"70% of adolescents with depression will have a reoccurrence within five years and most teens will never seek help," states Copans. To help professionals and their teenage patients find the guidance they need before it’s too late, Copeland and Copans have developed an innovative new book, written specifically for teens. Part workbook, part self-help guide, Recovering from Depression helps teens recognize if they’re depressed and learn where and how to seek help, how to work with mental health professionals, what they can do to feel better, and how to build a safety plan to stay well. Teen-friendly language and a unique interactive format featuring surveys, checklists, brainstorming activities, and personal stories from the authors’ patients ensure teens active participation and puts them securely on the road to recovery.

Recovering from Depression is modeled after Copeland’s guide for adults, The Depression Workbook (New Harbinger) which sold over 500,000 copies and is one of the most widely used references for professionals treating adults for depression. Recovering from Depression does not intimidate and is targeted toward teens as well as their family members and friends. Teens will find this book most helpful as they explore ways to

• Deal with suicidal thoughts and feelings
  
  
• Change negative thought patterns to positive ones
  
  
• Reach out to friends and supporters
  
  
• Avoid substance abuse
  
  
• Solve problems constructively
  
  
• Recognize and avoid “triggers” of depression

Recovering from Depression addresses teens’ sense of hopelessness by emphasizing throughout that teenagers with depression can recover and that there are things they can do to feel better. The authors’ frank and positive approach stresses the importance of talk therapy and carefully weighing medication options and offers teens key information and advice on developing a healthy diet and exercise plan, pursuing creative activities, managing medication, and changing negative thoughts to positive ones.

Recognizing that teens may have difficulty asking for help, Recovering from Depression includes special appendices for parents and friends of adolescents with depression to help them understand the illness and what they can do to support the teen in need. “Depression can seem overwhelming,” Copans tell teens, “but help is out there.” By working with a mental health professional along with this new workbook, teens will learn important strategies for developing the self-awareness and self-management skills they will need to cope with their depression over the long term.


About the Authors

Mary Ellen Copeland, M.A., M.S., is a mental health educator. She has worked with adults and young people all over the world, teaching them how to recover from troubling conditions such as depression and how to stay well. She has also worked as a teacher, founding and directing a school for teens with special needs. Ms. Copeland received her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Vermont College of Norwich University and her master’s degree in resource management and administration from Antioch New England Graduate School. Ms. Copeland is also the author of The Depression Workbook.

Stuart Copans, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist. He has researched parent-child interactions for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and has worked with adolescents in both inpatient and outpatient settings for nearly 30 years. He is on the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Copans graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and received his medical degree from Stanford Medical School.


About Brookes Publishing

For nearly 25 years, Brookes Publishing has been a leading provider of resources on education, disabilities, child development, early intervention, communication and language, behavior, and mental health. An independent company founded in 1978, Brookes Publishing is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Please visit the Brookes Publishing web site for more information.