Life Issues
Mental Health, Depression, and Suicide
Click It
- Articles about Mind, Mood & Emotion from the Teen Health & Wellness database.
- Includes sections on emotional health and getting help. (You'll need a library card to access this database.)
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Works to diminish the burden of mental illness through research by better understanding, developing treatment for, and (eventually) preventing mental illness. Available at the NIMH Web site are a number of fact sheets and other information, including, '"Let's Talk About Depression," "Depression," "What To Do When A Friend Is Depressed," "In Harm's Way: Suicide In America," and "Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide."
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. Members in over 1,100 local affiliates provide support, education, and advocacy. Their website has information about mental illness and active, moderated discussion groups for young adults and family members.
- National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
- This site provides information about suicide and suicide prevention efforts, and links to other resources. It includes advice and numbers to call if you, or someone you know, may be considering suicide.
Read It
- Antieau, Kim. Mercy Unbound
- (2006) Mercy O'Connor, 15 denies having an eating disorder until she is sent to a treatment center in New Mexico.
- Cheney, Terri. Manic: a memoir
- (2008) A personal account of life with bipolar disorder documents the author's experience with the condition's extreme highs and lows, which had her paralyzed with depression one day and recklessly skirting death the next.
- Clark, Jerusha. Inside a cutter's mind: understanding and helping those who self-injure
- (2007) Shedding light on a very dark condition, this unique resource delivers hope to victims, who engage in a shocking physical expression of extreme emotional and spiritual trauma, and their loved ones.
- Fensham, Elizabeth. Helicopter man
- (2005) With his mother gone, fifteen-year-old Peter is left to deal with his paranoid schizophrenic father and ends up in one difficult situation after another as he struggles with getting a grip on the world around him.
- Fletcher, Christine. Tallulah Falls
- (2006) Tallulah gets stranded in a small, rural town with no money and ends up working in the local veterinarian's office in order to make much needed cash, yet when her small job turns into a life-altering experience, Tallulah begins to doubt that her real home is the place where she truly belongs.
- MacCready, Robin Merrow. Buried
- (2006) When her alcoholic mother goes missing, seventeen-year-old Claudine begins to spin out of control, despite her attempts to impose order on every aspect of her life.
- Marchetta, Melina. Saving Francesca
- (2004) Sixteen-year-old Francesca could use her outspoken mother's help with the problems of being one of a handful of girls at a parochial school that has just turned co-ed, but her mother has suddenly become severely depressed.
- Miller, Allen R. Living with Depression
- (2008) Living with Depression is a straightforward, comprehensive and up-to-date resource on depression. The book uses short case histories to define depression, its causes, and how it relates to other problems like bipolar, anxiety, and eating disorders.
- Piquemal and Daly, Michel and Melissa. When Life Stinks: How To Deal With Your Bad Moods, Blues, And Depression
- (2004) Presents information about depression, including the signs of depression, and explains its causes, with advice on different strategies adolescents can use to overcome it.
- Thakkar, Vatsal. Depression and Bipolar Disorder
- (2006) This book discusses the causes, symptoms, development, and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder, lists famous people who were affected, and looks at present and future options for dealing with them.
- Trueman, Terry. Inside Out
- (2003) A sixteen-year-old with schizophrenia is caught up in the events surrounding an attempted robbery by two other teens who eventually hold him hostage.
- Vaught, Susan. Trigger
- (2008) Teenager Jersey Hatch must work through his extensive brain damage to figure out why he decided to shoot himself.
- Vizzini, Ned. It's kind of a funny story
- (2006) A humorous account of a New York City teenager's battle with depression and his time spent with a group of patients in a psychiatric hospital.
- Vrettos, Adrienne Maria. Skin
- (2006) When his parents decide to separate, eighth-grader Donnie watches with horror as the physical condition of his sixteen-year old sister, Karen, deteriorates due to an eating disorder.
- Wilson, Jacqueline. The Illustrated Mum
- (2005) Ten-year-old Dolphin is determined to stay with her family, no matter what, but when her sister goes to live with her newly-discovered father, sending their mother further into manic-depression, Dolphin's life takes a turn for the better.
Call It
- Help on Call 24-hour Crisis Line (520) 323-9373
- Call this number for immediate, professional counseling over the phone. They will talk with you and provide you with additional referrals.
- Southern Arizona Mental Health Corporation - Crisis Line-24 Hours (520) 622-6000
- No-cost psychiatric assessment, intervention, and follow-up help 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Walk-in services at 2502 N. Dodge Boulevard, Suite 190
- Information and Referral Services (520) 325-2111
- The HelpLine provides information, solution-based problem-solving and resources to aid individuals and families to live as effectively and independently as possible.
- Teen Lifeline (suicide hotline) 1-800-248-8336
- The Teen Lifeline Peer Counseling Hotline provides troubled youth the opportunity to access immediate help from a Peer Counselor seven days a week, 365 days a year.
- Open-Inn Runaway Center (520) 795-1571
Updated August 2008