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Navigating Teenage Depression

Reviewed by Chris Skilton.

This is a very specific and detailed book outlining the causes, symptoms and effects of teenage depression. It’s written by two Australian practitioners – one a psychiatrist and one a psychologist, both with significant experience of working in this field.

The book is written as a guide to parents and fellow professionals. It’s not written from a Christian perspective and indeed the chapter on ‘staying well’ makes no explicit reference to the value of religious faith or the support of a Christian community.

It contains a helpful chapter (chapter 2) on the background stresses that impinge on the lives of all teenagers, but the majority of the book is about the diagnosis and treatment of the medical condition. I don’t envisage many ministers or youth leaders will want to explore the subject in such detail. However, it is important to be aware of how many teenagers within or on the edge of our churches have encounters with depression beyond the ‘normal’ teenage mood swings. The most powerful sections of the book are those where teenagers themselves describe their illness and their battles with the complexity of living. The book would be dangerous if used in churches as a ‘do it yourself’ guide to diagnosis or treatment, when the key role of the church is to offer pastoral care and support to individuals and families seeking or undertaking professional help.