Five percent of adolescents in the United States experience depression at some point in their young lives. Some of the things that predispose children to depression include being under stress or experiencing loss – two things that can easily happen to military children. In recognition of May 9 as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, Military Pathways is encouraging parents to take a brief screening for adolescent depression (BSAD) at www.militarymentalhealth.org to see if their child may be at risk. The screening includes nine pertinent questions about the child’s habits and behavior. Screening is an important first step in addressing mental health problems.

“No parent would let his or her child suffer a medical condition without diagnosis and treatment, and depression should be no different,” said Doug Jacobs, M.D, President and CEO of the non-profit Screening for Mental Health, the organization that provides the Military Pathways program. “We encourage parents who think their children may be depressed to take an anonymous online screening. It’s an important first step to helping the child.”

Depression in adolescents looks different than it does in adults. While children and adults can both experience frequent sadness, crying, or decreased interest in activities, depressed children will often “act out” and get in trouble at home or school. For this reason, depression in children and teens can often go undetected. In fact, two thirds of children with mental health problems do not get the help they need, even though research shows that depression treatment for children is as effective as it is in adults.