only go to bed earlier you’d feel better” or “If you only get off your mobile phone”. These comments only serve to make a depressed or anxious teen feel more isolated as if you're not on their side. It can decrease their self-esteem as they're powerless to change the way they feel. 

[What parents can do]
Parents can start off just by having a conversation with their child and inquiring about how they feel and if everything's OK? This in itself can be very powerful and often provide relief to a depressed teenager as they feel like someone is looking out for them.
One of the other tips I like to give parents, is to try and catch your teenager being good. So just by doing simple things like saying thanks for stacking the dishwasher and, it was really nice to share a family dinner with you last night. As a parent you might feel like these are really expected things, but for a depressed or anxious teenager pointing out these things will go a long way in assisting their self-esteem.
With the families that I work with, I try and encourage parents to set a really good example when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle with food, exercise and sleep. I think leading by example is a far more effective way than pointing out to your depressed or anxious teen where they are going wrong. For example, saying things like “I'm going down to the park would you like to join me?” creates opportunities for teens to join you in a healthy lifestyle - that may in turn assist with their mental health issues. 


[ReachOut.com]
This video was produced with the help of 90seconds Productions on behalf of ReachOut Australia.