FRIDAY, June 4, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- While many parents are concerned about depression among teenagers, a number of them are apprehensive about antidepressants, says a new poll from Columbia University.
The poll of 512 parents with children under 18 found that:
"Parents are worried that many teens with depression aren't getting treated and many teens without depression are," Laurie Flynn, director of the university's Carmel Hill Center for Early Diagnosis and Treatment, said in a prepared statement.
"What's more troubling is parents lack basic information on depression and medication and they don't know where to turn. This poll is a wake-up call to physicians, educators, researchers and even the media to step up efforts to sort out the confusion," Flynn said.
One in five youths will have one or more episodes of major depression by the time they reach adulthood, the researchers added.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about teen depression.