The center's new program will address the issue of teen depression and involves teens, parents and teachers.
Weller Health Education Center Director of Education Joe Webster (left) talks to some of his educators Thursday afternoon about the new Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) being developed.By ZACH LINDSEY
Suicide is the number three killer of teenagers in the nation, and the Lehigh Valley is no exception to this trend. And while suicide is the worst-case scenario of teenage depression, it is far from the only effect.
Suffering grades, drug addiction and social withdrawal can all accompany this often-overlooked disorder.
In a new program administered by the Easton-based Weller Health Education Center, professional health educators plan to reach out to schools to treat the problem of teenage depression by educating students, teachers and parents about symptoms.
“A lot of times, kids don't understand what depression really is,” said Joe Webster, the Weller Center’s education director.
Many young people deal with adolescent angst, and parents frequently observe social withdrawal in teens. There is a difference between the teenage “phase” and chronic depression, but that distinction frequently goes unobserved. Many young people dealing with depression – as many as 70 percent – will never receive treatment or intervention.
The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program won’t focus solely on students who may suffer from chronic depression. Educators in the program will also teach parents the signs of depression and ways of treating it.
“It's going to be an eye-opener for some parents,” Webster said.
About 6 percent of teenagers in Pennsylvania reported having suicidal thoughts in 2009, which is a percentage point higher than the national average, Weller Center CEO Melissa Lee said.
Professionals will visit schools in 21 Pennsylvania counties, counseling ninth- and tenth-graders. Students who are dealing with personal issues often come to trusted teachers for help, so the program targets not just students, but “everybody who influences their lives,” Lee said.
Karen Swartz, the clinical programs director at Johns Hopkins Mood Disorder Clinic, developed the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program in 1999. Already, more than 20,000 students have been exposed to the program.
Lee said she and others from the Weller Center saw Swartz speak at the American School Health Association convention and were so impressed, they immediately began the process of offering the program locally.
When representatives of Capital BlueCross heard of the idea, the company supplied Weller Center with a grant to begin the education efforts. Since then, Webster has been training eight health educators in techniques for speaking to schools and their students about depression.
Schools apply for the program through the Weller Center website, and award notifications will be made by Jan. 31. The deadline for application is Dec. 31.
Visit wellercenter.org for more information.