First reactions to news that Erie residents suffer from a high rate of depression might be to either dismiss the findings or jest about the results. After all, many of us have so much affection for our hometown that thousands of people flocked to a new Facebook group, "You might be from Erie Pa IF," to share fond memories about Erie's special foods, beautiful peninsula, quirky characters and endearing traits. » More

Author: Jerrilyn Zavada, jzavada@mywebtimes.com, 815-673-6371
When Jennifer, Jake and Jordan Shepard died in a rural Streator fire recently, the ripples were felt throughout the community. After authorities said the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide and the mother had been under a doctor's care for an undisclosed mental illness, friends, neighbors and strangers were in shock and a state of collective grief. » More

StarTribune -- Posted by: Jeremy Olson; 612-673-7744; jeremy.olson@startribune.com
Rising media exposure and stress levels can be linked to the rise in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children over the past twenty years, according to a top Minnesota child psychiatrist.

Dr. L Read Sulik, senior vice president of behavioral health for Sanford Health, is one of numerous experts I interviewed for Sunday's premium access story on the rise in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children. (Check back Wednesday for open access to the story online.) The story quoted a study, which found a 40-fold increase in child bipolar diagnoses in a recent 10-year timeframe, as well as a host of top psychiatrists who acknowledge that bipolar has been misdiagnosed in many children.  » More

Conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and ADHD are common in the young, but how do parents know when their child is at risk?
By Carol Yeh-Garner, Ray Pearson, Genevieve Suzuki, Jennifer Zeglen, and Edie Sanchez

Would you know if your child was sick? You’d likely notice a runny nose or fever, but what about a change in emotional state or a concentration problem?

According to Mental Health America, mental health issues affect one in five young people at any given time, and an estimated two-thirds of all young people are not getting the help they need.  » More