High School age depression

I'm not sure where to post this...but in our small state of Vermont, we have experienced 2 cases, 3 days apart, of kids shooting themselves. One was done in the boys bathroom in school, the other at home. It's so sad that a 15 and 16 year old can be so distraught and hopeless without anyone noticing! This age seems to be at a HIGH risk for depression with the way things are in their society today.

I can only urge ALL to be aware of the moods of teenagers and not to just brush it off to "they are THAT age...". Depression is real. Depression is serious. Depression can be fatal.

If you suspect that someone you know is depressed, please talk to them. If they decline to get help, call the Mental Health Dept in your community and ask advice as to how you can help.

Please, help to save a life.

I am so sorry for what happened. May we all start to feel one and care more for each other.

It has been noted that teen age suicide tends to occur in #'s when one hears of the other[s]. When a teen suicide happens, parents, please talk to your children about the futility of taking one's life, when there is so much ahead. Speak of the positive things in their lives and ask if they need help with depressed mood. Or if they have needed such help recently. Sometimes events can trigger unnecessary feelings of hopelessness in teens, as their life experience has not prepared them for the big and positive changes that time can bring. Just because today was "awful" does not mean that tomorrow will be. A breakup with a boy/girl friend can be "awful" for a time, but 6 months from now, your teen can be a great mood and will still have a lifetime of relationships to experience.

I agree, parents should have an active role in their kids lives by engaging them in talking about what's going on in their lives. Teens tends to thrive and cope more with their problems when they have someone to talk to. High school is a time where they develop anxieties due to peer pressures and possibly bullying which then develop to depression. Parents must be vigilant about watching their kids for sign so that they may be able to do something about it.