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Depression can affect a teen regardless of gender, social background, income level, race, or school or other achievements, though teenage girls report suffering from depression more often than teenage boys. Teenage boys are less likely to seek help or recognize that they suffer from depression, probably due to different social expectations for boys and girls - girls are encouraged to express their feelings while boys are not. Teenage girls’ somewhat stronger dependence on social ties, however, can increase the chances of teen depression being triggered by social factors, such as loss of friends.

Although most people who are depressed do not kill themselves, untreated depression can increase the risk of possible suicide. It is not uncommon for depressed individuals to have thoughts about suicide whether or not they intend to act on these thoughts. Severely depressed people often do not have the energy to harm themselves, but it is when their depression lifts and they gain increased energy that they may be more likely to attempt suicide.

I have been contacted and given the opportunity to pass along a great way for parents of children 11-15 to assist in creating an evidence based practice with the Oregon Center for Applied Science They have received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to design and develop an interactive multimedia program to help prevent depression in 11 to 15 year old youth. ⁽¹⁾ all of the testing will be done online and completely confidential. Your child can learn new skills and get paid up to $120.00 in the process.

According to CenterWatch, about 81% of all clinical trials are delayed by one to six months because of difficulties in enrolling participants, with another five percent postponed six months or more. As hard as it is to attract participants, it’s even tougher to keep them. Three million Americans complete clinical trials each year, but 90% of trials started are not completed due to high participant drop-out rates.

A recent Harris-Interactive poll showed that only a small percentage of the U.S. adult population has ever participated in a clinical trial, but 77% say that if asked they would consider taking part. Knowing the reasons why some choose to sign up for clinical trials and what encourages or hinders others from taking part, is vital as we attempt to fully engage the public in this process.

The poll also identified issues that influence the decision of large numbers of people including: convenience, minimal side effects, situations where the benefits outweigh the risks, and the hope of a cure.

Let’s all help them out and get some new skill sets for our children at the same time. Assisting with this can make a difference in thousands of lives in the long run. For more information about the study check here.

Thanks for helping out,
Michael Corbin
Director
everyminute.org